VILLAGERS from Whiteshill & Ruscombe came together on Saturday to enjoy a community fundraising day with a difference at their parish church.

At present there is no heating at St Paul’s church, Whiteshill, while the building also needs essential repairs.

To replace the guttering on the south side of the church will cost an estimated £13,000 and to install a new heating system will cost between £24,000 and £43,000.

On Saturday at 3pm the church bell rang and local parishioners and villages were invited by Rev. Simon Howell to go outside and make a big living circle around the church.

Organiser Maggie Booth said: “As our church is going through challenging times, I thought we could show our appreciation for this lovely building which stands proudly at the entrance to Whiteshill over looking Ruscombe, by literally giving it a big hug."

"It was lovely to see so many people coming together, holding hands around the church.

“We knew this was going to be a challenge but we achieved it.

"It was a wonderful magical and an a very emotional moment.

“St Paul’s church desperately needs support and hopefully this event and others will encourage people to come along to their parish church and enjoy this meeting place, which is here for the whole community.

"We don’t want to lose it.”

Looking to the future the church aims to hold more community events like ‘the Big Hug’ to raise money to help keep the doors of the church open.

Rev. Simon Howell said: “St. Paul’s, Whiteshill, is a place at the heart of the village a place of historical permanence in a scarily changing world, it’s a place of energising community life, now and hopefully in the future.

"It is a place of spiritual strength and has always been a place to get spiritual strength.

"This particular day just draws back the curtain to show the potential of this building being the centre of community life here in these lovely villages.

"Embracing is an act of compassion toward the church in such difficult times.”

Quiet mornings at the church are held every Monday and Holy Communion is celebrated in the Lady Chapel once a month.

Built in 1839-40 to a design by Thomas Foster of Bristol, St Paul's Church is now a Grade II Listed Building.

All pictures taken by photographer Simon Pizzey - simon-pizzey.squarespace.com/