PLANS to develop Stroud's iconic St Laurence Church into a community space will be discussed at a special open weekend.

A project called St Laurence: The Future has been launched to secure the 700-year-old parish church for generations to come.

People in Stroud are being invited to help shape plans to make the church a space for events such as concerts, children's activities, community groups, special celebrations, as well as retaining its ancient vocation as a flexible arena for prayer, meditation and worship.

The move towards creating a community space comes as the church seeks to raise funds, with around £1.6million needed for repairs.

Churchwarden Mike Lambert said: "The church roof needs some remedial work, and then a staged schedule of work to secure the integrity of the building.

"Internally, we would like to replace the current floor, which consists of a patchwork of different surfaces, and put in a new more effective and efficient central heating system.

"All these, and other improvements, would enable us to maximise the potential of the building as a major asset in the centre of the town."

The ambitious project would need to be carried out in stages over several years and involve applying for grants, as well as fundraising projects.

Ideas open for discussion include creating an open-plan floor space with heating, improving disability access, installing modern toilets and a flexible kitchen space, as well as essential roof repairs.

A church re-development group has been seeking advice from architects and other experts who have carried out similar modernisation and redevelopment projects in other town centre churches.

They are eager for ideas from the wider Stroud community as to how the building could be maintained and developed, and how the project might be funded.

Residents from across Stroud, businesses, and community groups are being invited to a public open day from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, October 8 to find out about possible options for the building, give their views, and contribute ideas.

Members of the church community will be available to talk about the plans and answer questions.

Displays will outline the possibilities available for the church.

Surveys can be filled out on future uses of the building and community groups can express an interest in using the church at the open day.

Children will be kept entertained by art activities, a quiz, and music performances.

Children aged six plus are invited to help create a batik artwork, using fabric dye on cloth, to produce a stained glass window celebrating Dick Whittington's connection to the church, which will be left on display in the building.

Choirs and musicians will perform throughout the day and the Raga Babas, a fusion music devotional band who performed at Stroud Sacred Music Festival, will close the entertainment with music to get people dancing at 4pm.

On Sunday, October 9 at 9.30am a public harvest festival service which is open to all will take place at the church to celebrate the launch and allow interested people to meet and talk about the project.

Any parents who would like to book a place for their child to join the Batik making should contact art teacher James Roberts-Wray on jnrw27@btinternet.com.