PARISHIONERS are being urged to back a fundraising drive to replace the roof and bells at St Gabriel's Church, Hanley Swan.

The church, built in 1872, urgently needs its roof replacing before new bells can be installed.

The two projects are expected to cost a total of £100,000.

A meeting will be held at 7.30pm tonight (Friday) at The Grange, in Robert's End, Hanley Swan, to discuss the ways the church intends to raise the funds needed.

These include a flower festival and jazz event, to be held in June and a family fun day in September.

Organist, John Quibell-Smith, who is also chair of the fundraising committee, said: "We're hoping to raise the money through people donating funds and also through fundraising events.

"We're still using the church for worship at the moment, but the roof is getting worse and worse by the minute. We really do need to do something urgently.

"We're hoping to get the work started by August, which isn't giving ourselves a lot of time, but we feel we need to get things under way as soon as possible."

Anyone interested in attending the meeting tonight should contact Carol Hutchings on 01684 310920.