A CHURCH in Cam is having a makeover to bring it into the 21st century.

St George's Church, built in the 13th century, has been cleared of all its large wooden Victorian pews.

They have been replaced with seats that can be stacked to make better use of the space in the church.

The idea for the changes came from members of the congregation who felt that the church needed to be more flexible for community groups to use.

The changes that have been made so far have already attracted Cam brownie group and an after school club.

Bob Priest, chairman of the St George fabric committee, said: "We started this process about three years ago with a congregational think tank to decide where St George's Church was to go in order to keep up with the demands of the outside world.

"A consensus was arrived at fairly unanimously to make the building more flexible for worship and more readily available for community use, with there being no church hall in Upper Cam."

The church has already built a small kitchen area for groups to make refreshments.

When the whole plan is complete the church will have stackable chairs that can be moved, hidden storage units and a repaired and adapted Jacobean pulpit.

The church has applied for several grants to pay for the work and has received funds from Gloucestershire Environmental Trust.

"Once complete the church will be able to introduce a more flexible pattern of worship to suit all tastes and ages, the building can also be used for concerts and presentations, and with the floor area cleared all sorts of social use will be possible," said Mr Priest.

"We want people to attracted to the place not just for worship but just to use the space and enjoy the church."

The pews that were taken out of the church yesterday are for sale. Anyone interested in buying some of the pews contact Frances Jones on 01453 546950.