A community hall could shut due to dwindling worshiper numbers.

But Baldrine Hall is not being sold by the Isle of Man Methodist Council, a public meeting was told.

A number of reasons were given for its closure, including a ‘dwindling’ congregation who are moving to other churches and the potential cost of refurbishing the site.

Around 40 residents attended the recent meeting at the hall, including local politicians and two representatives from the church.

The local community uses the hall for a number of different purposes, including polling on election day, public meetings, church and Young Farmers’ gatherings and rehearsals.

Tony Pass, who called the meeting, said that if the hall closes, Baldrine will lose its only community space.

‘There were rumours about the hall at Christmas and New Year, so I thought it was important that we should call a meeting,’ he said.

‘I think it was quite successful and we still have a bit of time to pursue this, even though the building will cease to be used as a church in the next few weeks.

‘There will always be people who are doubters, but what I would say to them is that if they are negative about it, we will lose the only available public community building in the parish - and there’s no way of getting it back.’

Mr Pass said he is hopeful there will be time to negotiate with the Isle of Man Methodist Council to keep things ‘more or less as they are’.

He added: ‘They have decided, because of numbers, that they want to end worship there at this time.

‘But there is certainly a great deal of demand in the area for community uses.’