THE DAYS of worshippers building churches with their bare hands may be gone but the determination of one Dundee congregation harks back to a former age.

When construction companies told members of Chalmers Ardler Parish Church that it would cost £90,000 to carry out an extensive renovation they decided to take on the project.

After a major fund- raising effort, which raised £20,000 and a £9000 award from the Social Inclusion Partnership they were ready to begin work.

The project caught the imagination of parishioners and attracted no shortage of volunteers.

“We are not a rich church with legacies or huge sums of money to throw around but we worked hard at fund-raising and what we raised allowed us to start work,” fabric convener Gordon Cunningham said.

“For some time Ardler itself has been undergoing radical changes and the church was built in 1967 at the same time as the rest of the housing estate.

“When we saw the rebuilding of Ardler we thought it was appropriate to remain at the heart of the community and renovated the church as well.

“We still have around £9000 to raise. As it stands we will have been able to do this for around £50,000 less than it would have cost to employ a company to do it.”

Aside from a few occasions when professional workmen have been required to carry out a particular task, all work has been undertaken by Gordon and his fellow volunteers.

A number of tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts have ensured the work has been carried out smoothly and to the highest standard.

The project will see the creation of a new sanctuary area which will be more welcoming and comfortable.

Pews will be replaced by more modern upholstered seats and new technology will be employed to allow the use of audio and visual aids to worship.

“The work has been going on since September and is due to be finished by the end of summer,” Gordon said.

“We’re all absolutely delighted with the way things have gone and what we have managed to achieve.

“It does give you an enormous sense of satisfaction and has helped create a lot of fellowship.”