Almost a year to the day since a burst mains water pipe in the road outside caused a massive flood, the weekend saw celebrations get underway to mark the re-opening of Chertsey Make Ready Centre after a £500,000 upgrade.

Whilst repair work needed to be undertaken, the opportunity was seized to also carry out some much-needed improvements to the staff facilities at the MRC.

The extensive refurbishment has seen creation of a new larger crew room with a brand-new kitchen and communal eating and rest areas, a new Reception and OTL office providing more visibility for welfare and support to colleagues, a new Hub for Paramedic Practitioners and a new Computer Suite for colleagues to access computers and printers and to provide a quiet space for study.

Operating Unit Manager, Jo Crerar, who led the improvement works with her team said: ‘It was great after more than a year of disruption to celebrate the re-opening of Chertsey and show off the much-improved facilities. It was lovely to be joined by so many colleagues, past and present including our former Medical Director Dr Fionna Moore.”