AVOIDING relegation is the first key target for Helston Athletic next season after having their promotion to the South West Peninsula League Premier confirmed.

Sid Taylor has told Packet Sport the club's main focus during the 2015/16 campaign will be staying up after the SWPL board officially greenlighted their move up to the competition's top division.

The Blues topped the West table after a brilliant season, but had to wait until Thursday's league committee meeting where they formally ratified next season's constitution, which included Athletic's promotion.

With tougher opposition in line for them, Taylor admitted it will be a new and hard challenge for the side and he is looking to keep a realistic view to what they aim for.

Taylor said: "Our first goal for next season is to stay up.

"Only once we have achieved that, then we'll start looking further up the table and try to push into mid-table.

"We know how hard it is going to be and none of us are going to make silly predictions about how we will do next season.

"Hopefully we can make ourselves hard to beat and establish ourselves in the Premier Division and from there try to achieve more glory like we did in the West."

He also said he will start discussing with the current crop of players later this week about whether they want to stay at the club next season before beginning his hunt for new talent.

Taylor said: "We have our end of season party on Friday in Falmouth and I'll speak to the players during that to find out whether they want to stay or not.

"New faces are going to come in to help us out as not everyone will stay because they won't want to do the travelling involved, so we will need to replace them.

"But it is a crazy time of year with players going here, there and everywhere so I won't worry about it too much until we actually start pre-season and see who turns up."

Another factor Taylor is hoping will attract new faces to the club will be the upgrades being done at Kellaway Park.

As reported on the front page of last week's Packet, a Premier League grant of £62,696 was awarded to Athletic to help pay for a 100-seater covered grandstand, floodlights, a pitch perimeter barrier and fencing to be installed.

Taylor also hopes the new look ground will become a fortress in the higher league.

"Work has already started upgrading the ground with the major work going on between June and July," he said.

"The facilities will make the club even more attractive to potential signings and it could entice someone to join us.

"We'll also be looking to make the place something of a fortress as it is so important to have a good home record in the league as that will allow you to build towards survival."