TWO years after a fire decimated the Salvation Army building on Acre Street in Stroud, the church has now reopened with brand-new décor on show.

The building was badly damaged the day after the Grenfell fire in 2017 after it was set alight by two men, one of who was receiving practical support from the Salvation Army in Stroud to rebuild his life.

Despite the incident, Teresa Conway, the church’s minister, doesn’t harbour any ill feeling towards the men.

“We just prayed for the guys that when they were in prison, they would get the help with their addictions and help with their life,” said Teresa.

The fire had dire consequences, and the building was so badly smoke damaged that the wood had to be taken out. Crayons in the building also created a pool of liquid because it had been so hot.

Teresa praised her fellow church leaders, who offered their places of worship to the group after the fire.

For the last two years the Salvation Army have been based at the Stroud Baptist church, but the group have been allowed to return to their original home with the building having reopened on September 22, and despite the fire, Teresa will never have any reservations about who enters the church.

“This building is about being a place for the community,” she said. “We use it for our place of worship, but this is a place for the community. It was built for the community and it is for them.

“That’s why we’ve had the shower put in and that’s why we have the night shelter. Anytime that we’re open we have the people that haven’t got anywhere to live come up and see us with sleeping bags and we’ve always got something to eat.

“We run the winter night shelter here, we start it in January normally, but I’m desperate for volunteers, if I get enough volunteers, we can start it in December and we open up on the nights when there is a yellow weather warning.”

The building's décor has been designed so that people can come in and feel calm.

The walls are painted green, which, according to Teresa, helps to set a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

The group currently host a coffee morning on a Tuesday, and will also be running a toy appeal so that the public’s spare toys can be given to social services.

“We also support teenagers,” said Teresa. “Every year we support the teenagers that come out of care, and on Christmas Day we try to support them.

She is excited about what the future holds for the Salvation Army following the revamp of the building.

“We’re looking to start something called celebrate recovery in the new year,” she said. “It’s a 12-step programme, Christian based, for friends that are struggling with addiction.

“I’m excited about everything. The Christmas dinner, which we're hosting on Christmas eve, I’m really looking forward to that and we’ve got a gem of an idea about a breakfast Sunday, on the third Sunday of the month when everyone’s mooching in the bottom of their freezer, people can come in and have a breakfast, with the maximum money they can donate being £5.”

A new Stroud veterans’ group, called Last Rendezvous, also hosted a charity event where a huge meal was provided, and there will also be parent toddler groups and food banks taking place at the church.

“There is a need for the Salvation Army in Stroud, the fact it’s here says a lot,” said Teresa.