FUNDRAISERS have been given a year to collect enough money to pay for the first step towards a miners' statue in St Just that has been more than a decade in the making.

The idea of erecting a statue to commemorate those miners who were killed or became ill through working in west Penwith mines was first broadcast by St Just Town Council in 1999.

After taking on the initiative the following year, the St Just and District Trust set about trying to raise the £50,000 necessary to pay for the 7ft bronze cast.

The project seemed a step closer to realisation in 2009 when Cornish sculptor Colin Caffell was chosen to make it.

However, since then fundraising has stalled, with the trust only boasting £11,000 in the funding pot towards an inflated target of £65,000 due to the rising cost of tin.

Three funding stages have now been agreed upon by the trust and Mr Caffell. When the stage one target of approximately £18,000 is met, Mr Caffell will be able to make a mould, which he plans to do so in an open studio at Geevor mine.

The next target of £48,000 would permit a bronze cast to be made, and the remaining £17,000, needed for stage three, would go towards a granite plinth.

Bernard Rees, chairman of the trust, explained that if the stage one target had not been met by the end of January next year, the money would most likely be put towards another cause.

He said: "We have made various applications and interviews to try to get funding but without success. At one time it very nearly happened when the district council was finishing, but it didn't.

"We have had many events in the past to try to raise the funds, and many people have supported the project, but not financially.

"I would like them to do so, however small or however large they want to make it.

"We have got various fundraisers in mind and I will be exploring more in the next few months."

Mr Caffell also stressed time was of the essence due to escalating metal prices.

"The fundraisers have done everything they can to try to raise money, and Cape Cornwall School has been fantastic, but we need a much greater public effort," he said.

"Personally, I feel this is a memorial to Cornish mining not just to miners in St Just and west Penwith, and all the schools in the area should be involved."

Mr Caffell added that he was in the process of attempting to sell eight bronze casts of the original wax maquette of the model for £8,000 each.

For each maquette sold, a subsequent £2,500 would be donated to the fund.

St Just Town Council, which gave £250 to the project when the trust originally took on the mantle, elected at its last meeting to withhold further donations until significant progress was made.

For more information, visit www.stjustdistricttrust.co.uk