MORE than £27,000 has been invested to help secure the future of a community café.

For the last four months, The Coffee House at Bathurst Park in Lydney has undergone major renovation work and it is now ready in time for summer.

Claire Harris, who bought the business in December, applied for a grant from the Local Action Group (LAG) to help fund the alterations to the community-owned building and invest in equipment to run it as an inclusive coffee shop.

She said: "I am so grateful to the Local Action Group for sharing my vision and helping me create such a fantastic community facility.

"The house was basically stripped back to its original state and was completely renovated. It now has a larger and brighter dining section, new furniture and the Forest's first changing place which enables children and adults in wheelchairs to use the facilities, and therefore spend more time away from home."

The Local Action Group donated £27,337 to the project and Claire dipped into her pocket too.

She added: "We have a light snack menu, homemade cakes and a range of drinks. I really want to make the park the hub of the community again and attract a spectrum of people back to the house. I am looking to run pre-school and young children's cookery lessons from September and, in time bring back bands on the bandstand with 'prom in the park', and look to run small family events throughout the year.

"I am looking forward to giving something back to the community and promoting having fun outdoors."

Manager of the Local Action Group, Neil Batt said: "The group decided to help the cause based on the enthusiasm of Claire and the community to get it up and running again. The money is going to a worthy cause and prior to Claire taking it over, the house had become a little run down and a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. We hope that it is a success with the community."