A West Midlands church believes it is in the right place at the right time after celebrating the opening of its coffee shop. 

The arrival of Kairos Coffee comes less than six months after the new church halls and community facilities of Shirley Baptist Church were celebrated. The work has taken place in partnership with the development of the new Parkgate shopping precinct, which only received planning approval in 2011 and is helping to regenerate Shirley.

Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right time or opportune moment, and its use here 'is a reminder of the way in which everything has come together for the redevelopment of the church’s premises and opening of a coffee shop at a strategic location alongside the new Parkgate', said minister the Revd Paul Campion.

The Kairos opening on Monday 19 May was performed by the Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Joe Tildesley, along with Bernard Tyler, one of the volunteers in the shop. Following this, the Mayor visited the new Shirley Library next door to the church, also open to the public for the first time, before heading across to Asda for its grand opening ceremony.

'There was a magnificent atmosphere throughout the day as large crowds enjoyed visiting the new facilities and open spaces within the Parkgate scheme,' Paul said.

'This is a very exciting stage of our church’s redevelopment, and we look forward to welcoming many customers to Kairos Coffee to enjoy the excellent food and drinks, and to be of service to the local community through the friendship and welcome offered in the coffee shop and through the other activities at Shirley Baptist Church.'