Around 60 voluntary sector workers will be handed the keys to new offices, storage and a workshop for those with learning difficulties - designed by Sutton Griffin Architects - after town planners approved the £1.5 million Slater Centre last week.

By sharing a receptionist, computers, photocopying and phone systems, the charities will be able to divert thousands of pounds to frontline services in the local area, and hopefully improve staffing and retention levels with the appeal of working in a new building.

Learning disabled charities will pool their resources with reclaimed furniture suppliers to create a working arrangement seldom seen in the charity sector. Some volunteers will even be hot-desking at the centre on the Greenham Common airbase-turned-business park.

West Berkshire Mencap chairman Patrick Slater believes the new environment will provide new momentum for the charity's efforts to create new employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities.. The Link Up Project has the potential to create up to 7,000 training opportunities a year. Job coaches will support work placements with local employers.

"Trying to share a site with other charities is unusual, but we feel comfortable with this, and the new building will provide a great working environment, which should really help all of us with recruitment," he says.

Contractors will start the building at the end of September, and it is expected to take 10 months to complete.

Berkshire based practice Sutton Griffin Architects had to incorporate the wishes of all the new occupants, while sticking within tight budgets.

Sutton Griffin Architects associate director Robert James says: "We had to create a light, airy and spacious workspace for the price of an industrialshed. Detailed negotiations are underway with the contractor to ensure that the project is delivered on budget."

The 18,000 sq ft building features a light well visually connecting the first floor with the ground floor, where the Link-Up Project helps those with learning disabilities to learn jobskills in a workplace environment.

The flow of daylight into this two-storey space will be maximised by the use of full height curtain walling in the gable ends and north facing roof lights. The proposed light well will help to distribute daylight into all corners of the building, as well as helping naturally ventilate the building for most of the year.

Kelvin Hughes of Community Furniture Project added: "The new facility will provide a large number of local people with the opportunity to achieve their potential through training and hands-on experience."

Greenham Common Trust is paying for the centre and providing the land. Chief executive Stuart Tagg says: "Although it's a multimillion pound industry, the charity sector is very fragmented. Here, we can bring them together and share costs. There are also private areas in the building to allow for client confidentiality."

The organisations moving in are West Berkshire Mencap, the Link Up Project, Community Furniture Project, Empower, the Ormonde Centre, youth employment scheme Connexions, West Berkshire Friendship Clubs.