A POPULAR church leader is moving on after seven years of serving the community.

Canon Gary Cregeen, the team rector for churches in south Barrow, is due to leave the town for his next role in Penrith.

Canon Cregeen also worked as Barrow’s rural dean, the leader of Barrow Mission Community and acted as the mayor’s chaplain.

He was part of the team that set up Barrow’s foodbank and served as a trustee until recently.

He will serve his final day in Barrow on May 19, bowing out with a special service at St George’s Church.

Reverend Robin Ham, of Barrow’s Grace Church, which meets at Roose Conservative Club, trained under Mr Cregeen and said he would be ‘much missed’.

He said: “He is someone who has really thrown himself into life in Barrow and has been a figurehead for the local community.

“He is very down to earth and has a real heart for people.

“He has been a brilliant person to train under and get stuck into the town.

“Gary has been a great guy to get to know and will be much missed.”

Mr Ham also said the canon spent a lot of his time at Nuffield Health gym and that the gym-goers there were described as his second congregation.

“He is really well-loved there and likes chatting to people in the sauna,” he said.

His role as team rector for south Barrow churches has seen oversee St Aidan’s and St George’s Church.

Over the past year has worked to raise funds to replace an original stained glass window at St George’s after it was targeted by vandals.

Last year Mr Cregeen celebrated after securing the final funding for a community cafe at St Aidan’s.