News from 'Kernow Matters To Us'

28 Mys Hedra 2020

A why agas oll wheg  

A warm welcome

to all those folks who have recently joined our group. Please continue to monitor our various social media sites for news and updates on a wide range of issues which are of interest to Cornwall and her people and indeed to Cornish people around the globe. During the lockdown, our social media was receiving in excess of one million 'hits' weekly!

Half Term Food Help in Kernow

Our Secretary and IT organiser, Tony has been busy at work adding to the ever growing list of those food outlets in the Duchy who are prepared to assist parents of children in need. The ever growing list which increases daily can be found here: https://kernowmatterstous.weebly.com/half-term-help.html

Tony has been monitoring the site statistics and the number of 'hits' and inquiries is soaring showing that there is a real need for this sort of information. We are pleased to provide this resource to the community at large and have been fielding large amounts of appeals for assistance via our contact email addresses and social media and using the list have resolved a number of issues for those in need. 

An appeal on behalf of Cornish Language TV

Unlike the other Celtic Nations and their indigeneous languages, Cornwall does not enjoy its own legislative Parliament and depends on the few crumbs scattered our way from the distant Westminster dinner table.

This is demeaning and embarrassing as we are forced to go cap in hand time after time and are frequently left to rely on our own resources, time after time. Often, no money is forthcoming at all.

Cornish Language TV is running out of money and needs your donations if it is to continue into 2021 and beyond.

Can you help? Please donate here: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/14365  

Both Cornish language radio (Radyo an Gernewegva) and TV (Pellwolok - An Mis) are widely listened to and watched and a link to the excellent website and programmes maintained by Matthi the director, producer and organiser can be found here: https://anradyo.com/

We thank Matthi for all his work done to bring us the wonderful service he does.

Although his service has no connection with 'Kernow Matters', we support his efforts entirely.

Cornish beaches the most littered in the UK

- commentary by Dr Bernard Deacon

A recent academic article has discovered that beaches in Cornwall are among the most litter-strewn in the UK. Using beach clean data going back 25 years, they found those beaches bordering Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at the Land’s End, Mount’s Bay, Padstow Bay and Newquay & the Gannel were among the ten most polluted in the UK, with levels of litter second only to the Thames estuary.

Almost 70 per cent of the litter picked up was plastic, while, of the litter that could be sourced, over half came from the public discarding items, a fifth was from fishing activity and the rest from sewage and shipping. Meanwhile, eight of the ten MPAs with the highest levels of plastic litter were found in Cornwall. In addition to those mentioned above, this included Hartland Point to Tintagel and Lizard Point.

These findings, coming as they do after other similar research, should start ringing alarm bells about the capacity of the Cornish environment to cope with an ever-growing residential population in addition to the millions of tourists who descend on our beaches every year. Many – both locals and visitors – seem incapable of understanding what ‘take your rubbish home’ means.

(Doctor Bernard W. Deacon is a multidisciplinary academic, successful author and linguist, fluent in the Cornish language and Chair of the Cornish Language Council. One of his excellent websites can be found here: https://bernarddeacon.com/news/ )

Photograph: Crantock beach in July this year

Kebmer with!  

Kernow bys vyken!

John, Teresa, Craig, Tony, Matt, Mike, Clive, Ronan, Rob, Alex, Maria & Lucas

Elected Members of the KMTU Steering Group