A £300,000 CHURCH hall project has taken a major step forward, with the laying of the building’s foundation stone.

The Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner, laid the stone at Holy Cross Church, in Swainby, near Stokesley, on Wednesday.

The project has been many years in the planning, but construction finally began in January.

It is expected that the facility will be ready for use before the end of the year.

The foundation stone is being sponsored by Barthram Funeral Services of Hutton Rudby and Northallerton.

The new hall is situated on a plot of land purchased specifically for the purpose, adjoining the church.

Project manager Lionel Smith said: "Built to the highest specifications, this modern amenity will include a hall, kitchen, toilets, storeroom and a parish office/small meeting room.

"There will be full disabled access throughout.

"The surrounding plot will be landscaped to provide a safe and attractive setting for outdoor activities. "The hall will be available for use by both the church and the wider community, providing an ideal venue for a great variety of events – family parties, fund-raising and educational events, meetings, and much more."

Much of the funding for the project has come from the sale of the old church hall, formerly the Old School and Schoolmaster’s House, but a significant proportion has come from church funds and fund-raising events.

At the start of the year, there was still a shortfall in the funds required and the church launched a major fundraising effort to secure the remaining £70,000 required to complete the work.

Mr Smith said: "In six weeks, £29,000 of this has already been raised, through fundraising events and many very generous donations.

"The church membership remains optimistic that the remaining shortfall will be met by the autumn when, it is hoped, the building will be formally opened."