Skateboarding minister, the Rev Roger Faulkner is leaving Highworth for a new challenge.

Mr Faulkner, of Highworth Methodist Church, has been told he will be moved to another church next August.

He has no idea where he is going and will be very sorry to leave the town he has done so much work for.

"Highworth is a town with a soul. It has got a wonderful sense of community which I have tried to build on. It has always been my aim to reach out with the gospel to all sections of the community, whether toddlers, teenagers or elderly people," he said.

Mr Faulkner, who has three children and one grandchild, will probably be best remembered for leading the group Highworth Sk8ters.

For the past two years the group, which consists mainly of teenage boys, has been raising money for a skateboard park in the town and finding a suitable site.

Highworth Sk8ters formed after the minister opened up his church car park to the youngsters on Saturday evenings because there was nowhere else for them to practice. He then took their case to the town council which has agreed in principle to the provision of a permanent skateboarding park.

Since then Mr Faulkner, 49, has organised many fund-raising events towards the cost of equipment for the park.

Last Easter he also helped arrange a fancy dress pub crawl as part of Highworth Festival. The proceeds went towards a millennium stained glass window in St Michael's Parish Church.

And he was the chairman of the inter-church committee which organised the big outdoor party for the whole of the town on New Year's Eve.

But now the Upper Thames Methodist Circuit has told Mr Faulkner he must leave his post for another church.

"I would have liked to have stayed here for another two or three years but it was decided it was time for me to move on," he said.

His wife, three children Katherine, 21, Peter, 20, and Tim, 17 and 15-month-old grandson, will be going with him. They all moved to High-worth seven years ago.

"My children have spent their teenage years here and they will be very sad to go. But like me they also see it as a change which will bring new challenges and opportunities," said Mr Faulkner.