David Ruffley MP will be visiting the St Matthew Housing (SMH) Malthouse Project in Elsey's Yard, Bury St Edmunds on Friday 17th March 2006.

SMH provides housing and support for homeless people or the inadequately housed across East Anglia.

The Malthouse Project will transform the last remaining Malting building in the town into a centre which will be of benefit to the whole community. Upon completion it will provide housing, training and educational opportunities for people in need of support. The scheme will help St Matthew Housing residents and service users to take their first steps back into independent living.

The project also incorporates a cafí© and Heritage Centre that will be open to the public.

David said:

'I am very much looking forward to visiting the Malthouse Project and seeing what St Matthew Housing has done with this important 17th Century building.

'This project will provide housing, training and educational opportunities for those people in need of support. Furthermore, this excellent initiative includes a centre celebrating the historic importance of the building and the role it played in the industrial heritage of our town.

'This is an important project for Bury St Edmunds and everyone at St Matthew Housing, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and the Heritage Lottery should be congratulated on the part they played in bringing it to the town.'