A POOLE church is attempting to raise £1.5m for a rebuilding project to serve the community and "pursue the parish vision".

The Church of the Good Shepherd on the corner of Herbert Avenue and Stanfield Road in Rossmore was established in 1931.

As the first building in the area, the 'temporary' wooden structure was built while housing plans were put together.

Over the decades, the church has continued to support the community, helping the growing local population in a wide variety of ways.

The building is used today by a large number of church and community groups for a wide range of activities for people of all ages.

Revd Peter Homden, Minister of the Church of the Good Shepherd, said: “The church’s founders probably never imagined that the original building would survive as long as it has.

"However, the ravages of time are affecting both the church and hall, and the buildings are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain.

"In order to serve the community effectively into the future, we have decided to construct an all-new building which combines excellent church and community facilities, serving the local area for the rest of the 21st century and beyond as we pursue the parish vision of ‘Knowing and sharing the love of Jesus’.”

The plans for the new church building a worship area which is also suitable for other gatherings, a hall served by a fully-equipped kitchen with a hatch to a foyer/coffee bar, a meeting room, office, toilets, storage and a 20 space car park.

The planning application was approved by the Borough of Poole last year, but the church is now trying to fund towards the estimated total £1.5m cost of the project “It's a huge challenge, especially in the disadvantaged area which the church serves, but we believe that this is achievable by a combination of church and community giving and external funding," Revd Homden added.

The Diocese of Salisbury is backing the project and the Bishop of Sherborne, Right Rev Karen Gorham, said the project is putting a new heart into the community by providing facilities for all.

To help local people get behind the project, a facility for online donations has been created at www.justgiving.com/cogs-poole.