What does 2025 have in store?

Posted on: 19th January 2025

What does 2025 have in store? Well, that is a broad question you might well say! I think I will avoid the world issues and predictions and stick to local stuff, in no particular order!

PENDEEN PLAYPARK

Pendeen Playpark, run by St Just Town Council – for obvious reasons, I only photographed the sign, not the new equipment that children were enjoying!

If you have children, pop along to the playpark in Pendeen and see what you think of the Town Council upgrade. I should stress that St Just Town Council own and are responsible for that park but Cornwall Council is responsible for the St Just Recreation Ground, bar the Skatepark which Lands End Peninsula CLT is responsible for. Some will say “But before you started on the Skatepark, the Land Trust said the play equipment would be improved in St Just next”. Problem is, Lands End Peninsula CLT is a small charity, with no paid staff and it seems likely that if we as volunteers worked with the community to find the money to upgrade St Just playpark, we would be expected to take responsibility for the whole park and we just do not have the capacity to do that. Having said that, we would happily work in partnership with the Council if we as a Land Trust did not have to take over the management of the Park.

PENDEEN COMMUNITY CEMETERY

On Sunday 9th February at 3pm you are invited to Dedication Ceremony (not a religious event) of the new Pendeen Community Cemetery. It will take place in the new cemetery car park (adjacent to The Centre of Pendeen) with Pendeen Silver Band playing some traditional Cornish music throughout. For more information, visit the News page of the Land Trust website: Pendeen Community Cemetery Dedication

Pendeen Community Cemetery, where you can reserve your plot now and it will be operating very soon

From another angle – looks very bare now but that will change come spring

FOODBANK AND STREETFOOD PROJECT

I remain involved, as a volunteer, in a small way, with Foodbank and Streetfood project. For foodbank, we collect food donated by the community from collection boxes in St Just Library/ Town Council entrance and from the reception of the Centre of Pendeen. We take that food to Foodbank in Treneer and, when there is a need, deliver supplies to those in need of food help.

For Streetfood project, we collect pastries, bread, fruit and veg type products, likely to go out of date before sold, from Co-Op in St Just on a Monday evening and take it Tuesday morning to Streetfood Project, now based at the John Daniel Centre, Haemoor.

So, although both those projects are based in Penzance, they are open to those struggling in St Just and Pendeen and surrounding hamlets and villages. For Foodbank, you need to be referred to the project but any health or social care worker, school or pre-school facility can refer you and you can then access help for up to 6 occasions over a year. In rare occasions, they have accepted referrals from me or Library staff.

Streetfood project provides hot evening meals plus food supplements for those that are homeless and that can include sofa surfing or staying in B & B’s not just Street Homeless.

More about Foodbank: More information on Foodbank

More about Streetfood Project: Streetfood Project ifo from Penzance Town Council

LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MAY (As long as the Government do not cancel them and force Cornwall into a Joint Authority with Mayor with Devon)

1st May will see local elections – that is for Cornwall Council and all our Towns and Parishes. Whilst all 87 Cornwall Council seats will likely be contested, at least by the main Political Parties, many Towns and Parishes, including St Just, will likely struggle to find enough people to stand so the candidates will get in without any voting, unopposed. In St Just, at least 13 people need to stand for an election to be called. Due to recent resignations, St Just Town Council is already down to 10 Councillors and like me, several others do not intend to re-stand in May.

Do not assume being a Councillor is for other people, it really could be you the community needs. An extra plea to women, on all our Councils, women are under represented despite us being around 50% of the population.

Link to Cornwall Council’s website about Being a Councillor but note this focuses on being a Cornwall Councillor: Be a Cornwall Councillor

If considering being a Town or Parish Councillor- take a look on their website, read some notes of meeting and go along to observe a meeting or 2.

In terms of standing for election, that can feel daunting but if you join a Political Party and they Select you to be a candidate, you will get support; on the other hand, if you are well known in the community and/ or have many family, friends and neighbours that will help you, you can get elected as an Independent candidate. The other way to find out more is to speak to folk who are or who have been councillors.

WEST PENWITH DARK SKIES

Star-gazing at Lanyon Quoit, taken by Su Bayfield

I’ll end with Dark Skies. I have project managed and chaired the steering group in West Penwith from before the Designation was made in 2021 to now. After the May elections, when I will no longer be in an elected role, I feel it will be the time to step down. To keep the Designation, the team does need more folk to get involved and I hope someone who is elected in May will step forward to take on my elected role, even if they do not want to Chair straight away. I am making it clear, I will remain on the Steering group for a further 12 months IF someone else steps forward to Chair but will step back completely if not.