WORK has begun at a Southampton church to create a vibrant space for the community.

The £30,000 project will extend an area that is currently used as a passageway in the James Street Church.

The corridor will be transformed into a separate function room while the existing kitchen area will be extended and modernised.

The church, which offers food to kids that come hungry to youth clubs on Wednesday nights, believes that the new kitchen will be helpful in providing meals.

It will also help to host courses for a programme that helps people get back into work.

Among these events, the space will provide a place for family support groups, debt counseling and community policising meetings.

Volunteers will also be painting and redecorating the church front. The church, which has shut down many events during the renovation but is still open for services, hopes to hold an opening day by October 5.

The extension has been welcomed by the community with support from local councillors and neighbourhood residents.

It comes after two years of holding fundraisers and collecting donations.

It has also received a grant of more than £12,000 from Viridor Credits Environmental Company and The Veolia Environmental Trust through their Landfill Communities Fund.

Maria Cade, the acting executive director of the trust, said: “Our communities rely on spaces like this one for somewhere to meet up and access events and activities. It is great to hear that work is starting and I hope the extension is used and enjoyed for years to come.”