Author Archives: SAS

St Sampson’s Update September 2025


A big personal thank you for your continued support to St Sampson’s.

It is making a huge difference for the community, present and future, to maintain a Christian presence in South Hill and keep our heritage building open for all to use and enjoy, now and in the future.

Our church doors are open daily to welcome visitors, and we hold a weekly Sunday service. On the fourth Sunday we do things a bit different with a café style service. Our parish hall is home to a lively weekly toddler group, providing a welcoming space for local families. In April, we hosted a well-attended Easter trail and Easter egg hunt, followed by a summer holiday club themed around Creation. Our calendar has been brimming with musical events, including performances by Barretts Privateers, Sam Sweeney, Aderyn Baroque, The Big Sing, and a memorable Medieval summer fayre.

We have continued to raise funds and many of you will have seen the recent heroic tower pointing all done on ropes!   We were absolutely delighted to receive funding from The National Lottery Heritage fund  in August 2025 which means we can go ahead with 50% of our roof repairs and restore the bells.

We may be small, but we are definitely thriving!

St Sampson’s Unlocked Project – 2025 Roundup

So much has happened at St Sampson’s this year. Below is a summary of the St Sampson’s Unlocked project in 2025 so far, along with a reminder of previously completed works.

Previous Works

  • Relocation of Font (2020)
  • Installation of mains water supply (2020)
  • External path lighting (2020)
  • Roof valley gutter (2021)
  • Removal and storage of bells and securing the bell frame (2021)
  • Compost toilet installed in churchyard (2022)
  • Porch stonework repairs, including new stone and pointing (2023)
  • External masonry wall repairs (2023)
  • Restoration of the Michael Hill monument, now reinstated on the East wall in the Manaton Chapel (2023)
  • Full faculty approval for roof, ceiling, toilet, and kitchenette, with phased work planned (2023)
  • West door restoration (2024)
  • Installation of new overhead heaters (2024)
  • Restoration of all thirteen windows, including stonework (2021-2023)
  • East wall external masonry repairs (2024)
  • Tower stair door restoration (2024)
  • Additional lightning protection on East end (2025)
  • Rainwater goods on North Side (2024)
  • Restoration of internal tower screen door (2025)
  • Tomb recess and dragon corbel repaired and restored (May 2025)
  • Planning approval for trench arch drainage
  • Planning approval for air source heat pump in Manaton Chapel
  • Tower pointing and downpipe refurbishment (August 2025)

Works Starting Soon

  • Bell restoration and re-hanging
  • Manaton Chapel renovations
  • West end rainwater goods
  • Ongoing fundraising for the next phase: remaining roof and ceiling works, South side rainwater goods, toilet, kitchen, and flooring.

Living Churchyard

  • Interpretation board installed
  • New hedge planted along the East boundary
  • Hundreds of daffodil bulbs planted
  • Monthly volunteer working parties and a grass-cutting contractor manage this biodiverse space

Funding and Support

Our work would not be possible without the generous support of a wide range of funders, including: National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Churches Trust, Headley Trust, Cornish Historic Churches Trust, Historic England, Baker Estates, Sabrina Sutherland Charitable Trust, Doctor and Mrs Alfred Darlington, Jill Franklin Trust, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Cornwall Community Chest, Trefinnick Solar Fund, Church Care, All Churches Trust, Congregational and General Charitable Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Rural Churches Repair Fund, William and Jane Morris Foundation, Beatrice Laing Family Trust, Bells Gives Back, Swire Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty Sustainable Development Fund, Kinsgrove Charitable Trust, Lady Neville Charity, Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust, Abba Charitable Trust, Ian Foulterton Charitable Trust, Peoples Postcode Lottery, Funds for Mission, Penuel Trust, National Grid Electricity Distribution, Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, Buildings for Mission – Truro Diocese, The Saint Andrew Conservation Trust, Quick Wins – Truro Diocese, Benefact Trust, Sharpe Trust, Elmgrant Trust, Choral Evensong Trust, Give to Go Green, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Aurelius Charitable Trust, Fentogollan Farm, Brags Garden Supplies, and Woodland Trust.

We are also deeply grateful for the contributions of individual donors and the proceeds from our own fundraising events, including four concerts, our medieval fayre, and plant sales.

Thank You

A sincere thank you to all our funders, large and small. This is a remarkable achievement for a small rural parish, and a true testament to our commitment to serving the South Hill community.

Watch this space!

Blessings,

Judith Ayers, Local Lay Leader

Affordable Housing in Golberdon


On 10th November 2025 a public meeting was held at the Parish Hall to discuss options for the small field next to Moorland View in Golberdon.

Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting.

Chris Sims {Community Link Officer – Tamar to Moor Community Area Partnership}, Justine Rolfe {Affordable Housing Officer} and our Cornwall Councillor, Jim Gale were able to answer some of the numerous questions asked and concerns raised.

This presentation shows the main points covered at the meeting:

Affordable Housing pptDownload

Cornwall Council owns this field, which produces very little income rented out at agricultural rates. They are proposing to sell it on the open market, unless there is an interest in the Community to use it for affordable housing.

The consensus from the meeting was that we need to know more about affordable housing and how that might be a possibility in Golberdon. The way forward and to get answers to our questions is to form an Affordable Housing Working Party which will ensure that the local community is involved in any development.

Copies of a questionnaire were handed out. Thank you to everyone who provided Justine with valuable information by answering the questions. She will very soon be providing a summary which will be posted here.

If you weren’t at the meeting, you can still complete this questionnaire and bring it to the meeting advertised below.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Around 10 people expressed an interest in being part of a Working Party. That is encouraging. If you want to help, the work won’t be on just a few people’s shoulders.

The Parish Hall has been booked for a first meeting:

Working Party , Monday December 15th at 6.00 pm.

This is a public meeting. Anyone is welcome whether you want to join in or just see what’s going on.

The first thing to decide is Terms of Reference for the Working Party. See link to draft below. Next, we will be working towards submitting a pre-application to the planning department. We can also apply for a grant which is available to explore the possibility of forming a Community-Led Housing Organisation. Hopefully we can have another meeting early next year with Simon Ryan as guest speaker. Simon is part of Three Seas, a small independent housing creator for Cornwall.

Draft Terms of Reference

SHARE AGM – save the date


In advance of our SHARE AGM event, to be held at South Hill Parish Hall from 7.30pm on Monday 23rd  September, we have contacted all members informally.  This message includes important information for members regarding the election of Directors.  Please read it carefully.  Nominations for Directorships need to be with us by Sunday 8th September (2 weeks before the AGM).

Thank you to all who stopped by to talk to us at the Horticultural Show on August 17th.  We enjoyed meeting you, and had some good conversations.  To remind you of our recent headlines:

First and foremost – we have repaid the last of the members’ investments for the Solar PV at Church Park.  This project has paid for itself in the space of only 8 years.  This also means that any future income generated can be used directly to benefit the community, which brings us nicely onto point two.

Second – We are looking for input on what future projects you would like to see. We are broadly looking for any ideas regarding energy reduction, recycling and reusing items, travel impacts, sustainable living. If you have any ideas you would like to share, we’d love to hear from you.  We will be asking for your ideas at the Horticultural Show, or you can email SHARE@south-hill.com.

Third – Our Recycling for Charity project has been growing strong and its most recent success was winning a bench from Devon Contract waste, which has been donated to St Stephens school (one of our most enthusiastic recyclers).  Ali, who runs the project, has a wonderful group of volunteers helping.

Fourth – Our Wood project has been supplying the local community with firewood and we are always looking for further opportunities within the project.  Do you have somewhere you would like to plant some trees that we can then coppice and harvest?  Or do you have that tree that needs removing? If so, please get in touch.

Last but definitely not least – some of our directors will stand down at the AGM and will not be up for re-election.  This means we are looking for new people to keep the momentum going.  If you feel passionate about sustainability and renewable energy, we’d love to hear from you.  The workload is low, we are all doing what we can when we can, we are just asking commitment for a couple of meetings a year (more if you wish), and of course, your input to our Mission, Vision and Aims, and ideas for taking SHARE forwards.

·   Prospective candidates will need a Proposer and a Seconder at the AGM (neither of whom can be themselves), and an election will take place by show of hands. Note that only Members have the right to vote, although Associate Members have the right to stand for election.

·   SHARE is a Community Benefit Society and a Limited Company. Directors are responsible for the running of the company in accordance with the law.

·   Directors of SHARE must be age 18 or over, be able to carry out the role to the best of their ability and not be disqualified from acting as a director.  If not already a Member of SHARE, they must join, and must be prepared to uphold our Mission, Vision and Aims and take a long term view of the company.

·  Our Mission, Vision and Aims, and our Rules, can be found at http://south-hill.co.uk/share/share-member-area/

DEADLINE for nominations is Sunday 8th September 2024.

Please contact us with your nominations by email to this address or by post to our registered address: Trewoodloe Barn, Trewoodloe, Golberdon, Callington, PL17 7NJ

If other members of your family are registered for SHARE with this email address, please make sure that they also receive this message. 

Thank you.

________________________________________________

Events coming up

Community Orchard – an opportunity to get involved

On Monday 26th August (Bank Holiday Monday), volunteers will be mowing the grass in the Orchard.  In the afternoon we’ll be raking up the cut grass.  For this, any person with a rake willing to help will be much appreciated. There will be some spare rakes if you haven’t got your own.  Many hands make light work! 

If you would like to help and need more information, please phone David Skelton on 07776 386828.

SHARE tour of Plymouth Incinerator September 19th

We have been invited to an in-depth tour of the MVV incinerator Energy from Waste Facility in Plymouth  

Sept 19th Itinerary

We’ll take the 11:11am train from Gunnislake to St. Budeaux and walk the short distance, ½ mile.

OR CAR SHARE from Golberdon.. OR meet there at 12noon.

Free lunch will be provided. Return train 4:45pm arrives back at Gunnislake at 5:24pm.

If you’d like to join us, please let Ali know ASAP iamalihumphreys@yahoo.com 07305 044049

Recycling for Charity project

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SHARE’s Latest Project


As you may know by now, we have secured an Option to purchase about four acres of land just outside Trevigro. This gives us first refusal and a fixed price for two adjacent fields, between the Trevigro-Haye footpath and the stream below the South West Water works.   Our working title for the project is “Quarry Bottoms” – from the names of the fields, Quarry Field and Bottoms Field.

A PROSPECTUS detailing our vision for this project is now available – read it here…

The prospectus begins with an introduction from our Chairman, then describes:

  • The location and extent of the piece of land
  • Its potential value to the community
  • Possible uses for the land
  • How we can finance the purchase

    As a companion to the prospectus, you can view a short aerial film of the land.  Taken on a lovely day in early Spring, and accompanied by atmospheric music, it shows the silvery beauty of the bare tree branches, the stream glinting through the trees, and the potential for a nature-friendly space in South Hill parish.  It’s on our SHARE YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Svkd9L53ks.  

    Did you spot the buzzard at about 2m 10s?  Beautiful!

    The footpath from Trevigro to Haye passes alongside the fields.  Take a look by all means, but remember that the fields are private, farmed property.  SHARE does not yet own the land, so please keep to the path.

    Coming soon:

    • Competition to choose a name for the project
    • Feasibility study exploring the possibilities for the site
    • Financial projections (boring but necessary!)

    SHARE – Picnic In The Wild


    We’re keen to show people a piece of land which SHARE has the option to purchase (subject to the approval of our membership).

    So you’re invited to a picnic on Sunday July 23rd, from 11am to 3pm.

    The location is near Trevigro, less than 2 miles walk from Golberdon – OR you can meet us at the Recreation field and go by tractor and trailer!

    Bring your picnic and rugs or chairs.  We will provide additional snacks and soft drinks. Posters will appear on the Parish noticeboards with full details nearer the time, and SHARE members will receive an email update. Non-members can receive the update too, just let us know if you’re interested – share@south-hill.co.uk.

    If you’re not a member of SHARE, and would like to join, you can download a Membership application form (or Associate Membership for those not resident in South Hill Parish) from our web page https://south-hill.co.uk/share/

    SHARE Breaking News, February 2023


    On Saturday Feb 11th, SHARE had an open meeting in the Parish Hall, where we were able to unveil our next project, and the plans we have going forward. We realised not everyone could make it; this is intended to put everyone in the picture.

    What’s the news? We are delighted to announce that we have secured an Option on about four acres of land just outside Trevigro. This gives us first refusal and a fixed price for two adjacent fields down by the stream opposite the South West Water works. The space is big enough that we can use it for several things simultaneously, and we have a whole range of options open to us.

    For the last few years, SHARE has done well across a number of projects, including firewood, recycling, solar power, tree planting and the Orchard, all of which are dependent on the generosity of members or other people – by donating materials, or by allowing us to use their premises to conduct our activities.  Now SHARE can have a place for itself, where it can run a number of projects literally on its own turf.

    Why would we do that? There’s room for planting some coppicing trees, such as Hazel, which would bolster our firewood supplies. Without planting, sooner or later we’ll run out. It’s a lovely spot, which we can manage for a more biodiverse environment with selected planting of native species. There’s a wet area, where willow for harvest would do well, and plenty of room for south facing ground mounted solar if we wish, and recreational space for all to enjoy by the stream. Access is good, as the public footpath from Trevigro to Haye Mill runs alongside the fields, as shown in pink on the map.

    Having the option means that we have a year to decide whether to complete the purchase, and if so, raise the funding to do so. The land would be owned by SHARE, forever.

    How would it be paid for? There’s a whole range of options available to us, depending on how much we feel we should tap into SHARE’s reserves. A mix of reserves / loans / interest is up to us to balance, in exactly the same way as SHARE funded the Church Park installation. Likewise, the interest on the loans is already secure, as the revenue from wood sales and the Solar PV already covers it.

    So what next? There’s a timeline in the chart below. Firstly we need to understand the range of options for what we’d do with the land, and how it’d be paid for. By midsummer, we will be publishing a Prospectus which describes all we could do, and how it could be funded. We need your views – both now in thinking of the usage and later in response to the prospectus. Then, at the AGM, we’ll put a simple straightforward question to the vote: do we go ahead or not? With a Yes answer, we then have the remainder of the year to secure the funding, make investment offers so that the sale can be completed before the option expires in February 2024.

    If you have ideas about how the space should be used, what we could do, how we could fund it or even whether we should grow SHARE like this, please let us know by getting touch via email to share@south-hill.co.uk

    SHARE AGM – save the date


    This year’s SHARE AGM event will be held at South Hill Parish Hall from 7.30pm on Thursday 22nd  September 2022

    This is our plan for the evening:

    a.     Information Event, open to all.  SHARE will be publicising what we’ve been able to do since the last AGM, the status of our ongoing plans and projects, and many of the items that fall under the agenda item “Annual Report”. This will be an informal chat and question event held in the Hall. We’ll be planning to cover: wood projects, hydro, recycling, energy, carbon footprinting and wider “green” issues. The displays and discussions will be manned from 7:30pm.

    b.     The formal part of the AGM (i.e. that bit we are legally obliged to do) will start at 8:30 in the Main Hall, taking advantage of the new display that the Hall Committee have installed. There we will conduct the formal finance business, table the legally required motions and elect the Directors for the next year. Only full Members are allowed a vote.

    This year there is a vacancy for a new Finance Director, as Graham Beven is standing down. His has been an invaluable contribution into the success of SHARE, its projects and its stability. We collectively thank Graham for his help and support, and the guidance he has given us.

    We hope that this event will make it easy for everyone to voice their opinions and express their aspirations for SHARE, without the rather formal setting of a big Hall meeting. Non-members are welcome to come and see what we’re all about, and maybe join.

    Please come along and bring us your hopes, criticisms and aspirations to prepare SHARE for the next year.

    SHARE PV Annual Reports


    SHARE has published its annual reports on our two solar PV installations in South Hill Parish.

    The domestic scale (4kW) system on the roof of the Parish Hall has been in place for 7 years. It is supported by a battery, and works well in conjunction with the Hall’s ground source heat pump. SHARE and the Parish Hall share the Feed In Tariff income between us. Read the report here…

    The larger 40kW system, at Church Park South Hill, has been in place for 6 years, providing electricity for the house and business at Church Park and exporting the balance to the grid. The system is financed by investments from SHARE members, and SHARE receives income from the Feed In Tariff and from sales of electricity to Church Park. Read the report here…