A CITY centre church has launched a £1m push intended to open it up to the whole community.

The Wesley Memorial Church in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, is already well used by local people, hosting a drop-in centre for toddlers, weekly get-togethers for disabled people, and providing office space to charities, as well as being a well-used place of worship.

But its congregation want to attract even more people, with a programme of rebuilding intended to make its community centre more welcoming.

The church was granted planning permission by Oxford City Council for the new community facility in September, and is now beginning to raise the cash.

The church was completed in 1878 with the community hall added in the 1920s. Access is presently through a 1980s wooden construction, hidden from New Inn Hall street, linking the church and community centre, which has offices let to Christian Aid, and Cruse, the bereavement support charity.

The new designs by gbs architects will create a new entrance visible from the street, with a glass foyer joining the church and community centre.

Sally-ann Thomas, of the Oxford-based architecture firm, said: “Extensive roof glazing along the length of the new space maximises natural light in the new reception and lobby areas.

“Part of the original city wall falls within this development, so gbs spent time in consultation with English Heritage to ensure that the design maintains the integrity of this significant heritage point within Oxford. An archaeological dig was required to confirm that no historic structures or artefacts were likely to be disturbed.”

Church manager, Nikos Paplomatas, said: “We have a business plan and the first £250,000. We now need to raise the remaining £1m for this project.”

New Inn Hall street has long associations with John Wesley, the man largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as being the founder of the Methodist movement.

John Wesley’s first preaching house in Oxford was in the building now numbered 32-34 New Inn Hall Street, which has always been part of Brasenose College.

The church has seen a number of upgrades since the present sanctuary was erected in 1878 as ‘a fitting memorial to Mr Wesley.’ During the church’s centenary celebrations, there was a major debate over whether it should move out of the city centre to the suburbs of Oxford.

But the decision was taken to extensively refurbish the interior of the church in 1978.

Over decades the church has been the centre of Methodist work for generations of Oxford students, with the community hall providing a home for numerous Oxford voluntary organisations.