HELSTON skipper Dan Jenkin feels all aspects of the club are ‘thriving’ as they head into the 2026 campaign.

Jenkin, who takes on the job for a second season, led the Blues to a third-placed finish in last year’s ECB Cornwall Premier League table, the best they’ve managed since the league was formed in 2001.

And the omens look good for another summer at Beacon Parc with even more depth brought into the squad in the shape of talented spin-bowling all-rounders Bryn Evans and Lewis Stephens who have arrived from Perranporth and St Just respectively.

Aussies Jayden Mitchell and Harry Saunders both impressed in their debut seasons and have agreed to come back, as has Somerset’s Lewis Goldsworthy when his county commitments allow

.There was slight disappointment that they were unable to go on a better run in the Vinter Cup where they lost to eventual winners St Just, but like many other clubs are hoping to kick on.

Jenkin said: “Before we kicked off last season we spoke about wanting to improve the consistency in our level of performance and I think our final league position reflected that we did that pretty well.

“Barring two or three below-par performances, we were ultra-competitive throughout and came out on the right side of a number of tight fixtures.

“As for this year, I’m not a huge fan of target setting, but we’re heading in to the summer in an ambitious mood. We have a fourth XI for the first time ever, our threes are usually at the right end of the table, the seconds will be looking to bounce straight back after relegation to Division Three (West) and as a first team we are desperate to try and win something for ourselves and everyone else at the club.

“Our best chance of doing that is by giving all of our focus to trying to win the next game. For me, I love seeing people perform well. Whether that be for Helston, their school, the county or even Lewis with Somerset, it’s really satisfying when you see someone’s hard work rewarded with results.”

While Helston are ambitious, winning something will take some effort with plenty of top-quality sides around.

He continued: “I think the Premier Division is looking even more competitive than last year, which is hard to believe considering some of the results in 2025. Anyone can beat anyone on their day and that’s a great place for the league to be in.”

Helston are a club on the up, and have plans in place throughout, right from the youth up to the first team, as they look to continue to soar.

Jenkin, who sees his team welcome St Austell on Saturday (1pm), concluded: “The club is in a good moment, with all sections of the club thriving. It’s a great place to be on training nights, you get a real energy being at the ground and a lot of the credit has to go to the number of volunteers we have coaching our youngsters.

“I think that affinity with the community is really beginning to pay off, we get some good numbers watching at Beacon Parc and that definitely isn’t something we take for granted as players.”

Elsewhere this weekend, the seconds visit Mount Ambrose, the thirds host Paul Seconds at Praze and the fourths go to Gulval Seconds.