Three hundred energy-efficient bulbs will be lighting up the village of St Erth this Christmas thanks to a donation from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s Community Fund.
The committee which runs the Christmas lights applied for a grant from the £30,000 Community Fund to help pay for the replacement of hundreds of bulbs to LED.
Bob Young, chairman of the committee, said: “The money was very, very graciously received. St Erth Christmas Lights mean a lot to the community here and it’s a tradition we’ve been keeping up for the past 15 years.
“It’s not a charity but it’s special because it means people feel good over a very important period of the year. The whole village loves it.
“We’re not in competition with the likes up Angarrack or Mousehole but the lights encapsulate the spirit of Christmas and really brighten up the village. As with all these things, it doesn’t come cheap and we wanted to replace the unreliable bulbs with LED ones, which I’ve been told will last for the next 100 years on the amount we use them.”
The bulb replacements were paid for by a £150 grant from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s Community Fund, which supports projects that benefit communities on the islands and in West Cornwall. So far, it has awarded a total of £6,750 to six different projects.
Community Fund Chairman Terry Ward said: “We are delighted to contribute towards helping keep the lights shining on St Erth during the festive period. It’s clear that the Christmas lights mean a lot to both residents and visitors and I shall look forward to visiting St Erth to enjoy the spectacle for myself .”