THE Bishop of Ripon and Leeds was in Swaledale to officially open a former Victorian Sunday school which has been redeveloped into a community centre.

The Rt Rev John Packer, who has spoken in favour of developing rural church buildings for community benefit, said the project at Fremington, near Reeth, was a fine example of what could be achieved.

"I have been encouraging church leaders in rural areas throughout the diocese to look imaginatively at appropriate ways in which church buildings can be used for the benefit of the whole community and here is an excellent example of church and community working together," he said.

"The church is one of the key partners in sustaining the life of rural communities and I hope the Fremington centre will be of great benefit to people in the area."

The visit on Wednesday came six weeks after the government's rural white paper supported such developments.

Work on the dilapidated 19th century Fremington building, which totalled £50,000, took four months following grants from the Yorkshire dales millennium trust and donations from church members. Disabled access and toilets and a new kitchen were added to the single-roomed building and fittings, paintwork and furniture were overhauled.

The building will now be used by groups such as the Swaledale parish choir and Reeth brass band for rehearsals, by others, including the bridge club and the Swaledale festival, and for parties and other functions.

A series of special church services will also be held each Sunday until Lent.

Earlier in the day, the bishop met farmers and business people at the Buck hotel, Reeth, to hear about their concerns for the community.

He was accompanied during his visit by Canon Leslie Morley, diocesan rural officer, and the Rev Tim Tunley, vicar of Swaledale.

See Farming News page 17