THE caring community of Coundon has started work on the final phase of a £350,000 restoration of its parish church.

Four years after they started raising money, the congregation of St James is close to completing its Under the Roof Appeal by building a much-needed village community space and education centre.

As well as transforming the 130-year-old church, the effort has brought residents together and Father Gary Nicholson hopes the spirit of unity will continue.

He said: "This is not just a church effort, it has been supported by the whole community.

"We have had coffee mornings and other social events in people's homes and centres around the village to raise our share of the money, but when we are finished we will have somewhere special. It will be brilliant.

"£350,000 was a lot to find and we got £200,000 in grants. The Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage have been very good but the rest came from Coundon."

Work on the grade II-listed building should be complete in the autumn. The latest phase will provide a learning porch with space for education projects, theatre productions and exhibitions.

A new roof was built in 2004 but, as the work was being carried out, a large piece of the decorative domed ceiling above the altar collapsed and more cash had to be found to replace it.

Fundraiser Mary Goundry said: "This is not just a facility for the congregation, but for the wider community."

The next event is a St George's Day celebration with a short play, poems and songs, in the Grey Gardens Centre, at 7pm next Monday.