A CHURCH has been awarded more than £17,000 to redevelop its community rooms.

The Parochial Church Council at St Nicholas Church in Tolleshunt Major has been given the cash by the Big Lottery Fund’s reaching communities programme.

The church will use the £17,255 to prepare an application for a larger grant in April, which the church council cited as “under £500,000.”

If successful, its village rooms redevelopment project will see facilities modernised and improved.

The “much needed” overhaul will see the main hall and kitchen extended, new toilets and the third room will be given a comfortable lounge area.

This will mean the hall can support more activities like lunch clubs, coffee mornings, crafts, a farmers market and fitness classes.

MP for the area Priti Patel said: “It is fantastic that this award has been made to the St Nicholas Church Council, it will go a long way to supporting the plans to redevelop the Village Rooms, providing vital space that can be utilised by the local community.

“The planned refurbishment will provide the local community with much-needed modern space to meet, socialise and organise events making a huge difference to the variety of local groups that use the hall for many generations to come.”

Sarah Casey, of the Parochial Church Council said it was “very happy” with the reward and hopeful their application, which will be processed by around July, is successful.

She said: “It’s a wonderful village but it needs some new facilities.

“I would say the makeover is much needed.

“We really want to give old and young people something new here.

“We have a lovely pub but other than that we are quite thin on the ground for amenities.

“We will apply for a grant of under £500,000.”