KITCHENER -- A LGBTQ2S+ community centre has launched in Stratford, and will serve as an information and social hub for the community.

The Stratford Pride Community Centre was formed by a group of local residents. It was created with the idea of serving residents of Stratford and Perth County, visitors, and anyone looking for a new home city

According to a news release, the centre is opening in a phased approach, with phase one starting on Wednesday. First the centre is offering a virtual site at StratfordPride.com. The group plans to incorporate more community information when it is available.

The centre will begin immediately working on phase two, which will see the opening of a brick-and-mortar location in 2022. The building is expected to include information, a lending library and social activities, like coffee groups, games nights, a book club and movie nights.

“We believe the SPCC will advance Stratford as a progressive, inclusive and welcoming place to live, work, visit or do business,” Bruce Duncan Skeaff, a senior organizer with the centre, said in a news release. “This would also be a valuable resource for businesses and organizations wanting to learn how to be more LGBTQ-positive in their interactions with both clients/customers and staff.”

A GoFundMe donation request has also been set up on the website, to help the centre cover start-up costs.