A CHURCH in Ledbury has opened its new home after two years of searching.

The Ledbury Methodists sold their former home in Homend, an old Victorian building, with their new home in Bye Street due to open later this month.

Next door to Community Action, 4A Bye Street was known to many in the town as "The Old String Factory" though more recently it was a stationery shop and offices for a medical research company.

The last 12 months has seen the property undergo an extensive update, though the frontage and historic roof beams remain unaltered.

Partition walls downstairs have been removed to create a compact and friendly worship area, whilst a lift has been installed to take people to the activity room and offices on the first floor.

Revd Phil Warrey, minister of the church, said: “It has been an exciting challenge to get this beautiful old building as we want it, but now we’re ready to go as both a worshipping church and a community hub serving the town.”

Some projects will have to wait for covid restrictions to ease further, but these include the church’s Lunch Club for those who live alone and a “Place of Welcome” where people can meet for a chat or, as part of Herefordshire’s Talk Community Hub, be signposted to relevant agencies if they need help or advice.

Methodists will be working with other churches and agencies on some issues such as debt relief, whilst a number of town organisations have already expressed interest in using the premises for their own activities.

An official opening weekend will take place on 31 July-1 August, with the Saturday being an open day when, between 10am and 4pm, anyone will be welcome to drop in and see what is happening.

Additional details can be found at https://www.herefordshiremethodists.org.uk/lmc-opening.