Generous tradespeople have helped a community centre complete an urgent project.

Local builders, plumbers, heating engineers and suppliers gave their time generously to replace an unstable kitchen floor at Bridport’s Chapel in the Garden.

The Chapel launched a 350th year anniversary appeal to find local support to carry out the project.

Fru Jeune, of the Chapel building committee, said: "Once I had explained the problem to Ian Baker, he offered to help and the floor was immediately and effectively remedied.

"We are so grateful to Ian and his team at Baker Builds who were able to use materials kindly supplied by Fred Etherington of Bridport Building Supplies and a floor covering donated by Carpet World and installed by Lea Windsor.”

Ian Baker, of Baker Builds, said donating his team's manpower was his way of giving back. 

“By donating my team’s skills, I wanted to contribute to the Chapel's efforts to build community and reach out to people who may be feeling more vulnerable in these challenging times. Fixing the kitchen floor was my way of giving back.”

Fred Etherington of Bridport Building Supplies said: "As a local business, we will always support worthwhile causes in our community and we wanted to assist the Chapel in championing inclusivity and fighting isolation by bringing people together for companionship and connection."

The floor will still need more long-term improvements following an in-depth survey of the cause of the problem, but it's now been declared safe so users of the Chapel can go back to making cups of tea at the Wednesdays and Saturday cafes and the increasingly popular Warm Spaces project.

The Warm Spaces initiative was set up by Bridport Town Council, which co-ordinated a scheme ensuring free community spaces were open on different days of the week and provided a grant towards heating bills.

Warm Spaces at the Chapel opened last autumn and has become a hub of companionable community with a warm welcome for volunteers and visitors alike.

As well as soup and a roll for lunch, there is always chatter as well as games, puzzles, listening and signposting to other useful services including the Community Fridge; a scheme to combat food waste in Bridport by making sure everything edible gets used up.

During the winter, all have been grateful for the generous donation of a night storage heater by Phoenix Heating.

The Chapel in the Garden runs a café every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 12 noon, all are welcome.

Warm Welcome Space is on Thursdays from 11am to 2pm. Services take place on Fridays at 6pm (enter from the back of the Chapel) and on Sundays at 11am. They are held in the tradition of a loving welcome for all.