The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev David Urquhart, laid a commemorative stone at a £1 million new church centre being built by Mansell in Birmingham.

The bishop laid a new stone marking the event at Christ Church in Pershore Road, Selly Park, and also an old stone from the previous church which has been demolished. The ceremony was watched by churchgoers and church officials, staff from Mansell's Stourbridge-based Western Region involved in the project, and the priest in charge at Christ Church, the Rev Nigel Hand.

The work - worth £1.1 million - is being carried out by Mansell's building solutions division. Steve Oldacre, Mansell building solutions divisional manager, said that ecclesiastical work was an important sector for Mansell and they were thrilled to be part of the project.

Jeremy Maddocks from project managers Phoenix Bears said: "We're familiar with the challenges of working on ecclesiastical projects, but the contractors we've worked with all uphold the highest professional standards and the final project is one we're all very proud of."