As we near the end of yet another year, it’s often a time when people gather their thoughts, reflect on the months that have passed, and start making resolutions for the new year.

Too often we get swept into negative discussions that can steer us off track from the things that matter: smiling at a person across the street, supporting your favourite coffee shop, talking about the good times with an old friend over a pint in the pub, checking in on a neighbour, relative, friend or colleague. These little things can make such a difference to how we see the world, and the one word that stands out against the rest is community.

During the pandemic, community was what kept most of us going. Despite a rocky start, with toilet roll and bread flying off the shelves like it was going out of fashion, people soon realised what was truly important. While the incredible NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics worked under immense pressure for months on end, everyone adapted to this unexpected change, whether it was businesses delivering goods, teachers and school staff doing what they could to ensure our young people could continue their learning, or people simply taking it upon themselves to see what others needed.

This is what inspired a team of volunteers to find a way of celebrating kindness and compassion in the community, while inspiring future generations to always look to their community in times of need.

One leading mind behind the group is Jayne, who said: “There was a group of us who wanted to celebrate the townspeople’s compassion and generosity of spirit during the pandemic. After an event like this, you can look up and look forwards – and you can bring about change. It can take just a smile in the street or a bunch of flowers to make someone’s day.

“We felt that this space by the Camel Trail, overlooking the river, and just beyond the Beach Box Café, would be a good site to raise that marker. But, we wanted to keep the inscription on the stone quite open because communities in the past have shared that same kindness and resilience, and no doubt will offer their collective goodness again when times may become difficult and uncertain.”

The group of volunteers came from a variety of backgrounds, from owners of well-known local businesses and NHS personnel to those with town and county council connections, and retired teachers.

It was decided that a granite Standing Stone would be placed in this sunny spot along the Trail, together with benches and information boards telling some of Wadebridge’s story, and, after a long period of consultation with Cornwall Council, who own the land, the volunteers were finally able to start fundraising and planning for the project to get underway.

This began in earnest in January 2023. With a £3,000 grant from the National Lottery Fund, plus kind donations from the community, over £6,000 was raised.

At this point the power of community really came to light, with donations of money and materials flooding in, and businesses on-hand to offer their services, free of charge, from preparing and repairing the site, to delivering and laying the gravel.

“It is important to note, too, that the vision was an extension of Nigel Wiggett’s hard work back in 2020 on this site. For me, he began this,” Jayne continued. “And a lot of people see this as a memorial for Nigel. I feel that this has grown into something much bigger for the community now, especially with the addition of pebble art from the children in our two local primary schools.”

The schools received 600 pebbles to paint in acrylics with the theme of ‘Joy’ in mind. If you give a child a paintbrush, it doesn’t take long for imagination to take over, and hundreds of school children contributed to the project with their colourful pebble art creations.

In September 2023, the stone was finally raised between the two community benches. A celebration marked the occasion, with pebble painting for children, plus live music from the Wadebridge Shipwrecks, Guitar Joe, and Adrian and Lynette, and drinks provided by the Beach Box.

A year on, it remains a peaceful place - ‘Tyller Hebask’ - for people to sit and watch the world go by. The constancy of the river reflects the ebb and flow of the days in the lives of those people, and the whole serves as a gift to the importance of community.

This Christmas, as we think about what we can do differently in 2025, perhaps take a walk to the Community Standing Stone to find some inspiration.

For updates, like the Facebook page, ‘Community Standing Stone Wadebridge Cornwall’ - and perhaps volunteer for a stint with the amazing ‘Maintenance Crew’!

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