A PROJECT to redevelop Pickering Methodist Church to make it more accessible to the local community is being launched this weekend.

Plans have been put forward to refurbish the 131 year old church, which is a Grade Two listed building, to increase its use for weekday events for both the congregation and the wider community.

The Reverend Ruth Duck, vicar of the church, said: "With a rising birth-rate and new residential building in Pickering, our church needs to look at new and improved ways of serving the whole town, we already provide facilities for community groups such as the Ryedale Foodbank, Brownies and Guides, a daily playgroup, facilities for meetings, WOW! Youth Group, as well as monthly family and teen cinema events, but the current configuration and facilities of the building prevents us from any further expansion."

Rev Duck said architects had been appointed and the plans envisage a reordering of the whole of the ancillary area to provide a modern standard of facility built to an improved specification.

"New toilets will provide disabled access and meet "safe care" standards. There will also be a new kitchen that will enable us to extend our catering facility for events and a separate seating section will provide cafe-style serving facilities," she added.

"Ceiling levels will be lowered throughout to reduce our energy usage along with high efficiency lighting. There will be a separate meeting room which, with improved circulation space, allows simultaneous use with the main hall."

Rev Duck said the financial cost of the scheme was estimated to be around £230,000 and fundraising has already started with some £42,000 already been raised.

"It is hoped to raise the rest of the money through both local events and bids to national grant funding charities," she added.

The next local fundraising event will be a quiz night at the Sun Inn in Pickering on June 16, followed by a launch event for the project on Saturday, June 18, at 7pm at Pickering Methodist Church.

Rev Duck said: "We, at Pickering Methodist Church, are working to preserve and enhance the beauty of our historical chapel for worship, family cinema and other uses.

"Most of our property scheme concerns the rear of the premises with the aim of transforming them into a modern, multifunctional and accessible space for all of the community.

She added: "We value our heritage, and long to provide an attractive building throughout to serve present and future generations"

For more information email pickeringmethodistchurch@gmail.com