THE Easter weekend marked the launch of The Friends of St John's, an organisation dedicated to supporting St John's Church in Horrabridge by raising funds for various refurbishment projects the parochial church council is planning.

It also marked the start of the Friends' first fundraising venture, a 211-mile solo sponsored walk along the Cornwall coastal path from Bude to Falmouth, being undertaken by John Howells, who chairs the friends' committee. The walk is expected to take him two weeks.

He set off from Bude on Easter Saturday, and expects to pass Land's End on April 15 before turning east towards Falmouth.

Sponsorship forms have been widely circulated in and around Horrabridge. Response so far has been very good, and the organisers are hopeful of a successful outcome.

The friends are initially raising funds for two major refurbishment projects – new kitchen facilities and the replacement of pews with more comfortable chairs. It is estimated the kitchen project alone will cost about £9,000.

The sponsored walk is the first of a number of events planned for this year to reach the 2012 target of £3,000.