Enhanced Community Healthcare Options (ECHO) is celebrating the grand opening of its new specialist care facility, Malsis Hall, in Glusburn.

Paul Shevlin, Chief Executive of Craven District Council, planted a cherry tree in the grounds to mark the occasion.

The Grade II listed building has been converted from Malsis School, which closed its doors in 2014, into a care centre designed to provide recovery and rehabilitation for people with mental health conditions.

The service, which will be accepting referrals from Local Authorities and the NHS within a 30-mile radius, will create 130 jobs in the local area.

Guests at the opening ceremony were given a tour of the facilities, which include residential suites and apartments, communal areas, community meeting rooms, three sports pitches and a sports pavilion.

Lisa Gardner, Service Director at Malsis Hall, said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Shevlin to officially open Malsis Hall. It’s a beautiful, historic building with some fantastic amenities which we hope will become a hub for the local community.”

Andrew Shelton-Murray, Director of ECHO, said: “Renovating Malsis School into a specialist care facility has been a labour of love for our team. We are delighted that it’s now opened to receive referrals, and ready for local residents to come along and visit us, to make use of our meeting rooms and sports pitches.

“We’re also pleased to have been able to create 130 jobs for people in the region. Our aim has always been to provide a local service for local people by local people, and I’m happy to say that we are achieving this already.”