WORK has started on a £500,000 project to transform Padiham Road Methodist Church, Brassey Street, Burnley, into a modern, warm and welcoming focus for community activities and events.

As well as it being a place of worship, the church, built in 1902, is also venue for wide range of community activities.

These include a youth club, a lunch club, dance classes, slimming clubs, sales, concerts, and holiday clubs.the church’s management team want to turn the building into an accessible, well-equipped and flexible building that everyone can use.

The radical revamp will include creating all-ability access and installing audio and media systems.

It is expected that the transformation will be complete by Easter 2015. Much of the funding is coming from the church’s own reserves.

Over the past six years, members of the congregation have raised £320,000 through activities including sponsored events, ‘buy a brick’ Christmas Fairs, and pledged giving.

The Veolia Environmental Trust and The Lancashire Environmental Fund have also awarded grants totalling £60,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Keith Wightman from the church said: “It is so good that work is starting.

It has taking a lot of hard work to get here but it will be well worth it”.