The Festival Day was held on Sunday 1 June 2025 in the Cathedral Chapter House.  The proceedings commenced with a delicious buffet lunch attended by about 40 Friends.  After the lunch the AGM was held at which reports were presented to the Membership; appointments to Council were agreed and voted upon and our amended Constitution was duly adopted.

After the formal business was concluded our Chairman introduced the guest speaker, Mr Donovan Gardner MBE.  Donovan is not only a very experienced electrical engineer by trade but also a devout Christian, who saw much hardship in the surrounding neighbourhood that, with his wife Jen of 53 years, set up Transformation CPR Foodbank in Pool, Camborne and Redruth. The need was so great it soon expanded to include Penzance.  Now in his 80’s and after volunteering for up to 60 hours a week for the past 11 years, he decided to step back and make way for younger people to continue the charity.

Donovan is a most engaging and charismatic speaker who believes in the need to help the poor in his beloved Cornwall, and he made those present, aware of the true extent and stark reality of the poverty surrounding us.

He received his MBE from our late Queen Elizabeth II for services to the community.