The Mayor of Dudley visited a borough church this week to help launch a new community project.

Councillor David Stanley popped into Cornerstone Community Church in Pensnett to find out more about Cornerstone Connect. The church, based in High Oak, has been undergoing works over the past couple of months to make it a wi-fi hub for the community.

People who do not have access to broadband or have difficulties getting online will be able to make appointments to use the facilities at the church for work or education.

The project will also offer learning and support for residents looking to learn new skills, offering services such as help with CV writing or interview techniques. As part of this, the church has enlisted the help of a videographer to help young people develop their skills with a camera out and about in the local area.

The final strand will see the church sharing short video stories from members of the community, with the Mayor kicking things off yesterday by recording his own. The church has been running a food bank and soup kitchen throughout lockdown as well as making deliveries to people at home, helping more than 40 families per week. Councillor David Stanley, the Mayor of Dudley, said:

"I was delighted to spend the afternoon at Cornerstone Community Church learning about this exciting new project. The church has been doing excellent work throughout lockdown with its foodbank and soup kitchen, and they are now expanding the services they are offering their community and giving real practical help for the people who need it most to improve their lives.

"I was honoured to share my story via video and to be the first to do so, and I wish everyone there the best of luck in getting this off the ground. I am certain having met them that it will be massively successful."

Barry Hutchinson, pastor of Cornerstone Community Church, said:

"We were really pleased that the Mayor was able to join us. He was only scheduled to be here for a short while, but he was so impressed with what he saw that he actually spent the whole afternoon here and seemed to take a real genuine interest in what we were doing.

"As a local church we want to do all we can to help our community, and this feels like a natural extension from the work we have been doing with the food bank and the soup kitchen over lockdown.

"The videos, which have been started so kindly by the mayor, will hopefully inspire people because they are real-life stories from local people they can relate to.

"The wi-fi hub is now operational and we would welcome anyone to make an appointment who needs to use the facilities we have here."

The project has been part funded by Near Neighbours. To make an appointment, or to find out more, visit cornerstonecc-cogop.org.uk or call 07368 517602.