The Duke of Gloucester will formally open Somerset St John Ambulance's new £1.5 million Bridgwater training centre on Monday, September 20.

Prince Richard, 66, who is Grand Prior of the nation's leading first aid charity, will meet staff and volunteers and tour the purpose-built centre which replaces outdated facilities in Taunton.

His Royal Highness will meet members of St John Ambulance Somerset Council, Bridgwater mayor Bill Monteith and other dignitaries.

The visit is led by Lady Gass, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, and John Roberts, St John Ambulance Somerset Council chairman.

He will meet some of the charity's younger Badgers and Cadets before presiding over the Ceremony of Dedication for the new County Headquarters.

The state-of-the-art building, just off junction 23 of the M5, will enable the charity to train more people in the skills needed to save a life in an emergency.

It was specially built for St John Ambulance and will provide a suite of training rooms, office facilities and, eventually, garaging for ambulances. The centre will be home to the area's Sedgemoor Division of volunteers, which will meet there weekly.

It will help St John Ambulance meet an ever increasing demand for first aid courses.

The centre is ideally placed for people to reach from right across Somerset, particularly the M5 corridor, and is expected to be used to train up to 3,000 people each year.

Ross Young, county executive officer for Somerset St John Ambulance, said: "We're absolutely thrilled the Duke of Gloucester has agreed to give our new centre the royal seal of approval.

"It's a vast improvement on the current facilities. In future they'll be able to meet in a purpose-designed, modern environment to practise and teach the skills which are so often the difference between life and death."

The building, designed by Barnaby Associates and built by Harris and Harris of Bridgwater, was completed in June.

The £1.5 million centre was funded by the sale of the old Bridgwater Divisional Headquarters in Albert Street and County Headquarters in Staplegrove Road, Taunton, and replaces these outdated facilities.

For more information on training courses at the new centre call 0844 770 4800 or e-mail training@somerset .sja.org.uk.