A PRIMARY school headteacher and a vicar will be camping overnight in Great Paxton s church to raise thousands of pounds to improve the church facilities. The unusual sleepover is part of Great Paxton s Holy Trinity Church Living Water project which will

A PRIMARY school headteacher and a vicar will be camping overnight in Great Paxton's church to raise thousands of pounds to improve the church facilities.

The unusual sleepover is part of Great Paxton's Holy Trinity Church Living Water project which will pay for a new toilet, kitchenette and meeting area.

Rev Annette Reed, who has been vicar at the church since 2006, will be sleeping in the church with headteacher of Great Paxton Primary School, Valerie Manning.

Some members of the Holy Trinity Church committee will also keep them company during the sleepover on Friday (June 5) as will the bats that are known to live in the building.

The group will be raising money for the church through sponsorship.

Rev Reed told The Hunts Post: "I'm seriously not looking forward to being in the church all night with our bat friends flying about. I believe Mrs Manning is bringing a tent for good measure. It should be fun and I will be looking forward to the breakfast in the morning."

Before they go to bed they will be walking round the village in their pyjamas with buckets collecting donations.

The �84,000 project to improve the church has already accumulated �9,034 from Donarbon Community Fund, �5,000 from the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Fund, �500 from the Allchurches Trust, and money from the church reserves.

However, the church committee is �20,000 short and hopes the sleepover and Living Water Festival will cover the gap in funding.

The festival will be on Saturday (June 6) and Sunday from 11am-5pm and will feature a variety of stall set up at the church selling plants. There will also be refreshments and a raffle.

Rev Reed said: "It is essential that this church, which dates back to Saxon times, has new facilities which will enable us to open up the building to far more visitors."

She added: "At the moment we have to bring up water in containers from our churchwarden's house in the nearby lane and we can offer no toilet or meeting area."

Work on the church is to start in July and should be complete by September.

INFORMATION: To find out more visit www.paxtonvic.wordpress.com or phone 01480 211048.