Thousands of people will benefit from a major new mental health centre at Brighton General Hospital.

The £2 million development is in the grounds of the hospital but has its own entrance from Pankhurst Avenue.

The former Fletching building, more than 100 years old, has had a radical makeover to create the centre.

The development is for people living in the East Brighton area and means they will no longer have to travel into the city centre to get the support services they need.

Day services including therapeutic groups, adult education and learning opportunities, will take place at the centre.

These include art and pottery sessions, meetings and learning how to work in a kitchen.

There will be outpatient appointments and a base for community mental health teams covering East Brighton.

Facilities for voluntary groups and charities such as Mind will be available.

The new-look building has a maritime theme and is painted blues and greens.

Artwork includes a distinctive giant driftwood mirror in the main reception, a specially created gate at the entrance and several paintings.

There is a cafe, open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, which is managed by Care Co-ops, a voluntary organisation which supports people looking to get back into employment.

Leila Francis, 29, from Brighton, will be one of the people to use the centre.

She said: "They have done a great job on it and a lot of people are going to want to come here.

"It will be a lot easier to get here than the other centre at Buckingham Road. The parking is easier and a lot of buses come up this way."

Centre co-ordinator Diane Clark said: "We are all very excited about this beautiful new centre and I am sure it is going to be a huge improvement on anything that has gone before.

"A lot of work and effort has gone into this building and we know it is going to provide an excellent service."

The centre is part of South Downs Health NHS Trust, which provides community, mental health and rehabilitation services mainly to people living in Brighton and Hove.

Trust chairman Quintin Barry said: "This is an important development for mental health services in the city, which we now provide in partnership with the city council.

"We are very proud of what we have achieved with this centre, which is part of our determination to provide modern services to people as close as possible to their homes."

The centre will be officially open from September 2.