The annual Keswick Convention has got off to a flying start, with bumper crowds turning out at events.

Week one of the annual event is usually quieter than the following two, with many school holidays not yet under way.

This time, however, it looks like the first week has attracted more people than ever.

On Monday, one seminar where between 40 and 60 people were expected attracted a crowd of 372.

This year's convention, on the theme of Power to Change, kicked off on Saturday evening with a celebration at the event's main tent on Skiddaw Street.

Mayor of Keswick David Burn welcomed conventioners and encouraged them to spend a little extra in town this year to help it recover from December's floods.

John Risbridger, chairman of event organiser Keswick Ministries, opened the event by preaching on Ephesians and the topic God Has a Plan - an apt title in a volatile world featuring regular mass loss of life internationally and the implications of the Brexit vote.

The convention, which began in 1875, now features three weeks of Bible study sessions, seminars, evening celebrations, children's and youth work and other activities.

It is free to attend and attracts an estimated 12,000 each year over the three weeks.

As well as holding an all-age service at its Skiddaw Street base each Sunday morning, the convention also sends speakers to local church services.

This year, for the first time, speakers attended services in Plumbland and at St John's in Hensingham, Whitehaven as well as the Keswick area.

On Monday Keswick Ministries launched the latest phase in its planned transformation the town's former pencil factory site at Southey Works.

The charity wants to build a 400-seater conference centre at the site, which would also become the new base for the convention.

It hopes to run a substantial part of next year's convention from the new site, which is next to Keswick Ministries' existing Rawnsley site.

The full convention is expected to take place on the new combined site by 2018.

The development, called the Derwent Project, will cost an estimated £10 million.

Some of the money has been provided from charity reserves and £1.7 million has been raised in the last year.

Another £5.3 mllion is still to be raised.

For more details about the convention or the Derwent Project, visit keswickministries.org