A CHURCH ravaged by fire has won a £70,000 cash boost to help it rise from the ashes.

Christ Church in Nelson will be rebuilt and transformed into focal point for the community thanks to funding from Pendle Partnership.

The group will provide money to he replace buildings in Carr Road and Every Street with a purpose-built centre, including a not-for-profit drop-in cafe for community and social activities, open seven days a week, including some evenings. It will be staffed by volunteers and will have a separate entrance from the church.

Last year, the congregation from St John Southworth joined with the Central Methodist Church to form the new Christ Church joint worship centre in the Every Street building.

They were using the building for worship until a new church was built on the site of the former Central Methodist in Carr Road later this year. The cafe, which will be sited next to the new church, will help to bring the community together and support a wide range of community-building and development projects to help local people regenerate their community.

The church will seat around 180 and groups such as the Arion Choir, Pendle Youth Orchestra, cubs, scouts, brownies and guides will use it.

A spokesman for Pendle Partnership said: "It is hoped that by sharing the church's facilities with the local community, barriers between communities can be broken down and different communities can celebrate and gain an appreciation of each other's cultures and traditions.

"The Christ Church project is not just about physical renewal but also community regeneration. It is an attempt by the churches involved to reverse the decline of the town centre and discourage people from moving out of the town. A wide range of local groups have been consulted about the church's plans and have warmly endorsed them."

The church and cafe are expected to be completed by Christmas at a cost £820,000.

The Rev John Price, from St John's Southworth, said: "The church in Carr Road has been demolished and the Sunday school will be demolished in the next few weeks so the building work can start straight away, which includes the cafe part.

"When we had the fire we struggled for premises but we are making the best of the different church premises we are being offered and hopefully we will be in our new building by Christmas.

"We are looking for funding for a project worker.

"The cafe is a means of offering support to the community and bringing together different aspects of the community so we need a project worker to bring it all together."