WORSHIPPERS in Amesbury are rejoicing as construction finally gets underway on a new church after nearly nine years of determined campaigning.

Living Grace Ministry currently gathers every Sunday at Bulford Village Hall, but members have been working towards creating a permanent home of their own.

The ambitious project began eight-and-a-half years ago and has involved fundraising, designing the building and securing planning permission.

Now, the long-held vision is becoming reality, with Shaftesbury-based builders Marshway Contracts starting work on the site earlier this month.

The new church – a large, modern steel-frame building – is being constructed on green space on Archers Way, next to the Bowman Centre.

Alongside the main worship space, it will include a nursery and additional community facilities.

Church leaders hope the building will serve not only as a place of worship, but also as a valuable space for the wider Amesbury community.

To mark the milestone, church leaders, site contractors and architects Geoff Cole and Alex Spooner from Proctor Watts Cole Rutter (PWCR) recently gathered on site.

Among those attending were Living Grace Ministry pastor Natalee Stoner, her husband Marlon and church member Tobias Daka, all of whom have played a key role in pushing the project forward.

Natalee said: “I am so happy to see this site finally underway. It has been such a long process, and we are so thankful to God for getting us to this stage.

“We have lots of plans for how we will use the space. We want to make sure it is a space for the people of the community as well as a place for us to gather on a Sunday morning.”

Marshway Contracts site manager Aubrey Dredge added: “We have a twelve-month plan to get this project done, so it should be finished within the year.

“It’s going to be a modern building and fit in nicely with the rest of the area.”

Living Grace Ministry is still seeking additional sponsorship and funding to support the project.

For more information or to donate, visit www.livinggraceministryuk.org