AFTER two months of fundraising at St Paul's, Hoddlesden, there is now enough cash to buy new gates for the churchyard.

A Loose Change Month was organised in May when a model church was set up for people to throw in their spare coins. And this month has featured a light lunch in the school hall and a strawberry and cream tea garden party at the vicarage.

One of the organisers, church warden Georgina McWhirter, said: "It has been amazing. We have already got £830 and there's still money coming in. We were trying to raise between £600 and £1,000 for the new gates after our last ones were stolen.

"We are hoping to get the new ones installed within the next few weeks.

"A few people, who have relatives buried in the churchyard, have given us donations in memory of their loved ones which has increased the total raised."

A previous grant from the East Rural Regeneration Board went on repairing the churchyard wall and re-erecting the gateposts opposite the Old Rectory.