THERE'S something going on at Okehampton Baptist Church and people are being welcomed in to see the many improvements being made.

The front of the inside of the church is being re-vamped to make it clean and attractive with a raised platform, but also to provide an office for the minister, Rev Darren Pike, and a large storage area for all the different activities that take place in the church.

Okehampton Foodbank operates from the church and Allsorts, for mothers and young children, has been meeting twice a week in the premises. Many new activities are being planned and it is hoped that other groups will soon be using the premises as well. A new disabled toilet is being installed, and a wet room, containing a shower and toilet, is also part of the new re-development. The main area already has a coffee bar, and a new baptistry is being installed.

Thanks to a grant of £30,000 from the Okehampton United Charity, the lower hall is also to be re-developed with a kitchen, storage areas, side rooms and toilet facilities.

By the end of 2010 the church expects to have spent nearly £90,000 over the last four years in redeveloping its premises of which £34,000 has come in grants, £21,000 from other baptist churches in the South West and £34,000 from the church itself.

Members of the church want to see the premises being used by the whole community, seven days a week, morning, afternoon, and evening.

They are appealing to people who are planning to run a new activity or need somewhere to meet to come and have a tour of the building. The doors are open each day so if people are wandering past, they can call in and see what's going on. For more information call Rev Barry Walton on 01837 659733.