The foundation stone for the new £300,000 extension at the Methodist Church, in Cullingworth, was officially laid following a short service led by the minister, the Rev Alf Waite, on Saturday.

Senior steward Kathleen Crabtree performed the ceremony watched by around 30 members of the congregation.

Her husband, church property steward Rod Crabtree, said they were hoping to open the single-storey extension, which will house a new kitchen, larger hall and storage areas, in spring 2009. The existing building had become too small for the 23 children and their three teachers who attend the Sunday school and a number of other clubs and societies in the village who used it on a regular basis. Mr Crabtree said the aim was to build a centre for the community. “The village is crying out for extra facilities. When we hold events at the moment we are struggling to accommodate people.”