Community Creativity Enterprise
Cornubia, part of Par Bay Big Local legacy and funded by the National Lottery, has been refurbished to provide a vibrant venue to serve the communities of Par, St Blazey and Tywardreath, helping to build a more resilient community by fostering social enterprise, encouraging creativity and promoting healthy living.
Follow our activities on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/cornubiahub
2022
Media
Cornubia’s media profile has been raised considerably this year with almost daily requests to join the facebook group and posts and videos reaching up to 5,000 at times due to sharing of information.
Radio Cornwall, initially attracted by the Community Garden, has visited several times, most recently to the Spring Fair when the Time and Tide Bell was on site and The Big Jubilee Lunch celebrations. A firm link has now been established with Cornubia being “adopted” as one of their links with the community of Par Bay.
Film
We have been approached by a German film company who will be filming their latest Rosamunde Pilcher serial. There will be scenes in a community garden.Watch this space…
Three Harbours NHS Team
Our two upstairs tenant rooms are now the home of the Social Prescribing and Diabetic teams. This has allowed us to move forwards with providing support for those in isolation and depression. A recent request from the social prescriber led to setting up a weekly Chatty Café session plus a proposal to make Cornubia a “Support Hub” with monthly support for Citizen’s Advice, employment support, Housing etc. This is still under discussion as funding will be needed for booking space, but it looks as if Par Bay might once more be leading the way linking social precribers with providers.
We were delighted to receive funding from the People’s Postcode lottery which will help to cover the costs of insurance, utilities, maintenance and staffing . This has enabled us to keep going over the last year and deliver many hours of activities and support.
2021
Cornubia, Par Bay’s cornerstone legacy has proved to be a much-appreciated venue, hosting a number of very varied groups and events, many on a regular basis. As restrictions lifted further, former users and tenants were welcomed back at Cornubia, as well as new groups and organisations, including some from outside the area. These include a ballet group, health professionals from local GP practices and members of the Prodigal Theatre group
Over 150 per week attend a wide range of regular activities
Dance groups
A range of dance classes and workshops, including ballet, sosa, hip-hop and street dance, tap, jazz, Spanish, contemporary
Community support groups
Mental wellbeing support groups; Knit & Natter, Pot and Chatter, Canasta, creative workshops, painting workshops, computer support, Men’s group, Memory Cafe
Sports
Tai chi, Karate, Tae kwondo, Judo-new this year with large numbers of under 8s who can attend free of charge
Income and Fundraising
Community / Craft Fairs
Community Fairs have raised over £600 profit to add to donations to the online Friends of Cornubia fund which enabled the purchase of an evac chair for the wheelchair refuge area along with other essentials. A recent proposal to run car boot fairs in the new “Jubilee Corner” of the Community Garden and indoor “boot” sales along the lines of the Charlestown ones has the potential to bring in big boost to the annual income. We hope to start these in September
Other donations have helped provide much needed signage back and front,
Christmas Fair
Community Creativity and Enterprise (our Cornubia slogan) were all in evidence at this successful event in spite of recent covid alarms. Local businesses were pleased to donate raffle prizes-all of them commented on how good it was to see community events taking place
Not just a craft fair but providing an opportunity for local community groups to engage with their members. The PL24 community magazine is printed quarterly and our Par Bay quarterly magazine is in the centerfold. Our Cornubia fairs are timed to coincide with their publishing dates. They were pleased to have been able to sign up volunteers for litter picking ventures and other activities.
Stalls showcased the creative skills of our residents -my favourite used the shells from Par Beach and pine cones from the woods at the far end.
Bookings
We are beginning to receive enquiries for birthday parties and conference facilities. We will be in a better position the increase this aspect with the completion of insulation works. We are looking for a local catering company who would provide simple buffet lunches.
Renovation/Regularisation
Good progress has been made this year with the Upper Hall now fully accessible and much warmer after the addition of the roof. There have been many positive comments about how much warmer it has been and how good it is to have attractive surroundings. The addition of the external wall insulation will also make a big difference going forward.
We are down to the last few requirements from Building Regulations: We had intended applying for grants for insulation of the outer walls in Cornubia, but with prices about to rocket sky high for building materials we needed to move quickly. We have had a reasonable quote for the work.
We have already saved £5,000 in electric expenses this last year by changing suppliers, careful monitoring and timing the heaters plus the roof works and other insulation work. This will help to future proof Cornubia to enable us to afford to run it.
We are also looking into PV to tackle rising electricity costs
Refurbishments and improvements at Cornubia have further enhanced the building, making it more attractive to future new users, thereby generating more income and supporting its sustainability. Pre-COVID, the building was being used for a variety of purposes and it is now starting to get even busier – “an enhanced heritage asset” as PBCT’s Chair describes it
Cornubia continues to be available for anyone wishing to use the space or its assets such as computers / free WiFi, eg those seeking work
Cornubia hosted Par Bay’s first film screening in conjunction with Carn to Cove. It is hoped that a film club will be established over the next year.
Tenants
Morva Maid
A new tenant Morva Maid took over the former shop and Reception areas 1st May, showcasing and selling a wide range of local artisan work. This has transformed the reception area making an attractive, welcoming entrance with footfall increasing daily. With over 50 artisans sharing media posts this has helped to increase Cornubia’s presence online and with local residents. Jemma has her own silver jewellery line and has recently started selling through a shop in Mevagissey as well as online. Her online shop provides a platform for her artisans too.
Morva Maid shop tour https://www.facebook.com/groups/305886117857
Under the Sun Ceramics Studio
Gill’s pottery classes are increasingly popular -a source of mental wellbeing and entertainment as well as learning new techniques. There is a steady stream of beautiful and amusing pottery produced and we look forward to their exhibition in October.
Under the Sun Pottery Studio Pot & Chatter group in action
https://www.facebook.com/gill.butler.121/videos/692932661850770
Along with free internet access, we can now offer venue hire for community use – a community activity room and kitchen, ground floor hall with accessible toilet, a small interview room and first floor hall with a sprung floor. The reception has evolved into a retail space housing crafts made by local residents.
2020 – A Challenging Year
September – December 2020
In September we were allowed to run mutual support sessions to relieve anxiety and depression.
Reachout Creative Futures (a small 16+ NEETS group) and CRCC Work Your Way (providing support into work) are two new groups we were delighted to have as part of the team. We welcomed back old friends – Knit and Natter and Tai Chi, both providing mutual support for companionship and mental wellbeing.
Under the Sun Ceramics was able to move into the refurbished studio at the rear of the building with small socially distanced groups.
Roofing works started over the summer months which meant the upper hall had to be kept closed. Restormel Reupholstery provided the protective padding for our posts in the lower hall for Ashita Kai Karate Kids, Celtic Warriors Taekwondo group and also for Capitol Dance who were a welcome addition to our activity groups.
It was a great relief when the new roof was completed and the scaffolding was removed.NEETS
April – August 2020
What a strange time this was. Our community support was focused on the Community Garden but we were able to provide information in the front window for those with no internet access.
We were pleased to be able to offer support for the St Blazey Reuse, Recycle food provision for families in difficulty and the Kernow Youth Family Food boxes.
Meetings were made via Zoom. Community groups were able to use the Community Trust Zoom account to arrange meetings.
Made by the Sea craft shop was extended into the reception area to allow social distancing. Over 20 local creatives exhibit their crafts in Cornubia. This came into its own later in the year for Christmas presents. A virtual shop window was used on the Facebook page while the shop was closed. We really do have a great pool of artistic talent in our community!
Jan – March 2020
The year started well with Winter Wellbeing workshops offering pottery, crafts, poetry writing and other activities.
The local police ran monthly drop-in sessions to allow residents to share any concerns.
We were delighted with our new kitchen and Community Room. What a luxury to be able to wash up cups in a sink after years of “camping”. This will be a really flexible area for use as a meeting room or “memory café” or small cooking workshop. We will be inviting community groups to fill a display shelf to promote their activities once we have prepared the shelf units.
No sooner had the kitchen been completed the pandemic spread and lockdown was enforced.
2019
We have welcomed Dragon’s Den style bidding events (Soup) and Community Hub research sessions for other community groups wanting to set up their own centres. The fuchsia festival is becoming an established annual event and we aim to hold regular craft fairs. Cornwall Councillor surgeries, Neighbourhood planning group, PCSO surgeries have been able to use our premises.
2019 successes
Successes include:
- Runner-up in Travis Perkins “My Community Engagement 2018”
- Featured in a recent UnLtd film about community hubs
- Collaborative work with others for events and projects taking place at Cornubia and elsewhere
- A successful bid for funding for a Creative Civic Change project in the Par Bay area
We have a growing number of regular activities on offer to boost health and wellbeing: Tai Chi, Taekwondo, Yoga, Kettle Bells, dance and theatre, local artists’ craft workshops, gallery and shop, craft fairs, exhibitions. Craft sessions are very popular with a busy knitting group, sewing sessions and pottery all popular and small cookery workshops starting in 2020 in the new kitchen space.
Tenants
In addition to to this, for social enterprise tenants, we provide affordable incubation space in a creative and shared environment. This allows residents to test out a business idea and move on to larger premises once they have found their feet.
2018 Refurbishment begins
With Universal Credit due to be rolled out in February 2018 we decided on a “soft opening” in the reception area to create a home for a Job Club, Universal Credit support (free wi-fi plus computers), financial advice and food voucher distribution. Funding and in-kind support from Ocean Housing, DWP, Live West and Reed in Partnership helped us to reach the target opening date.
We have appreciated the support of community volunteers and local organisations in tackling the daunting task of refurbishing the former auction house and dance hall. It needed replacement windows, rejuvenating flooring, toilets, plumbing and electrical work, removal of old structures / partitions, suspended ceilings, new doorways + fire doors, lift repairs; more recently: new kitchen downstairs + creation of Community Room with additional toilet.
