IT’S great to see communities come together – and it’s rewarding when a plan comes together.

Looe Town Council wanted to see the small building to the west of their offices used for the benefit of the community. Boundless Trust, who provide youth clubs and engage with the wider community, were looking for a site which is more accessible, as the Haven, from where they operate on West Looe Quay, is up a flight of steps.

Boundless Trust now rent the building from Looe Town Council for a peppercorn rent. A team of volunteers have transformed the small building, installed a small kitchen and providing fridges and storage, as they also host the Liskeard and Looe food bank.

They have also installed benches around the sides of the room overlooking the river, with great views of estuary, Trenant woods and East Looe. This will provide greater access, especially for the elderly in our communities, and provide a place for them to meet. This hopefully will reduce isolation, a growing problem in our communities with reliance on the internet for emails, home working and self-checkout tills.

I also visited Polruan Village Hall where volunteers provide a lunch with plentiful supplies of tea and coffee for anyone who turns up. It gives me an opportunity to meet people and hear about their issues, especially any which I can help with related to Cornwall Council.

Whilst there, I had a progress report from the Save Our Surgery team, who are co-ordinating the community response to the consultation by Fowey River Practice to close the outreach surgery in Polruan. I was given some useful information which will help me inform the process.

That evening I attended Looe Town Council, where we were joined by local representatives of the Youth Council, before going back to Polruan for a parish council meeting where I also heard about other issues, such as planning applications and highway problems.

Young people, as well as adults, showed off their skills at the “Skatejam” in the Millpool Car Park, on the site for the new skatepark. Looe Development Trust has taken the lead on this project, getting planning permission, and have now raised a third of the £320,000 which they need to find, so the facility for skateboarders and other wheeled sports can be built this autumn.

I always think young people are our future, so we cannot criticise them for hanging around on street corners unless we give them options for places to go and express themselves.

I am always surprised at the time which people in our communities find to volunteer. I was sad to hear of the passing of Jim Philp, a farmer from Pelynt. During his lifetime of 97 years, he had helped found Pelynt Young Farmers Club, as well as serve as both a magistrate and a Cornwall County councillor. During his later years he both sang and acted as compere for Pelynt Male Voice Choir. He was something of a role model for me, and no doubt will be missed by so many.