Major renovation work costing more than £450,000 at a Newtown church will get underway in the New Year.

All Saints Church will remain open for the Christmas celebrations and then close for almost a year, with services taking place at nearby primary school Ysgol Calon y Dderwen.

The refurbishment project has been secured through grants and fundraising by the congregation to carry out essential repairs and upgrade the heating, flooring, toilet and kitchen facilities.

The Rector of All Saints, Canon Nia Wyn-Morris, said: “This project has been more than ten years in the planning, so I’m delighted that work will get underway in the new year. The church building is in desperate need of improvement so that we can offer better hospitality to the people of the town. The renovations will allow us to re-open our toddler group, provide facilities for people experiencing homelessness as well as offering a more comfortable place to worship.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve found new ways to reach people and serve the community. The cooking and delivery of Sunday lunches, which started as a response to the lockdown, continues. A dedicated team is cooking more than 80 Sunday roasts every fortnight, and this will continue unaffected by the building work at the church.”

Newtown-based contractor Philip Jones Builders will carry out the work which will include repairs to the windows, the removal of the organ and chancel [the choir area] furniture and a new stone floor laid with underfloor heating in the main body of the church.

A small extension to the church will be replaced by a larger space offering more toilets, a shower, a bigger kitchen and a meeting room. The current vestry will be converted into an office.

The project has been funded by the Diocese of St Asaph (£71,000), Garfield Weston Foundation (£30,000), Community Facilities Programme (£25,000), National Churches Trust (£10,000), James Pantyfedwen Foundation (£8,000), All Churches Trust (£6,000), Hodge Foundation (£5,000), and Powys Welsh Church Act (£5,000).

Nia added: “Thank you to everyone who is supporting this project. Thank you to God for blessing us with these gifts to further His work in our community.”