Queen Mary Hall, which hosts a food bank, will reopen in April, eight months after most of it was damaged by a shock fire.

The hall, in Norbiton, has been shut since the blaze, on 15 August, while Kingston Council works to restore it.

Residents were left shocked by the blaze, as Queen Mary Hall had only recently undergone a major revamp in 2022.

The works improved the facility by giving it a bigger community kitchen, new meeting area, better accessibility, new flooring, toilets, electrics and an insulated ceiling.

The centre reopened in January 2023 following the works, only for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to receive the first of six calls reporting a blaze had broken out at the venue at 7.14am on 15 August.

Crews from Kingston and Surbiton had the incident under control by 8.53am. Nobody was injured, but the centre was extensively damaged.

An LFB spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it believes the fire was caused by an electrical fault. They added most of the centre was damaged by the blaze.

The council has now confirmed the centre, an important hub for local charities, will open its doors again in mid-April. Organisations which typically use the centre have moved operations to alternative venues while it remains shut.

Queen Mary Hall is part of the Cambridge Gardens estate and also supports tenants on the neighbouring Cambridge Road Estate.

It is typically home to a food bank and lunch club on Tuesdays, run by One Norbiton and Cambridge Road Estates Community Group (CREst), where residents can eat a free meal and pick up food essentials.

This has been taking place at St Peter's Church, in Norbiton, while the centre has been closed.

Kingston Centre for Independent Living also hosts befriending sessions at the centre, while RBKares holds a monthly wellbeing event with health checks, advice on benefits, a free lunch and other services.

Moving on Together (MOT), which helps residents dealing with addictions, provides a free hot meal and drop-in service at the centre on Thursdays.

Ceris Rayner, Chair of MOT, previously told the LDRS the blaze was "very unexpected and unfortunate" and that she hoped it would "quickly be repaired as it is the heart of the local community".

The council is working with groups who regularly use the centre to confirm their return.

A council spokesperson said: "We are planning to reopen Queen Mary Hall in mid-April. The safety of our tenants and hirers is our priority and we have been working hard to ensure the building is safe and fully operational before we open."

The LDRS has asked for details on the works that have been carried out to the centre.