A new online resource bringing local news to St Agnes Parish.

Following in the footsteps of sadly discontinued The Bolster, its aim is to serve the community with updates from around the parish.

If you'd like to contribute any local news or announcements (be that a sports club, community group, or personal story), please get in touch.

St Agnes Parish News

Parish News – July – August 2024

4th Jul 2024

Written by: Ben Jackson

Welcoming Alex Ede!

Congratulations to Alexander Ede, who has been elected uncontested as a Councillor representing the St. Agnes Ward.

Mount Hawke vacancy

There is a vacancy to represent the community of Mount Hawke as a Parish Councillor. By coming forward to serve, you can help shape the discussion and decision-making around aspects affecting the village and the wider parish. Becoming a Parish Councillor will require a few hours a month – you must simply be over 18 and live or work anywhere in St Agnes Parish. Now is the time to make a difference! Deadline to apply: Friday 26th July 2024

Click here for more details.

Community Programme Committee

The Community Programme Committee has been appointed by St Agnes Parish Council to bring forward, research and present to Full Council future projects. These projects could include environmental initiatives, health and wellbeing, leisure, and activities provision; any issue within the Council’s remit and ideas that can improve the functioning of the Council.

The Committee can receive and consider ideas from community groups and residents.

If you have an idea which you would like the Committee to consider, research and present to Council, please visit the Council’s website (Your Council – Policies and Documents) and complete a Community Project Form (don’t forget to download the Word document, so that you can complete it).

Please include as much detail as you can to enable the Committee to evaluate your idea and consider taking the matter forward. You do not need to complete every aspect of the form, or with in depth detail, however you are encouraged to consider general mattes such as examples of the idea having been achieved elsewhere; any resources the Council would need to deliver the project e.g., land; likely cost(s); signposts to possible local contractors etc.

Please email your completed form to the Council’s Clerk: Catherine Nutting [email protected]

The next Committee meeting is 8^th July.

The Committee looks forward to hearing from you.

Public attendance of Parish Council meetings

After seeing various posts and comments on social media from the public saying that they wished they knew there was a planning meeting about the proposed Co-Op convenience store, it should be understood that meetings of the Parish Council are not public meetings but members of the public do have a statutory right to attend meetings of the council as observers. They have no legal right to speak unless the Parish Council Chairman authorises them to do so.

Click here to see minutes and agendas from previous meetings, as well as dated agendas for future meetings.

St Agnes Parish Council meetings

Click here for catalogue of past meetings, agendas and minutes, as well as agendas for future meetings.

Previous meetings:

Community Calendar

1st July, 10am – 12pm, St Agnes Library
South West Water
Pop in and speak to a representative from South West Water about how you can save water and save money on your water bill.

1st July, 10:30am, Mount Pleasant Ecological Park
Tree Folk Forest School – Play and Stay
Join us in Small wood and enjoy good company along with the simple pleasures of being outdoors in nature. We hope you will be able to make new friends and feel part of our little woodland community. More info here.

3rd July, 8pm – 10pm, St Agnes MMI,
Air Time @ The MMI: Politics Today
Airtime is a Community Discussion group, to discuss the big things that can be hard to bring into casual conversation.

6th July, 12pm – 3pm, St Agnes MMI,
St Agnes Food and Crafts Market
Local people who meet to show and sell their artistic creations and yummy treats.

8th July, 7pm – 10pm, St Agnes MMI
St Agnes Community Cinema
Screening “All of Us Strangers.” £4 minimum donation, tickets on the door, first come first serve.

13th July, St Agnes Academy
St Agnes Summer Show
Come and see an exciting array of homemade/homegrown goods, and be inspired to submit your own next year!

13th July, 12pm – 3pm, Blackwater
Blackwater Village Fete
Games, stalls and fun to raise money for Blackwater Village Trust,

13th July, 11am – 12:30pm, St Agnes MMI
The Live Poetry Book Club
A seasonal book club exploring and celebrating live readings from black and mixed heritage writers. More info here.

20th July, 9:30am – 12pm, St Agnes Methodist Church
Car boot sale
Contact Jenny Moore to book a table (01872 553175), £5 per table. Set up time 8:30am. Tables available to hire from £1. Refreshments on sale throughout the morning.

24th July, 6pm, Mount Pleasant Ecological Park
Good FOLK, Good FOOD
Come and join us as the days draw longer, for one of our favourite events; Good FOLK, Good FOOD. An evening of amazing live Folk music, performed by guest musicians, complete with cosy fire and lots of good vibes.

25th July, 7:30pm – 10pm, St Agnes MMI
Power to the Meeple
Monthly board game night. £4 suggested donation. No need to book, just turn up and join in.

25th July, 6pm, Mount Pleasant Ecological Park
Open Mic / Jam Sessions
Join us for an evening celebrating local talent, hosted by Daniel Powell. Anything welcome from spoken word poetry, comedy to any musical instruments you fancy bringing along! AND don’t forget there is a free pint for performers!

27th July, Porthtowan Village Hall
Take Flight Summer Show
“Hits from the Musicals” choreographed by Miss Kim. Come and see students from Take Flight Dance Studio’s various classes preform an array of musical hits!

27th July, 1:30pm / 7pm, Mount Hawke TRA
Film Club
Mount Hawke TRA Film Club presents “The Holdovers.” £3.50 minimum donation on the door.

28th July, 11am – 3pm, Mount Hawke St John’s Church
Serendipity Sale
Stalls, coffee, tea, cake and a raffle! Come along and see what we have! You may even meet an owl! Hosted on the 4th Sunday of every month.

28th July, 6:30pm, Mount Pleasant Ecological Park
Minack Acting Academy presents “The Light Burns Blue”
Based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies, The Light Burns Blue is a tale of deception, public hysteria and the ethical boundaries of new technologies. More info here.

29th July, 2pm, St Agnes Library
Sea Glass Picture Making
Mor Kreftow Sea Glass Picture Making workshop for children. £3 per child.

News from St Agnes

St Agnes Summer Show – Saturday 13th July

Schedules with entry forms for this year’s St Agnes Summer show are now in St Agnes village shops.

It would be great to see a few new faces entering this year so please enter if you can, it is an open show so you don’t have to live in the Parish.

The final day for submitting entry forms is Wednesday 10th July, with entries to be bought on Friday evening or Saturday morning. Full details are in the schedule.

As well as the childrens classes that are open to all, there is work from the pupils of St Agnes Academy, who kindly host the show, to be seen too. Even if you are not a grower, crafter, baker or artist, do come along on the day to see the excellent entries of others and the children’s craft work and art.

Below are some pictures of last year’s show for inspiration.

St Agnes WI

At our June meeting we had talk from Lizzie from Surfers Against Sewage based at Wheal Kitty. She told us a little about the history of the charity and the various projects they are now running which are much more than about surfers and sewage. The Million mile Clean encourages everyone to clean all outdoor spaces from mountains, along streets and rivers to beaches. They are working with schools and plastic free groups to protect the ocean as part of the climate emergency.

Earlier in the month our summer outing was a visit to Camel Valley vineyard. following a brief look at the vines growing and a little history, we were shown round the production facility and then enjoyed a wine tasting sitting in the early evening sun. |This was followed by a meal at the Lanivet Inn.

Later in the month our ladies went out to lunch at the Trevenson restaurant at Cornwall College on its final day of opening this term, enjoying top class food at a reasonable price.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 16^th July at 7:15pm, when our speaker will be Kate Doran of Flotsam Flo.

New choir coming to St Agnes!

The North Coast Choir is a fun and upbeat community choir led by husband and wife team Luke and Elle Spurrell.

There are no shanties or traditional choral number here, the North Coast Choir sing only contemporary and uplifting pop and rock songs to get toes tapping and to lift the spirits of all members.

Launched in Crantock in October of last year, the North Coast Choir has made a huge splash on the community in a very short space of time. The choir do regular live performances, have released two original singles, had radio plays, raised money for charities and were even featured on BBC Spotlight.

Now, thanks to the wonderful response from the public, choir leaders Elle and Luke Spurrell are excited to be opening a North Coast Choir branch in St Agnes.

The choir will meet for weekly rehearsals at the Driftwood Spa, who have kindly offered their bistro as a rehearsal space on Tuesday evenings starting from the 10th of September.

The ethos of the North Coast Choir is that singing and socialising should be as fun and uplifting as possible. For that reason there are no auditions and everybody is welcome regardless of singing experience and ability.

Here’s what Luke has to say;

Elle and I started the North Coast Choir for many reasons, but a huge drive for us was the desire to do something that would genuinely enrich our community, and ultimately make a positive impact on the people around us. As professional musicians ourselves, we have become so aware of the positive affects that singing can have, especially when done in a group setting.

In a time when so much of our experience of the world is realised through digital means such as social media, what a wonderful thing to be able to meet up once a week, grab a drink at the lovely bar at the Driftwood, make new friends from your community and sing as a collective.

We are such a friendly and welcoming choir and I would urge anyone who wants to be part of something new, fun and exciting to give it go! Even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone.

You can see what the North Coast Choir have been up to via Facebook or Instagram. Also the choirs latest single “Sing For The Summer” is available on Youtube and Spotify.

Term one of the St Agnes choir will begin on the 10th of September at 7pm – 8:30pm and your first trial session is free so there is no pressure. All you need to do is come along, sing and have fun.

For more info message the North Coast Choir via Facebook or Instagram.

Car boot sale at St Agnes Methodist Church

News from Mount Hawke

Mount Hawke Millennium Green’s summer fair

20th July marks Mount Hawke Millennium Green’s summer fair! There’ll be food from Canteen, music from local bands, stalls, games and much more!

We also have an exciting announcement to make about our much loved green space!

If you’re looking to get involved, we’re always happy to have new volunteers! Volunteering not your thing? Why not have a stall?

We’re also looking for donations for our raffle, if you have something you wish to give, such as a voucher, unwanted birthday/Christmas gift or a bottle of plonk you won’t get round to drinking we can happily recycle that for you!

If you have any queries please contact [email protected]

All Stars Cricket at Mount Hawke and Porthtowan Cricket Club

Mount Hawke and Porthtowan Cricket Club are delighted to be part of this year’s ECB national All Stars cricket programme. All Stars is an activity and game-based programme for boys and girls from 5-8 years old which is suitable for all skill levels and provides a great introduction to cricket.

We are currently half way through the eight week programme, with 30 children taking part, and so far it has proved to be a lot of fun!

Mount Hawke Methodist Church’s summer supermarket

A big thank you to all who contributed to our Summer Supermarket. We are pleased to announce that £503 was raised towards our building repairs.

Mount Hawke St John’s Church

Don’t forget, on the 4th Sunday of every month, we host our Serendipity Sale! Come have a mooch around, have a coffee and a chat, or even meat a barn owl!

Film club at Mount Hawke TRA Club

News from Blackwater and Wheal Rose

Blackwater Village summer fair

Can you help with a bottle of wine, a tombola or raffle prize or cakes for our Summer Fete which is on Saturday 13th July, 12pm – 3pm on the Village Green?

The more items we get donated, the less we have to buy which means more funds raised.

Please take any donations to our village Shop The Old Mill Village Shop anytime or the Village Hall (limited to Thursdays between 10am – 12pm), and cakes on the day please, dropped to the Village Green before 12pm.

We are also looking for crockery too… non-returnable unless you want it to be returned in pieces…

We look forward to seeing you at our festivities!

News from Porthtowan

Porthtowan Village Hall

We held our Summer Bazaar on Saturday 15^th June with a fabulous bunch of artisan makers, shoppers and community members.

Despite the poor weather the event was well attended.

Thank you to everyone who came down to the hall.

We raised vital funds for the hall but more importantly we made new friends, social connections and show-cased amazing local talent from tiny tots dancing from Take Flight Dance to the wonderful Jazz Ensemble with Jenni Dandy and other music provided by Daniel Powell.

Well done to the organiser Becky for working hard to make the event a success.

We are looking for new team members to help on days like this- drop us a message if you’d like to join our party!!

Together We Thrive!

Porthtowan Play Park

Dear Community,

Please, please, please help us.

We are currently a committee of 3. Charlie, Jack and Fi. We need more support.

As the play park committee we currently have three priority projects:

Raise the huge amount of nearly £18000 needed to replace the condemned zip wire with our new climbing trail. This involves fundraising and endless grant applications.
Fundraise to pay for the solicitor sorting the historical land registry issues. This involves corresponding with solicitors and grant applications.
Weekly checks that the equipment is safe and fundraise to maintain the current equipment. Again lots of grant applications and the need to be at the park every week to do the checks. Fi normally does this but with a child with complex medical needs, this is becoming increasingly difficult as the park is no longer part of daily life.

We are all volunteers, working and with busy lives, but with a huge love for our community and our play park.

But we need help.

We desperately need somebody to take over the equipment checks each week. The safety of the park is essential and we need help to make sure the equipment is safe for the children to play on it.

It is a 5-10 minute job, once a week. We would show you the checks and provide a check list. We also need help with more fundraising.

Can you help us?

Action for Children – Kernow Connect

News from St Agnes Library

South West Water

A representative from South West Water visits St Agnes Library on one day each month from 10am until 12 noon. Please pop in and speak to them about how you can save water and save money on your water bill. The next date will be Monday 1^st July.

Summer Reading Challenge 2024

The Summer Reading Challenge starts on Saturday 6^th July and the theme this year is “Marvellous Makers” as we celebrate creativity. Claire (Library Assistant) will be visiting our 4 area schools – St Agnes, Mithian, Mount Hawke and Blackwater to promote the Challenge and how to get involved. The Challenge is for children aged 4-11 years old and involves reading at least 6 library books over the summer holidays, collecting stickers & prizes as they progress through. Participants who complete the Challenge receive a medal and certificate.

Young Volunteers sought to help run the Summer Reading Challenge

If you are aged 12-18 years old, we would love your assistance to help us run the challenge in the library this summer. This will involve registering participants, recording their progress and asking them about what they have been reading and handing out activity sheets and prizes. Please pop in to pick up the volunteer paperwork. Volunteers generally help for a couple of hours per week.

Sea Glass Picture Making Workshop for children

As part of the Marvellous Makers Summer Reading Challenge, we are delighted to be hosting Mor Kreftow for a Sea Glass Picture Making workshop for children on Monday 29^th July at 2pm. £3 per ticket to cover material costs, but please note that there are only 12 spaces available! Tickets available from the library, cash only please.

Join us in St Agnes Carnival!

We’ll be entering St Agnes Carnival with St Agnes Parish Council on Saturday 3^rd August and we’d love you to join us. Our entry will be called “Marvellous Makers” this year’s Summer Reading Challenge theme and you can dress up as anything related to creativity and the arts. You will need to provide your own costume, but you can be as creative as you like.

Please ensure you wear comfortable footwear as we will be a walking entry. Join us in the carnival assembly field on Goonvrea road by 4:30pm for judging, the parade itself sets off at 5pm and finishes at the Sports Club, Enys Park, at the other end of St Agnes. If you would like more information, please pop into the library and speak to Rachel (Library Assistant) on Monday or Wednesday afternoons or Saturday mornings.

Temporary Reduction in Library Opening Hours

Please note the revised temporary opening hours which took effect from Monday 18^th March 2024 and are operational until further notice. The changes include closure of 1 hour on Monday lunchtimes (12:30-13:30) and an earlier closing time on Fridays (5pm).

Children’s Jigsaws wanted!

St Agnes Library runs a jigsaw lending scheme. Library members can borrow jigsaws free of charge for 3 weeks. Simply pop in and choose a jigsaw from our current catalogue, we have jigsaws for both adults and children.

We are delighted with how popular the scheme has been, therefore a polite reminder to anyone who has borrowed one, to please return it after 3 weeks, so that it may be borrowed by someone else.

We are also still accepting donations of good quality junior/children’s boxed jigsaws to expand our collection. Please bring donations to St Agnes library, during opening hours. Thank you.

Classes and activities around our parish

Surrounding areas

Volunteer Opportunity

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of children and young people with sensory impairments? Are you interested in making new friends and learning new skills?

If the answer is YES then come along to our volunteer open day! Giant Slip and Slide Water Park, Saint Columb TR9 6DH, Saturday 13^th July 4.30pm onwards, free entry and picnic!

The charity Sense ‘Get Out There’ Group provides days out across Cornwall.

For further details please contact [email protected]

Conwall Council Business Regulatory Support -Looking to build, convert or extend your business premises?

Join our FREE webinar and learn about:

What development is permitted without a planning application
Breaches of planning conditions – what to avoid and the enforcement process
Advertisements – what’s permitted, what’s not and the criminal penalties for displaying unauthorised Adverts

We will also talk about various advice services we offer to help businesses navigate their development projects successfully

Thursday 11th July, 2.00pm

Book your free place here.

Asian hornet awareness

Just For Fun

10 Teasers

Can you work out the place names from the clues. This month they are all in Cornwall (some are quite small places)

Boxing day feast (Village)
Neither sort of Buddhism (Coastal village)
Two ways to cross a stream (Town)
A place with up to date fashion (Hamlet)
Small wooden articles
Fortified wine with fruit
Harry Potter’s friend is crazy
Cheerful gathering
Chameleon or gecko
Dame Barbara’s annoyed about not having tea

Last Month’s answers:

Arran and Holy are in the middle of one’s wages – Paisley
A male part of the torso with some hesitation – Manchester
Witches attempt to meet – Coventry
Almost speechless in front of French chips – Dumfries
Pushed down heavyweight – Preston
Where the steer crossed the river – Oxford
Tying meat – Nottingham
Cranium stuck in rabbit hole – Edinburgh
Half a score is alongside – Tenby
Ships men – Crewe

Article submission guidelines

Who may contribute?

Everyone and anyone! Including any societies, groups, clubs, activities, events, communal / community buildings, local businesses holding events, sports clubs / teams or local charities. This list is not exhaustive. Artists, photographers and other creative people may provide articles, but note direct advertising will not be accepted.

The following provide an overview of what and how articles may be submitted:

Articles should be with the Parish Council by the 18^th of each month for the following month’s publication. Send articles to [email protected].
The author or a clear point of contact with whom the Parish Council can discuss submissions must be included. If not provided and there is a concern with what has been offered, the article may not be published.
Do provide a title in the email and make it clear who, what, where and when the event(s) took place (or will do). Occasionally a why might be needed.
Any narrative can be included either as part of the body of an email or as a stand-alone document attached to an email.
Pictures should be attached to the same email in .jpeg format and posters as a .png. Other documents may be submitted as a .pdf.
Any narrative should be succinct and no longer than a few short paragraphs. If the submission is unduly long it can be submitted as a series of articles across two or three editions. (If so, the Parish Council will liaise with the author).
Do use a separate email for each individual submission, particularly if a regular contributor.
The Parish Council has a volunteer ‘Roving Reporter’ who can be requested to cover special events, if available. Details can be provided by the Parish Council offices.
Sometimes, the submission of only a poster as an attachment will suffice.
If you have an event for the calendar (when finalised and included in the e-Newsletter), please make sure it has location, time and date, with a brief description of what the event is.
The Parish Council reserves the right to edit all submissions or not publish if deliberate, gratuitous advertising.

Remember, an article should be:

Short, succinct, with pictures and/or posters to catch the eye of the reader.

The Beacon