A HEAVENLY half-a-million pound scheme to bring facilities in a Cleveleys church bang up-to-date and complete necessary repairs is fast becoming a reality.

The scheme at St Andrew's Church, Rough Lea Road, entails building a new community hall with a brand new kitchen, creche, toilet fac vilities and modern lighting and heating.

And a new worship area will have comfortable seating, excellent heating and lighting and will be used for meetings and concerts as well as worship.

St Andrew's has been planning the scheme since 1993. Half the money has been raised by grants, by the sale of the hall land and by selling the curate's house. The other £25,000 is being raised by the people of St Andrew's itself.

Vicar of St Andrew's, the Rev David Reeves, said: "This is a very exciting new venture, it will give us great flexibility of use, will offer the local communities up-to-date facilities and it will put St Andrew's on a sound financial footing.

"We are thrilled about the whole scheme.

"The people of St Andrew's have raised this money by weekly giving and sheer hard work.

"They should be congratulated on their determination to see the scheme through. We have almost reached our fund-raising target."

The church building will be closed for the next seven months while the work is carried out. Services will be held in the present church hall and funerals will be transferred to Christ Church in Thornton and staffed by St Andrew's.

Mr Reeves added: "We are most grateful to Father Andrew Froud and the people of Thornton Parish Church for their generous help."

The hall land has been bought by Mr and Mrs Stan Houghton. Thanks to their kindness the old church hall will remain open until the new church scheme is finished. The hall site will then be developed for flats by Mr and Mrs Houghton's building firm.

St Andrew's is now a listed building and the scheme goes ahead with the approval of English Heritage, Wyre Borough Council and the Diocese of Blackburn.