A church in Birstall with a tiny congregation is to launch a £100,000 appeal to create a community centre fit for the Millennium.

Pastor Bill Miller, who runs the Birstall Community Church in Smithies Lane, which has just 33 worshippers, admits it is their most ambitious project to date.

He said: "I know it is a lot of money for such a small congregation to raise but I am quietly confident we can do it.

"I believe the church has the potential to grow much more in the next few years. When I started here in April 1997 there were only 18 members but now there are 33.''

Last year the main section of the church used for services - built in 1906 - was given a £25,000 facelift with the help of a £10,000 grant from the Congregational Federation and church funds built up over a number of years.

The work included installing heating, rewiring, new lights, redecoration, replacing wooden benches with seats and fitting a carpet over the previously bare floorboards.

Now the plan is to revamp a hall at the back of the church. This section was built in 1882 and was the original worship area.

It is now used as a meeting place by two youth groups, a mothers' and toddlers' group, for a baby clinic and for coffee mornings. The scheme also includes refurbishing the adjoining kitchen area.

Mr Miller said: "We want to put in a new floor to create two sections in the hall, with toilets and wheelchair access downstairs and three classrooms upstairs.

"As well as the existing groups, we want other members of the community of all ages to use the church.

"There is an old people's complex opposite the church and the plan is to lay on hot meals for them. We also want to encourage more young people to use the church as a meeting place."

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