CHURCH members joined forces for a day of cross-town community action.

The initiative, called ‘No Strings’ saw members of Influence Church in Richmond and Barnard Castle carry out a range of community projects on the same day.

These included repainting children’s play parks, gardening for elderly residents, graffiti cleaning, litter picking, rebuilding school fences and much more.

The church co-ordinated their efforts with local authorities to ensure they could be effective in meeting the needs of the towns.

Ben Dowding, Senior Pastor of Influence Church said: “We’ve been running these events for 11-years in Richmond and it’s fantastic to see so many people willing to give up their time to come and serve our town.

“We believe in building a church that’s part of the community.

“A church that’s relevant, enthusiastic and generous.

“We’re passionate about our faith not just being something we talk about, but something we put into action.”

In total, around 200 volunteers were involved in 25 projects across the region.