HALWILL is now home to what is thought to be the first community lighting column erected for use by Devon Air Ambulance Trust when it starts night-time flying from October.

Saturday, August 27, saw the official ‘launch’ of the lighting column, as well as a temporary sports changing facility. The ribbons were cut by Devon County Councillor Barry Parsons with Torridge Ward Councillor Zyg Gregorek also in attendance.

The lighting column has been installed for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust to be able to land during the night in darkness on the football pitch, which is already a day-time landing site. The column floodlights the centre of the football pitch, and can be operated remotely by SMS (text) messages.

It was a community effort to pay for and install the lighting column. Halwill Parish Council chairman Cllr Mike Duda said: “The most incredible thing is how the community got together.” Most notable was the effort from Jane Spencer, who successfully took on the Ruby Run and raised £1,220.

Devon County Council donated £500, with the help of Cllr Parsons, and there have been several large anonymous donations, as well as many smaller ones.

Cllr Duda added: “This night-landing is to do with life and death situations.”

The bespoke temporary sports changing facility, also opened on Saturday, replaces an old and dilapidated wooden hut. The facility contains two changing rooms with shower rooms and toilets for sports teams, together with separate changing facilities for match officials. It will be regularly used by Halwill Football Club, but it will also be used for other sporting activities.

Cllr Duda said of the decision to replace the sports facilities: “It goes back three or four years ago I would say to a time when we felt that we would like to improve the sports facilities in our parish, and at the same time become a hub for the smaller parishes around.

“We already have a wonderful football pitch but the changing facilities were awful — they didn’t help the club attract visiting teams or help them to move up the league.”

Cllr Duda said the parish council decided to buy a temporary bespoke sports changing facility. Eventually, the parish council hopes to extend the parish hall and provide permanent facilities, but this could take some years to achieve.

The money for the new temporary facilities did not come out of the precept, it was financed with external funds.

The parish council also hopes to start pursuing a ‘muga’ (multi-use games area) initiative in the next few months, which would provide training facilities for younger footballers, and for other sports.

Cllr Parsons said: “I have got to say the parish council have been fantastic through out this with all the hard work they have put in along with great support from the community.

“They have been working with others to make this happen and it is great to see a community coming together and being proactive. We at Devon County Council are all about working together at the moment, I believe that modern day politics is all about collaboration and that is what this project has been all about.

“The football club have been very proactive with the changing facilities project, they attended the last parish AGM and were very enthusiastic with their fund raising efforts.

“I have contributed to the Devon Air Ambulance project, putting in £500 of Devon County Councils locality fund, and have also donated money for the changing facilities.

“I cut the ribbon for the Devon Air Ambulance on Saturday and I was very very pleased to be there and have the honour of doing that. I really couldn’t think of a better charity to support. I have used the air ambulance myself in the past and when they came out they were wonderful and really helped me. The charity works for a massive county, we have two coastlines and our residents have very different needs as many are very isolated. All those working for the air ambulance I believe are volunteers and the work they do really is fantastic.

“I want to say a thank you to Devon Air Ambulance and the Halwill community and parish council for coming together to get this done. Seeing everyone work together is fantastic and highly commendable. I am always keen to support communities who want to show the initiative to push through with projects like this and it is to be applauded how proactive everyone in Halwill has been.”