A VILLAGE church is belatedly modernising with the help of its supportive congregation.

St Paul’s Church in the former mining village of Gulworthy is due to have its first toilet and kitchenette.

The Rev Judith Blowers, curate of the miners’ church, said: “We’re only a very basic church, with few adornments and not even stained glass windows, but we are full of supportive parishioners who worship here and respond very positively to our public events which contribute to our funding needs.

“We are well into the first major modernisation with a new fully accessible and inclusive toilets due to be built soon along with a servery which will enable us to provide our family milestone events with sociable drinks.

“We have lots of weddings here and a baptism last weekend. People are coming a long way for such occasions, further than in the past when people lived local to each other. Expectations of what churches can offer are also higher these days.

“We also have a family services where children need to have a toilet nearby or where babies can be changed.”

Churchgoers have helped fund surveys and feasibility studies from which an option has been chosen on how and where to fit in the changes. The organ will be moved a small distance and a few pews removed to make way for the project.

John Reed, retired archdeacon and church volunteer, said: “There’s a great sense of devotion in this church providing support for the changes.”