A PICKERING-BASED charity will celebrate its move to smart new headquarters by throwing open its door to visitors.

The Wilf Ward Family Trust, set up in 1986 to help those caring for learning and physically-disabled people, has taken over a former nursing home and transformed the building into state-of-the-art offices.

The charity, which now employs more than 700 people, needed somewhere to bring all of its behind-the-scenes work together.

Richard Pacey, chief executive of the trust, said: "It's a fantastic landmark for us and the building is something to be proud of.

"Many people associate us with our respite unit at Isabella Court, in Westgate, which we still run, but we've brought all our administrative units together under one roof."

The trust used to operate from a series of buildings all dealing with different departments, and there are hopes that, with one building, work will become more streamlined and effective.

Coun Judy Dixon, Mayor of Pickering, will officially open the new offices tomorrow, and the building will be open from 1pm to 3pm for anyone to go along and look at the work in which the trust is involved.

Updated: 10:35 Wednesday, June 18, 2003