A congregation in southern Scotland has won the praise of the Scottish Parliament for an ambitious project to transform their church building into a community hub.
Mayfield and Easthouses Church, in Midlothian, has invested £450,000 in overhauling the building so that it can serve the community as a house of worship and arts centre hosting a wide range of events, like musical productions, film screenings and exhibitions.
The refurbishment was led by the Rev Malcolm Muir and started out of the congregation's desire to serve the community in more imaginative ways.
The modifications also make it possible for the church building to be open seven days a week.
Changes include a new community café with children's play area and charity shop to act as a meeting place for families and other members of the community.
Other additions to the church include a smart heating system, updated kitchen and floor to ceiling windows.
The project caught the attention of MSPs across the parties, including Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, who attended the opening ceremony last week.
He was also one of the MSPs who signed a motion in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood congratulating the congregation for their vision.
Mr Beattie said: 'It is fantastic to see that the work to create a modern, comfortable church in the heart of Mayfield has now been completed.
'I hope that this will be a real asset to the community and open up opportunity for people to get involved and see the future possibilities for the church.'
Mabel Currie, Session Clerk of Newbattle Parish, said: 'We are absolutely delighted that work to create a modern, comfortable building in the heart of our community has now been completed.
'It is a source of great pride and joy for the congregation which has always used the church in creative ways and the refurbishment allows us to take that to the next level.'
