Liz Davies has utilised all the skills she has learned from her years as a teacher to ensure St Clement Church in Truro is now a bustling centre of worship.

Nominated by the deanery of Powder and the Revd Di Willoughby, Liz says she was shocked to learn she had been awarded the Cross of St Piran by the Bishop of Truro, The Rt Revd Tim Thornton.

While most recipients had learnt the news through a letter from the Bishop, Liz was surprised with the news during a church service. “My letter had taken a little longer to arrive and so I didn’t know when I got to church. I’d read all the announcements out at the end of the service and was about to step down when Di said there was one more announcement to make and that’s when she said I had been awarded the cross. It was a total shock and several people have said how wonderful it was to see my face!”

All of Liz’s children will be there to see her receive the cross along with her husband Martin and friends from the church. “It is really important to me and it’s very special that all of my children, who live away, will be there. The church community have all said how lovely it is to have one of their own recognised in this way as well.”

Liz’s award is given in recognition of her work at St Clement Church but also for her involvement in disability awareness in the diocese.

Liz, who is deaf, has served on the Diocesan Deaf Church Committee, Diocesan Synod, Deanery Synod and the Diocesan Equality committee. At St Clements, Liz’s duties have included churchwarden, Lay Chairman of PCC, Lay Worship Leader, Pastoral Minister, Lay Assistant for Communion and she is a member of the church choir.

Liz has also been involved in taking Sunday School, arranging flowers for weddings, organising the monthly coffee mornings, co-ordinating’ Open the Book’, organising shared lunches, organising the flower festival and she has been chairman of the fundraising committee.

“We are just in the process of getting the church’s new website up and running and preparations are in full swing for our flower festival which takes place in May. We are also trying to raise £500,000 for the church and roof repairs. We’ve raised £20,000 in a year so we’ve made a start.”

Liz, a retired teacher, was born into a very strong and strict Methodist family in Truro. It was only after her marriage to Martin that she began attending an Anglican church. “It didn’t seem right for us to be going to different churches so I joined Martin at his. We were at St Paul’s for a long time but when that closed we ended up at St Clement and are now seeing our congregation grow.”

Liz has been to three Cross of St Piran Award services so knows what to expect on the day. “I’ve been to see friends receive theirs but it never occurred to me that one day it would be me. I have never done what I do with any thought of recognition. There are a huge number of people in the diocese who are all quietly working away helping to make the church what it is. It is nice that these people are recognised.”