The congregation at an Ilkley church is celebrating after starting the new year debt-free.

St Margaret’s Church has finally paid off a loan for its parish hall, thanks to more than five years of fundraising by supporters.

The building was completed in 2005 with the help of money from the Diocese of Bradford. The parish was asked to pay around £112,000 towards the costs, but by 2008 it still owed nearly £50,000.

Thanks to regular donations and events, the final instalment was paid off last year.

Fr Philip Gray said: “When I came in November 2007, there was still around £70,000 to pay off of that loan. The social committee have organised a lot of social events. One year, we asked people to give us a Christmas gift to help us pay it off and we raised about £5,000 to £6,000 through people’s generosity.

“We make some money by the letting of the hall – that’s not a huge amount but it has been a contributor to paying off the loan. It’s been a gradual process over three years.”

He added that the space was used for a mix of community and Christian activities and that they had deliberately named it the parish rather than church hall.

“It’s used every day and people seem to really value it, I think, because it’s a modern hall. We employ a part-time administrator and caretaker who really get on with people and I think that makes a difference as well.

“This is one of the ways the church can serve the community of which it is a part.”

Fundraising events have included concerts, Burns night celebrations and an ongoing round of candlelight suppers, when guests are invited to homes for a meal, in return for a donation.

The hall is now used by families, charities and sports groups as well as a rehearsal space for choirs such as Cant and Dec and Christian teaching. A toddler group at the hall attracts around 40 parents and children on Friday mornings.

St Mary’s Church, on Queen’s Road, was designed by the Victorian architect Norman Shaw and dedicated in 1879. The adjoining new hall is decorated with a 5ft high sculpture called The Angel Of The Moor, by Harrogate artist Steve Baylock.