THE doors have been thrown open at a new indoor activity centre and educational hub.

The Barn, supported by £250,000 worth of government cash, has been described as a "fantastic new addition" to the Animal Park and Gardens at Kingston Maurward College.

Its opening means the park is now a year-round attraction for Dorchester and central Dorset, providing an educational space for visiting schools and members of the public.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) allocated £250,000 of the government’s Growing Places Fund loan to pay for the build of the environmentally-friendly centre, which also includes a café.

Kingston Maurward College Principal Luke Rake said: “The Barn is a fantastic new addition to the Animal Park and Gardens. From a fairly decrepit polytunnel, alongside no undercover seating or play space, this new facility transforms the park as a destination and also allows us to teach primary school groups undercover and provide an enhanced café experience for all our visitors.”

The animal park was established in 1995 to provide some extra revenue for the college and to educate students and visitors on rare animal breeds and sustainability.

It offers visitors the chance to meet rare animal breeds through partnership with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The park is home to animals such as Shetland ponies, alpacas and wallabies. Visitors can also take a walk to enjoy 35 acres of formal gardens within a 750-acre estate.

The Barn boasts environmentally-friendly features such as low energy lighting, rainwater harvesting and sustainably-sourced construction materials. As well as a café, it contains a wooden play zone with tactile and sensory elements. Every aspect of play is designed to develop motor skills, problem solving and social skills, particularly for children from pre-school age up to key stage 1, in addition to a wider age range of young people with special educational needs. Adjacent to the play zone is a seating area which can be quickly converted to indoor classroom space for visiting school groups.

Tom Reynolds, centre manger at the animal park, said: “School visits take place all year round, but are currently particularly active in the autumn and late spring. The introduction of this new facility will enable the college to guarantee a sheltered education base, whatever the weather.

"Local primary schools are really excited to hear that we have this new resource, which highlights the demand for a covered area in this kind of learning environment.”

Dorset LEP Director Lorna Carver, said: “Enhancing the park will be a great asset for Dorset and the college.”