A DAY centre offering support for people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses has opened in Pontypool.

The Tosturi Centre will run every Friday at St. John’s Church in Wainfelin, providing physical, emotional and mental health support to those in need.

Jo Lloyd, who founded the centre, said Torfaen was missing somewhere that was able to provide this support.

“When I trained in Cardiff Met, my placement was in hospice care. It made me realise that actually there's nothing in Torfaen even similar to City Hospice’s day centre or Hospice of the Valleys’ day centre in Ebbw Vale.

“I just saw huge difference it made to the people attended those day centres.

“We offer complementary therapies to people with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer and chronic pain conditions.

“We’ve been trying to get this going for the past few years.

“We want a centre in the heart of Torfaen where people can come who are living with life-limiting illnesses and have therapies, they can get nutritional advice, they can participate in arts and crafts and other activities, mindfulness and gentle exercise.

“I'm happy to bring it to Torfaen and I hope that we can provide the therapies and activities of a day centre that is much needed in the Torfaen community.

“We are now here in Wainfelin in St. John's Church every Friday from 11am. Session one is 11am until 1pm and is a cancer support group – with therapies, nutritional advice, gentle exercise, arts and crafts, and more – and then 1.30pm until 3.30pm for those with chronic pain conditions, offering the same activities.”

Free Press Series: The Tosturi Day Centre will be held at St John's Church Hall in Wainfelin each Friday.The Tosturi Day Centre will be held at St John's Church Hall in Wainfelin each Friday.

Opening the centre, Torfaen MP Nick Thomas-Symonds said how Ms Lloyd had visited his constituency office and told him about the initial plan for it three years ago.

“It is such a credit to Jo that we are here today able to formally open this service,” he said. “I think this is going to be such an important service for people in Torfaen.

“The support – whether it’s the emotional support, the physical support, or the mental health support – that is going to be available at this facility is going to make a great deal of difference to so many people here in Torfaen.

“I’m so grateful that it’s here at the centre of our community. It’s going to make such an incredible difference.”

Ms Lloyd was able to launch the day centre after funding from the National Lottery's Community Fund.

To find out more, you can search ‘Tosturi’ on Facebook.