A LANDMARK event will take place in Radcliffe today (March 8) when the congregation of Radcliffe United Reformed Church receive the keys to their new £355,000 building.

The 125 members of the Water Street church spent four years raising £200,000 to build a modern church to meet increasing community demand.

Their hard work was boosted by a £17,000 grant from local-based Pilsworth Environmental Company (PEC) for a meeting room and kitchen. Other grants totalling £15,000 were awarded by the Duchy of Lancaster, the Carmichael Montgomery Church Trust, the United Reformed Church North Western Synod and the Coward Trust. A further £100,000 was loaned by the United Reformed Church Denomination.

Church members, aged from the very young to 94, raised their share through fund-raising activities such as a sponsored coast-to-coast walk, a parachute jump and a 24-hour "musicathon".

Other members organised donations to the building fund in lieu of birthday presents.

Worshippers and community users had been struggling for space in their dual-purpose church hall, which will continue to be used by local groups such as parent and toddler groups, Radcliffe Male Voice Choir and Weight Watchers.

Dilapidated Victorian outbuildings were demolished to accommodate the new church, which has a large meeting room for church and community groups to use.

A new car park has also been laid, and an attractive stone boundary wall was built with a regeneration grant from Bury Council.

Stained glass windows saved from the original Victorian church, have been removed from the 1980s dual-purpose building and installed in the new church.

Church secretary Alan Crump said: "It's great to get the keys to our lovely new church. It is at the crossroads by the cenotaph, the bank and the town hall, which have all had renovation work done recently, so the whole area looks very smart now."

And church minister, the Rev Anne Stokes, praised the hard work of the church's community and said: "We are very grateful to PEC for supporting our fund-raising. Their grant has boosted a magnificent community effort."

The church holds its first service on March 24 at 11am. A special opening service is being held on April 13 at 3pm, conducted by the Rev Peter Brain, Moderator of the North Western Synod. The church will be open to visitors throughout the following week.