A NEW children’s worker at a church in Gwent is hoping to reach out to the community by moving into the church hall.

Hazel Cave, 43, currently lives in Usk and started her new job as a part-time children and youth worker at the Raglan Baptist Church last week.

But in a bid to provide more services for young people in the local area, she has decided to move into the church’s Fellowship Centre and live there permanently.

Now the church needs to raise £5,000 to renovate the part of the building where she hopes to live.

Ms Cave, a qualified teacher, said: “At the moment, the church runs an after-school club on a Monday and youth club on a Friday. I want to expand on what we do already and provide even more for children in the area.

“Living here full time would mean I could put on more activities for younger children and teenagers. Also, if they wanted advice from someone they would know where to find me.”

The church’s minister, Robert Atkins, said: “If we could get up to our total soon it would be fantastic.

Hazel has given up her job as a nanny to take on the position full time.”