LAUNCESTON’S annual parish meeting in the town hall last week was again a celebration, as it was combined with the town council’s grant presentations to many and varied local organisations and groups.

The first part of the meeting was council business, before refreshments prepared by the mayor Cllr Margaret Young were enjoyed, ahead of the cheque presentations.

During the presentations Cllr Young said: “When we give these awards it just reminds me how special Launceston is and how diverse activities are.”

Unfortunately, some advocates for the town are lost along the way, and the grant presentation to Launceston In Bloom following the death of their chairman Margaret Wills was tinged with sadness.

“We will do our darndest to make Margaret proud,” was the message from the mayor when the yearly £500 grant was awarded to Launceston In Bloom. Margaret passed away in January of this year. Irene Stanbury has taken over as chairman for the time being, and was there to accept the grant accompanied by Margaret’s daughter, Julie Bickle.

Irene said: “We would like to thank everyone for their offers of help. We had no warning we were going to lose Margaret, we were totally unprepared. We are hoping to make this year an exceptional display. Margaret has left a big mark on our town. We want to continue that and honour her with the best display we can this year.”

Another grant was gratefully received in memory of a dear friend. Peter and Judith Prynne accepted the grant for Dunheved Bowling Club, half of which they said would go towards paying for a newly installed defibrillator at the club — this is in memory of their friend Eddie Cockwill, who passed away before Christmas.

Peter added: “The other half will be going to bring on the youngsters in our club. That will go a long way to help them get kitted up.”

There are also those who work hard ‘behind the scenes’, who received some recognition. The CCTV project received its annual grant of £3,000. John Ellison said without the town council’s support every year ‘we wouldn’t have a CCTV in town’. He added: “I would like to thank our team of volunteers,” who give up their Saturday nights until 1am monitoring the CCTV to keep the town safe.

He said he had received a letter from Devon and Cornwall Police notifying that Launceston and Bude CCTV projects had been shortlisted for the police support volunteer team of the year award — they will find out how they get on at the Devon and Cornwall Police Community Volunteer Awards on June 5.

It was not just Launceston-based organisations that benefitted. The Cornwall International Male Choral Festival, which will be held from May 2 to 6 2019, received £300.

Accepting the cheque, John Larke and David Peters explained every two years the festival brings 2,000 male voice choir singers to Cornwall, with 60 events in 50 locations over five days. Going to every major town, they said they will be ‘delighted’ to bring the festival to Launceston next year. They added: “Launceston will be alive with music.”

One of those based in the town gratefully receiving its grant was a 99-year-old organisation. Mike Warne accepted the cheque for Launceston Town Band, which was formed in 1919 after the First World War. Mr Warne also accepted the grant on behalf of Launceston Choral Society, enabling them to purchase new music that they will be using at their summer concert in July.

The grant to Launceston Male Voice Choir was too ‘very welcome and gratefully received’, accepted by Brian Jennings and Nigel Parker.

Rachel Oles said McQueen’s Dance and Theatre’s grant of £300 will go towards ensuring the studio has the right kind of flooring.

Staying with entertainment in the town, the annual £500 grant for Launceston Carnival accepted by Jackie Parsons, will go towards their new trailer, which will have its preview on carnival night, October 13.

The Charles Causley Festival, which this year takes place from May 31 to June 3, received its year-to-year grant of £3,000. Malcolm Wright thanked the town council for its ‘support from the very beginning’.

He said: “Last year’s [festival] was our most ambitious yet, partly because of Charles Causley’s centenary year.”

The programmes for this year’s festival are now out, and Mr Wright asked people to support it. Mr Wright also accepted the £1,350 from the council for the council tax payments for Cyprus Well — the former home of Charles Causley. Cyprus Well was a base for the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who stayed there for a weekend in December, and he wrote a poem while there which will be published later this year.”

Sport of all kinds is a big part of the town, and this was recognised by numerous grants to clubs.

Bill Glen, receiving the £250 cheque for Launceston Cricket Club Juniors, said: “This is to support our work in introducing cricket to young people.” He said the club works with local primary schools through the ‘Chance to Shine’ project and has the ‘All Stars Cricket’ programme. “This money will support that work,” he added.

Launceston Association Football Club’s £300 grant was accepted by Peter and Jill Stevenson. Peter said: “Launceston football club is at the top level trying to keep senior football alive in the town.” He said the grant would help ‘broaden the base’ for youth and disability football, adding: “Pennygillam will be used as a hub of activity.”

There was a £300 grant for Launceston Rugby Club’s Mini Juniors, which Peter Sanderock said ‘grows from strength to strength every year’. He said: “We have got now 220 children from under sevens to under 16s,” and said grants such as the town council’s really help.

Launceston Swimming Club will be able to buy four new swimming starting blocks with its £300 grant, and donations from other local organisations. Helen Ward, in thanking the town council, said the grant provided ‘an opportunity to improve a fantastic facility’.

Andrew Moss said despite having 120 players at Southgate Colts, they are constantly receiving new enquiries for youth football, and some age groups have two teams. He added of the £300 grant: “This will go a long way to getting new kit and equipment, especially with the news we should be getting a new Astroturf .”

Launceston Hockey Club too was given a grant of £300.

The grant for the grassroots Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club was received by competition secretary Mike Wevill. He said the club runs car and bike events throughout the year, including two national events attracting people from all over the country to compete. He said the club’s grant would be used for an event to encourage youngsters and new people to join.

While acknowledging that feet perhaps aren’t as exciting as motor cars, Dr De Glanville said even the motor club would appreciate the importance of having ‘good wheels and tyres’, when he accepted £300 on behalf of the Eventide Trust, to help support a chiropody clinic. He explained the Eventide Trust and Relief in Sickness Fund started in the 1940s to help the elderly of Launceston.

Other organisations that help local people benefitted, including Launceston Community Transport Partnership. Andrew Dabrowski thanked the town council for its ‘generous gift’ of £3,000 to the Little Red Bus. “We all really appreciate we have been given this money and see this an opportunity to reach out even more to the rural local community.”

Sarah Vinson, of Launceston Money Advice Centre, who picked up the £300 grant, said: “This year we have asked for help with our ongoing admin costs,” adding that in the past couple of weeks, they have helped three individuals going through bankruptcy, helped four people set up personal accounts for Universal Credit, supported a couple of people with medical interviews, helped six others with general enquiries and referred five people to the foodbank.

The Elfords mental health charity thanked the town council for its generous donation, also of £300, and said it will be used towards its craft group and other events, which are held to keep people well.

Launceston Municipal Charities received £500, and Cllr Rob Tremain said the grant will ensure: “At Christmas, some deserving elderly folk in the town will get a Christmas card and donation of cash to help them along at the season of goodwill.”

The fairly new group, Launceston Refugee Support Group, also received a grant of £300, despite the objection of three councillors. Frances Tippett explained the group’s aim is to support people ‘in desperate need because they are displaced through war or other conflict’. Pointing out the plaque in the town hall, which explains how the town welcomed 91 Belgian refugees from 1914 to 1919, Frances said: “We want to make sure we remain a welcoming and open community.”

Cllr Young is well known for working alongside young people, having spent her working life as a teacher, teaching for 32 years at Launceston College, and youngsters were not forgotten at the grants presentation.

A ‘Come Dine With Me’ initiative at Launceston Youth Project will be boosted by the town council grant of £300. Matt White, chair of the management committee at the youth project, explained it will teach young people to cook healthy food ‘and make sure young people who attend who have difficulty in their home lives have a hot meal for the day or the week’.

Launceston Pre-School will use its £300 grant to purchase new bikes and cars so their children can enjoy the outdoors.

The mayor’s chaplain, the Rev Teresa Folland, received the year-to-year grants of £250 each for St Mary Magdalene, St Thomas’, St Stephen’s churches for the maintenance of churchyards. Ms Folland said: “We really appreciate having this money. It does help to keep the churchyards looking pristine and beautiful. It is important when it does need to be used by any of you, it does look the part.”

Deacon Richard Edwards collected the £250 for the maintenance of St Cuthbert Mayne churchyard, and explained Father David Annear is away on retreat. Mr Edwards said: “We are very grateful to receive this contribution.”

The town council has also agreed to grant Oksigen Theatre and Merlin MS Centre £300 each, and the Friends of Launceston Priory receives an annual sum of up to £1,000.

The date of the next meeting is provisionally Wednesday, April 18 2019.