LESSONS in salsa dancing, yoga and speaking Russian are some of the classes available at a new adult learning centre in Normanton.

The Village Learning Centre has been constructed in the former Normanton Infants' School building, on Browning Street, with a £636,000 grant.

Councillors and local residents attended the opening of the refurbished building yesterday and hundreds of people have already signed up for classes.

The centre boasts five classrooms that will host about 25 courses including dance lessons, languages, art, crafts and yoga.

The grant was provided by the Learning and Skills Council and the centre is running free taster sessions available to adults living in the surrounding areas.

Over 200 adults have tried the courses so far and during the development stage of the project, Derby City Council consulted a group of local residents to help make sure it would meet their needs.

One of the members of the focus group was Jackie Kirk, 66, of Stenson Road.

She said: "The centre was going to be very close to where I live and was offering a lot of classes, so I decided to come and find out more.

"I work as a teaching assistant and I'm interested in anything that expands my knowledge. I tell children to learn something new every day.

"At the moment I am doing glass painting and there are plenty of other options to choose from."

The centre has a specialist art room with a pottery kiln and display fixtures, a hall that can accommodate up to 60 people and several smaller teaching rooms.

An 18-place creche with indoor and outdoor play areas will provide care for children up to the age of five while parents attend courses.

Shirley Griffin, 49, of Glaisdale Nook, Alvaston, said the lessons gave her more confidence.

She said: "I have fun here and when I come along I can meet others who want to learn and I can make new friends.

"There are skills here that I've always wanted to learn and it makes me more confident knowing how to do them."

Councillor Ruth Skelton, Derby City Council's cabinet member for adult services and health, said the council was grateful for the money that was donated to help with the refurbishment.

She said: "For some people their time at school might not have been happy and sometimes people regret not having done things at school

"I think adult education can fill that gap and they can meet new friends as well as gain new skills to help them get jobs."