IT was a day to remember for workers at Southampton's new British Red Cross complex.

The charity's deputy president, Princess Alexandra, officially opened the centre, praising volunteers for their dedication and hard work.

At the opening, the princess - who is the Queen's cousin - spoke to youngsters who demonstrated the things they had learnt during their first-aid course.

She asked them whether they had had to use their skills in an emergency and whether it was difficult to bandage an injured person.

In addition she watched members practising resuscitation on dolls and learning how to deal with serious burns.

Princess Alexandra congratulated workers for setting up and monitoring the pioneering village link scheme, which offers a network of contacts around Southamp-ton to give people a chance to find more about the charity's services.

The new Red Cross premises replace the charity's old site in Northlands Road, which was built in 1946 after many Red Cross sites were damaged by bombing.

It houses a medical loan scheme, life-saving first-aid courses for adults and children, commercial training and therapeutic care.

The centre currently has 474 volunteers helping to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable people in the community.

Bosses at the Henstead Road centre are bidding to make the branch a centre of excellence.

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