A YEAR of success at a new visitor centre will be celebrated with a fun-packed programme of events on Saturday (AP11).

Staff at Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre will host a day of activities to mark the anniversary of the official launch of the attraction last spring.

The centre, which was officially opened by BBC presenter Chris Packham in April 2014, has provided the public with the opportunity to see and handle some of the archaeological collections unearthed at Hengistbury Head over the past 100 years.

And birthday celebrations will begin at 11am this Saturday, with activities including children’s crafts, a raffle and lucky dip and a family competition on offer, as well as the regular offerings of live webcams, the wildlife garden and gift shop.

Natalie Fisher, visitor centre manager, said: “It’s been an amazing first year for us here at the centre.

"We have received such positive feedback from everyone who has explored the new building and our events have also been very popular.

“None of what we have achieved however would have been possible without the help and generosity of the volunteers who pledge their time on a regular basis.”

Within its first year the attraction has received 145,000 visitors.

Volunteers have also dedicated a staggering 9,500 hours of their time to support the work at Hengistbury Head.

Internationally recognised for its wildlife and archaeology, the opening of the centre at Hengistbury Head last year realised a thirty-year dream to provide a high quality visitor interpretation centre at the site. From gardeners to conservationists, retailers to guides, volunteers aged 14 to 84 have joined forces to protect and increase understanding of the popular local beauty spot and site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The attraction, based near the Iron Age double dykes at the main entrance to the headland, cost more than £1 million to build.

As well as cameras set-up to record the peninsula’s many bird species, the centre contains artefacts covering the history of the area and interactive exhibits.