PEOPLE from all ages and backgrounds came together on Sunday for the opening of the Gateway Church’s second site at Dorcan Academy.

The church, based in the Trinity Centre, Stonehill Green, Westlea, decided to expand into east Swindon after seeing increasing demand for the church’s services in the town.

A sizeable congregation filled the main hall at Dorcan for their first service with more than 100 people attending.

Gateway East team leader Al Cotton, who will manage the new site with wife Sarah, said: "One of the main reasons we wanted to open a second site was to help more people engage with the church and faith.

“There has been a great reaction when we first announced it and we are expecting new people to come here because our service is more accessible.

“Swindon is a growing town and we are seeing increasing numbers of people visiting the church.

“The school has been really accepting to us and we would love to have our own premises several years down the road if such a facility became available but at the moment we are happy to be have this second site here at Dorcan.

“Lots of people in our country are faced with a lot of uncertainty at the moment with politics and the economy and so many people are asking the big questions of life and we believe the church has answers and can help people.

“It is exciting to be here after 12-18 months of planning to make sure we can serve this community.”

Those in attendance included Dorcan Academy headteacher Sherryl Bareham and Swindon mayor Eric Shaw who spoke a few words before the first service began which saw the congregation sing a number of hymns before prayers were held for Swindon.

Gateway’s west Swindon site currently holds a Sunday service at 10am. The main hall at Dorcan Academy will now be used to hold additional Sunday services from 11am.