CHURCHGOERS are celebrating the start of work on their new hall four years after the previous one was destroyed in a fire.

Members of St John’s Church, in Meadowfield, were thrilled to see work get underway on the hall, which will be a new facility for the village.

The previous hall had to be demolished after it was badly damaged by a fire in 2014.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held at the church to get the work started on Tuesday.

Members of the church and fundraising committee met with builders on the site of the new hall.

Lesley Baxter, who has led the fundraising campaign to raise more than half a million pounds for the project.

She said: “It went really well. We got everyone together who has been involved in the lease and the building and the project manager.

“It was a moment to celebrate. It’s taken us this long to get that far but it’s real now.

“Quite a few people were passing in the street and looking to see what was happening which is nice.

“Hopefully we will be on schedule to finish by March.”

As the work got underway, William Quigley, from WJM-Quigley, which is carrying out the work, congratulated Ms Baxter on the successful raising of the funds.

He added: “She’s responsible for all the fundraising for the community centre which I’m sure will be a great asset to the village.”

The community has been raising money for the new hall ever since a fire raged through the old building, which was more than 100 years old, in March 2014, making it impossible to use.

Since then they have had to hold events in the neighbouring church and they have carried out countless fundraising events from music nights to raffles and tombolas to get to their target of £565,000.

A 30-year lease has now been agreed between The Durham Diocesan Board of Finance, St John’s Church and a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) set up to run the new community hall.

Plans have been made to make a time capsule which will be buried outside the new hall next year.

The new facility will have disabled access and be dementia friendly, and will have a large hall with space to seat up to 200, as well as a small meeting room, a large kitchen, toilets and an office.