Ambitious church plans to be revealed

Ambitious £150,000 plans to expand and develop community facilities at St Andrew's Church, Dearnley, Littleborough will be unveiled at the official launch of the scheme in Church on Friday, (1 October).

Invitations have been sent to Church and civic dignitaries, MPs, partner organisations such as school heads and Social and Youth Services, potential sponsors, user groups and congregation.

A publicity leaflet explains that St Andrew's aim to provide a much-needed multi-functional, low cost community centre for the 8,000 people or more who live in the parish of Dearnley and Smithy Bridge.

The Rev Sharon Jones, vicar, said: "The present parish room is severely limited in size and suitability and we plan to develop the facility into a first-class community centre with access and amenities to meet all needs.

"The scheme is likely to cost around £150,000 and we are looking for support in our endeavour to bring the plan to fruition."

Work to provide wheelchair access and to upgrade kitchen facilities has been done already, and the next phase is to enlarge the parish room, provide additional disabled toilet facilities and incorporate structural work that would, at a later date, support a first-floor level development.

The existing parish room --- said to be "no longer adequate to meet the needs of the church or those of the burgeoning number of organisations that use it" --- is already used extensively for church functions and by Guides and Brownies, Mums and Tots, a lunch club for the elderly, a weekly Friendship Club, Littleborough International Women's Association, musical groups such as local choirs and Wardle Anderson Brass Band, Christian Aid, Chernobyl Children's Charity and the World Development Organisation.

In a more recent initiative the vicar has offered the use of the parish room facility to provide refreshments to the young footballers from Wardle who use the nearby playing fields for training and matches as well as their families and visiting supporters. Until the vicar stepped in they simply went without.

St Andrew's say the provision of an extended and well equipped parish room is essential in their quest to improve community links and, in turn, to see better care in their local community become a reality.