PARISHIONERS at a Preston church are hoping to raise £120,000 over the next month to finish paying for a new £1million place of worship.

More than 340 people packed the new St Cuthbert's Church, Lytham Road, Fulwood, on Thursday, to celebrate the inauguration of the centre which was finished in January.

The state-of-the-art building, built on the site of the former church, includes a worship area with room for 250 people, three conference rooms, and a hall that can hold up to 150 people.

The congregation has spent more than a year meeting in the church hall, after the original building was bulldozed in the autumn of 2003. The new church will be open for use by the community during the week.

Vicar, the Reverend Chris Halliwell, said the first church, completed in 1916, was demolished because of the soaring maintenance costs.

"Faced at the end of the 20th century with £500,000 repair bills for a church which was huge, high, leaking and built for a different era, a decision was made to replace the church on its existing site," he added.

The project took life in 2002, after original proposals, aired in 1999, for a much larger development were put on ice because of funding issues.

During the four years the congregation has raised £650,000 for the project with grants from the Blackburn Diocese. There are now hopes to have the rest of the cash to finish paying for the scheme by Easter.

Rev Halliwell believes his 200-strong congregation will have no trouble meeting the ambitious target because the church raised £124,000 at a gift day in 2003 and an additional £136,000 in a day in 2004.

"This project has gone ahead because of the faith and the willingness to give money of the people here.

"We have a phrase here that all things come from you God and of your own we give to you," he added.