A community hall in Henleaze will be demolished next week ready for building work to start on a new one.

Fundraising group Henleaze@Heart, led by the Trinity-Henleaze United Reformed Church, have raised nearly £1.1 million in the last three years, and on Monday building contractors will move in take over the site.

Rev Tracey Lewis said that they are planning to demolish the 1950s Waterford Hall on Waterford Road later in the week.

Mrs Lewis, 45, said: "We are really looking forward to seeing the next stage go ahead. I'll certainly be there to see some of the demolition."

Temporary facilities in the other church buildings are being provided for the many groups that use the hall, including a popular toddlers' gym group, ballroom dancing and a flower arranging club.

The building of the new hall, which will be called Bradbury Hall after a £250,000 donation from the international Bradbury Foundation, is expected to take about 40 weeks.

Bradbury Hall has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, with a large number of skylights to make the most of natural light and reduce the need for electric lighting, solar panels to generate electricity and rainwater collection systems to be used for flushing toilets.

There will also be better access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

The money has been raised with grants and contributions from local fundraisers, as well as a sum of money from the sale of Trinity Church in 2002 when it was merged with Henleaze Church.

The replacement of Waterford Hall is the first phase of the two-part project.

The second phase of the project, which will need another £500,000 to see through, will be the refurbishment of Church House on the corner of Henleaze Road.