Cornwall cancer survivor clears paths free, goes viral — SkimNews
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- Jeremy Vernon, 51, a self-employed steel erector in Launceston, Cornwall, has been cutting back brambles, scraping off weeds and spending time pressure-washing steps around town for free in his spare time.
- Vernon, who had a kidney removed after a cancer diagnosis before relocating from Wiltshire back to Cornwall, said the work 'keeps you fit and I think it is better than going to the gym.'
- Vernon has previously worked on rollercoasters and movie sets including Death on the Nile and Ready Player One, and said strong reactions from the public and on social media have fuelled the volunteer effort.
- Vernon has contacted Launceston Town Council and Cornwall Council but says he has not been granted permission to work on council land, meaning his public liability insurance 'kind of invalidates' — leaving him personally exposed if anyone is injured.
- Cornwall Council said the paths are not its responsibility and directed Vernon to register with its contractor Cormac to obtain indemnity cover; it added that 60,000 hours of volunteering were logged on council land last year.
- Resident Elz Ravenscroft asked Vernon to cut back overgrown bushes on a pavement her daughter walked to school on, and praised him for making 'the zigzag a safe space' and tidying graffitied benches.
Why it matters: Vernon's goodwill effort exposes a gap between grassroots civic enthusiasm and council liability rules: he carries public liability insurance but lacks permission to work on council land, voiding his coverage and leaving him personally exposed. Cornwall Council logged 60,000 hours of volunteering on its land last year and offers a registration route through contractor Cormac — a workable fix, but only if individual volunteers like Vernon actually sign up.
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