Spruce up for town gardens

Frances Levett who has joined forces with other worshippers in a campaign to save St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Melton from closure EMN-180828-122122001

Friends of St John’s Church was formed in January amid fears that it would be closed as a Catholic place of worship.

A petition signed by 2,500 was presented to the bishop in May but a decision has yet to be made on whether the Thorpe End building will be retained for services.

Staff at the nearby Melton Carnegie Museum are partnering with charity members to spruce up the gardens at both the church and the museum to make that part of town more attractive.

Cream teas will be served in the church gardens on Saturday, from 2pm to 4 pm at a price of £3.50, to raise money for the work.

Friends’ secretary, Sheila Sulley, said: “We hope to see this area of town made really beautiful and also beneficial to wildlife, especially insects.

“We are planning some fundraising events to provide the necessary plants and compost, among other things.”

The charity has raised more than £1,000 for repairs to a stained glass window,