YOUNGSTERS will soon be able to enjoy a new out-of-school club following a £70,000 fundraising campaign by churchgoers.

The 12 members of Hunton Methodist Church, in Hunton, near Bedale, raised the money as part of a commitment to making their church available to the community.

It has been used to pay for improvements to the church building, including extending the church to provide a new kitchen, disabled access and toilet facilities, central heating and a remembrance garden.

The final piece of improvement work has now been completed, with a dividing door being added, enabling the worship area to be separated into two rooms.

The door was paid for with £5,000 from Yorventure, which is backed by Northallerton-based waste management company, Yorwaste.

The project was eligible for the grant because Hunton is between the Tancred waste transfer and recycling centre near Scorton and the West Tanfield landfill site, both managed by Yorwaste.

Plans are now in place to set up an out-of-school club, which will be run in partnership with the village's Hunton and Arrathorne Primary School.

Church steward Ruth Simpson said she was delighted to see the project finished after more than two years of fund-raising and six months of work.

She said: "We believe that, as a church, we must respond to the needs of the community, and it is great that we can help out by providing space for the club. The dividing door will enable us to provide different areas for children of different ages.

"We are grateful to Yorventure as the latest in a long line of supporters who have helped us to make the church more accessible and available for community use."

The Methodist church also runs a regular J-Team club for young people. A rededication service will be held at 2.30pm on Sunday.