Grants totalling close to £15,000 have gone to ten projects in Helston supporting families and the community.

In order to give every group the amount they asked for, Helston's town councillors topped up their remaining grant budget with £2,495 from general reserves, in order to meet the £14,635 total,after being described as "all valid" requests.

CAST in Penrose Road received the largest grant of £5,000 to support a larger Arts Council England grant, both of which would help it hold a second CAST-Off project this summer. It would be a follow up to a month of outdoor projects for families last August, which saw children sailing handmade rafts on the river, building dens and discovering nature.

Helston Athletic Football Club was given £1,000 it asked for towards the overall £5,000 cost of a project to connect to mains gas, to heat the clubhouse and changing room showers.

Another sports club, Helston Cricket Club, was also supported with £2,070 for a bowling machine to help with the development of its junior and adult teams.

And Helston Rugby Club was given £3,000 after saying: "Whilst we endeavour to battle with the misuse and drugs in our town, we would like to improve the security of our patrons even further by providing a secure, enclosed play area/space to the side of the property, for families to relax and feel safe."

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Helston Friendship Club will be able to treat members who have not seen each other for many months to a meal out with entertainment when restrictions ease, thanks to a £1,500 grant that will also cover the cost of a PA system to help those with hearing loss.

In the same way, Helston Memory Cafe, whose members have not met since the start of the first lockdown, was granted £800 to help cover the printing and sending costs of a monthly newsletter and activities sheets, along with reproducing the Cornwall Memory Cafe, to help everyone stay in touch.

Having only traded for 26 weeks last year – half of its usual opening – due to the coronavirus restrictions, Helston Country Market was given £150 to advertise when it reopens, including new signage for outside the Guildhall where it trades out of.

The Helston Makes It! event has been given a further £500, to add to the £500 unspent last year when the 2020 festival was cancelled. The money will go towards professional fees and some resources for a project linked to the main event, focussing on Helston's use of granite in its buildings and landmark Grylls Monument.

The Helston and Lizard fundraising group of Marie Curie was given £180 to cover one night of nursing care, and the Lizard Child Trust was given £435 for a shed to house its outdoor play equipment.