A CHURCH community has good reason to be joyful - they have reached a £300,000 fundraising total to build a new church.

Worshippers at Trinity Methodist Church in Gregson Lane, Hoghton, have waited five years for work on their new building to be completed.

And now the final bricks have been laid they are planning to raise the roof with a special service and procession.

The 138-year-old church was knocked down after worshippers decided the nineteenth century building was too old to be maintained.

Tony Bonser, one of the fundrasiers, said: "The plan was always to demolish the church, which was built in the 1870s, as it was not suitable for a 21st century church community.

"We have raised the money doing everything from coffee mornings to evening entertainment and applying for grants.

"It is a lot of money and I don't think we would have kept going if we had known the final total when we set out. But we have had tremendous support for which we are very grateful."

The new church now boasts a large main hall, chairs in the main area rather than pews, and three other meeting rooms.

It will be officially opened on August 31 with a procession from St Joseph's RC Primary School in Bournes Row - where the methodist community have been worshipping during the building work - followed by a church service.

Minister the Rev Keith Jump said the new church was a culmination of ecumenical support in the area.

"This is an exciting new adventure for the community and has built many bridges. It is a way of facing the new millennium with a new church and new outlook."

And a new school is also being built nearby. Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School, Hoghton, which was wrecked in an arson blaze in June 2001, is due to open in September 2003.

Mr Bonser said: "Everyone is enormously excited and are still finding it hard to believe. It is a tremendous boost to moral in the area that we will have a new school and a new church in a few years."