CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORT 2024

It is important to commence our report with our thanks to David Simmons for all his work during his six-year term of office. He has been steadfast and constant, and has always given freely of his time for the good of our church, which have been very useful qualities over a difficult period. Heather McCombie was elected in April 2024, which ensured, importantly, that we have continued to have two Wardens in post. Paul Stuart has indicated his intention to finish in April 2525, as he moves on to other roles. He will have completed ten unbroken years by then.  

The Revd. Karen Wilson departed in October. After an increasingly difficult year Karen decided to take up a post in the Haven Group of Churches on the Isle Of Wight. We wish her and her husband, Chris, who served as a Local Worship Leader in The Waterside Benefice, happiness and success. We pray the move will provide everything they have worked for.

Since Karen’s departure we have worked hard to find clergy with appropriate qualifications to provide Holy Communions at least once each month since October. This has become a most important part of our duties as Wardens and it will continue until The Waterside Churches’ issues are resolved and the way forward agreed and implemented.

We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to everybody for all the support we have received during the year. We should record our thanks to all the clergy, lay and local leaders, who led our worship throughout the year, as well as all who regularly take prayers, do readings, ensure a warm welcome as people enter the church and make sure we are fed and watered after services. Janet Thomas deserves a special mention. Her work as Local Worship Leader has been, and will continue, to be extremely important. There are many others who voluntarily undertake a variety of tasks without whom our work as Churchwardens would be virtually impossible.

One of the most joyful events of the year was Christine Miners’ Confirmation service in Truro Cathedral. She was well supported by many from our congregation and we’re sure it’s a lifelong memory for her.

Services and other events have been well supported. Sadly, we have lost a few of our congregation as the ageing process has taken centre stage, but we are encouraged by the arrival of new friends, who have decided to stay with us. The striking thing must be just how we have continued to come together and support each other in so many ways. Attendance has remained strong and we look forward to building on that base. We are blessed with a special congregation and we must continue to strive to grow stronger and more united. We have managed to ensure our numbers attending services have not only remained stable, but have gradually increased through the year. This has been achieved against a background of uncertainty in the areas of finance and structure in the Diocese.

Our Methodist friends have been worshipping with us for some years now and there is a real feeling of harmony and friendship in our integrated congregation. That strength and unity will stand us in good stead as we move forward with our new arrangements.

Following the departure of Revd. Karen Wilson, the Bishop appointed Revd. Martyn Pinnock to work, initially, with Feock, with a view to finding and establishing a permanent solution for the Waterside Churches. We have been, and will continue to be, heavily involved in that work. 

On more practical matters, we are looking to redecorate the Church Hall as soon as possible, having saved a fund for that purpose with the usual efficient work by Trish Wilcocks, our Treasurer.

Our loyal churchyard grass cutter, Kevin, has indicated that he will stop at the end of the year. We’d like to record our gratitude for his hard work.

Last year’s report highlighted the lack of work with young people and the need, now more than ever, of the importance of tackling this issue. We hope 2025 will bring progress as Paul looks towards working in that direction. There is an obvious need for more involvement with the young in our community and their parents. We also know that we must forge closer links with the village school.

The website for the Waterside Churches is recording an increasing number of “hits” each month. It is playing an increasingly important role in outreach and improving our communication with the community and beyond. This can be found at www.thewatersidechurches.com 

The Fellowship Group will recommence in 2025, and the weekly Coffee Stop continues to provide a much appreciated meeting place.

The fundraising team was not as busy as in previous years. The main events were the Plant Sale and Really Easy Quiz. The Plant Sale was its 30th year! Take a bow, all involved. The Really Easy Quiz filled the Perranwell Centre and is already booked for a fourth appearance in September 2025. Various other events were held and without the funds raised by the team, and supported by all, our finances would be far less healthy. Thanks must go to all who helped in any way with all of these. We are grateful to everybody who donated so generously in all sorts of ways. We must pay tribute to our Treasurer, Trish Wilcocks. She looks after our finances with an eagle eye, a firm grip accompanied by a smile and her knowledge and advice are always correct!

We know our church is valued by the community, and we hope people will remember that it’s not here just for baptisms, weddings and funerals. However, we should also remember that we have a responsibility to play our part in reaching out to our parish community, regardless of age, if we are to grow in number, become increasingly relevant and central.  

Finally, we would both like to thank all who have helped us during the year. The job of Church Warden has grown incredibly and we really value the support we receive.

Heather McCombie & Paul Stuart

Churchwardens

FUNDRAISING AND SOCIAL REPORT 2024

The fundraising team have not met formally this year but fundraising has continued where possible. Those involved in fundraising this year were Heather McCombie, Janet Thomas, Tricia Wilcocks, David Simmons, Paul Stuart, Tim and Lorraine Rogers, Clive and Jan Buckingham.

It was accepted that this year we could not run as many events because of the age and health of the volunteers.        

The sale of goods donated by parishioners in 2024 and kindly managed by Tim and Lorraine Rogers   raised £305

The annual Plant Sale which celebrated its 30th anniversary and organised by Janet Thomas and Heather McCombie raised a magnificent £1,060. It is always a special day selling on plants to the local community and helping to ensure that everyone has a wonderful display of colour in their garden throughout the summer.  

In September, Paul Stuart and David Simmons ran a very enjoyable Quiz Night in the village hall.  It was another chance to get the grey cells working and to engage in friendly competition against other teams, with £300 being raised.

We also enjoyed a Men’s Breakfast. This was the last to be run by Reverend Karen and Chris before their departure to the Haven Churches on the Isle of Wight and raised £131 for the joint Waterside Churches Account. This event will be missed and we appreciated them hosting them.

My very grateful thanks also to everyone who has helped at any of these events and for all the support given.

The fundraising for St Piran’s raised £1665 .00 this year. Thank you everyone.

We would welcome anyone with ideas for future events to come forward.                                                                                                                  

Patricia Wilcocks

                                                                                                                                      SAFEGUARDING REPORT

Lorraine Rogers as PSO has issued copies of the Diocesan Safeguarding Statement to each member of the PCC. This policy has been read by individual members of the PCC, identifying all their responsibilities, and members agreed to abide by this policy.

All members of the PC have read and signed the PCC member declaration providing key information in order to ensure proper governance.

There are no safeguarding events to report involving our church at Perranarworthal.

All PCC members are up-to-date with relevant training and DBS checks.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their ongoing support for me in my role as PSO.

Lorraine Rogers

CHOIR AND ORGAN REPORT

Our Choir still continues to support our services, and we are delighted to welcome Clare, Ann’s daughter, to join us.

The Organ as usual is tuned every six months by Lance Foy, and is in excellent condition.

Thank you to the Congregation for their support.

Juliet Dundon, Organist

PERRANWELL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP REPORT

After a rather slow start to the year, we have continued to meet fortnightly in a member’s home. Sadly we have lost one or two members due to ill health, but we have gained three new members, bringing our membership to ten. We changed our eating night from Thursday back to Wednesday.

Each evening consists of music, a Bible study or topic for discussion, a time of prayer and ending with light refreshments.

During the year we have all contributed topics for discussion. We looked at some questions in a book for children, designed to help them learn more about the church and their faith. In recent weeks we have been studying St Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy.

Many thanks to Tricia, Janet B. and Catherine for hosting our meetings.

Janet Thomas

PERRANARWORTHAL HANDBELL RINGERS REPORT

The handbell team continue to meet for practice on Monday morning in the ChurchHall.

We began the tear with ten members, plus myself as leader. We have acquired three new members at the end of the year. They all have musical experience and are making very good progress. So now our full membership is fourteen.

In November we said goodbye to Shirley Banks, ringing at her funeral. Shirley stopped ringing some years ago, but was a founder member of the group, 26 years ago.

We returned to entertain groups at Carglaze, Trewoon and our own Memory Cafe amongst others. New groups that we visited were Lanivet, Playing Place and Carnon Downs Hub.

In September we attended an H.R.G.B. Rally at Ladock. It was good to meet up with ringing friends from around the county.

As usual, we rang for our Christmas Services in Church.

A total of £300 that we have raised over the year was sent to St Petrock’s.

Many thanks to the team for their hard work and support.

Janet Thomas, Leader

TOWER BELL RINGING REPORT

There continues to be a great effort made by all the bellringers to ring for services.

We currently have 6 people listed as ringers of our tower.

We continue to be extremely grateful to Christine Isles from Stithans tower who is a huge help to us, both at practices and when we ring for a special occasion, like a wedding.

We are also very pleased when George Stevens is back from university.

George was involved in ringing a full peal of our bells during the year.

Unfortunately, there are situations where we do not have enough ringers available to put on our practices, which are normally on Tuesday evenings. There may also be sometimes when you will hear that we are not ringing all our full 6 bells.

There have been some occasions that we have welcomed visiting ringers from around the country.

Bell ringing is a very enjoyable and fulfilling art. We are always welcoming to people who may have rung some time ago and may like to take it up again.

If you would like to learn to ring, we can hopefully direct you where to learn.

We thank you all for your support and hope to maintain our ringing, primarily to remind people of our churches place in our community.

David Simmons, Ringing Captain