A CHURCH which doubles as a kick-boxing gym has won a national award.

The converted crypt at Holy Trinity Church, in Ripon, is also a drop-in centre for skaters, a meeting place for a mother and toddler group and a children's holiday club.

The project to transform the crypt won first prize on Thursday night in a competition organised by Ecclesiastical Insurance.

The competition recognises churches with the best ideas for making their church an important part of the community.

Entrants were judged by the links they have built with local communities, trusts, charities, businesses and education authorities.

Holy Trinity received a £1,500 prize from the Right Reverend David Conner, Dean of Windsor, at the award ceremony.

The church will also feature in a calendar to be distributed nationally.

Michael Montgomery, from Holy Trinity, said: "The church is now used every day of the week. We're just a representative of a lot of people involved doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

"If we'd known how much work it was going to be, we might not have taken the project on. But we did, it's a miracle and God was with us every step of the way."