An "ambitious" project to create a community garden in Leiston is a step closer to fruition after a £39,000 grant was donated to the scheme.

Leiston United Church, in partnership with the Leiston Community Land Trust, is planning to build the garden outside its building in High Street.

When complete, the project will see the existing church flow into a garden, which will feature a bandstand, space for future food and craft markets and a thoroughfare to nearby stores.

The scheme is expected to cost £330,000, with a recent donation of £39,000 from Allchurches Trust taking the total raised so far to more than £200,000.

Work is set to begin on the garden in the autumn and it could be open by the end of the year.

Andrew Crisp, a trustee of Leiston Community Land Trust, said: "The idea of this multi-use community space, and of a positive enhancement to the church buildings, is something we’ve been discussing for some time, but the ambitious nature of the project has always meant that funding would be key.

"We’re extremely grateful to Allchurches Trust for awarding us this sum of money. It really does boost the momentum of our work on the scheme, and means we really are now much more likely to achieve the target of completing this entire project by the close of the year."