A CONGREGATION met for the final time at the site of a 110-year-old Sunday school before moving to make way for a £6.8million community development.

The Ragged School, in Bent Street, Blackburn, has been deemed as “no longer fit for purpose” and is set to be demolished.

The site, along with other land off Montague Street, will be used to create a development for the elderly and people with dementia, along with community facilities.

A multi-faith resource centre will be integral to the design and will incorporate original features from the Ragged School, including stained glass windows and a war memorial.

The Ragged School was set up as a Sunday School in 1881 by James Dixon and John Walkden and moved to the present premises in 1897. The adult congregation which met there later became part of the United Reformed Church.

The congregation met for the last time at the site at 3pm yesterday It will be temporarily re-homed at Spring Bank Court, an elderly people’s care centre, while building work goes ahead.

Local pastor Alan Barnes, who has led the church congregation at The Ragged School for more than 20 years, said “There have been tears and some sadness associated with leaving the building, but it is an exciting opportunity for us. Practical Christian service, with children and adults, has been of paramount importance to us in the past — and it still will be in the future. ”

Leader of the United Reformed Church for Blackburn and for North West England, the Rev Richard Church, added: “This offers tremendous possibilities — both for our congregation, and for the area which the church serves.

“When building work is complete we want not only to worship there, but also to work with others, to continue our tradition of service to the area”.