SOUTHAMPTON'S voluntary services are celebrating this week after work began on their new £1m headquarters in the city.

City mayor Councillor Brian Parnell joined members of the voluntary sector at a special ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new centre which is due to be built in St Mary Street.

As well as becoming the headquarters for the SVS, the centre will also provide support and facilities for local voluntary groups when it opens next year.

Work on the new building, which is being undertaken by Bluestone, is likely to take a year to complete.

Cash for the scheme has come from the inner city regeneration partnership, the community fund and Southampton Primary Care Trust.

When complete, the fully wheelchair accessible centre will provide a range of services including affordable rentable space for smaller voluntary groups as well as meeting and counselling rooms.

While work is undertaken on the centre, the neighbouring Kingsland Market will continue to open on Tuesdays for a bric-a-brac market and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for a general market.