Funding helps bring community together in Bodmin

The Old Library – intoBodmin

“It’s really made a difference to Bodmin – it’s helping to put Bodmin on the map and it’s helping to bring communities together.” – Lisa Townsend, Marketing Lead, intoBodmin

A historic library in Bodmin has been transformed into a vibrant community hub – thanks to investment from Good Growth. The former Passmore Edwards Free Library on Lower Bore St has undergone a £760,000 renovation, supported with £180,000 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The building is run by Community Interest Company intoBodmin, a community arts organisation, offering space for co-working and business, a performance area, café and community room.

The refurbishment project includes:

• Repairing stonework, pointing and rotten windows.
• Increasing the energy efficiency of the building
• Improving accessibility

Fin Irwin, intoBodmin Founder and Co-Director, says: “This whole project has been made possible by grant funding and the Shared Prosperity Fund. Good Growth Funding has played a really pivotal part in that. Without any of those pieces, the whole project would have fallen apart and it’s really encouraging to know that funders like Good Growth can see that, we as an organisation, and this as a project, was worth funding.”

Councillor Carol Mould, Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, says: “The pull for this sort of development is re-utilising old buildings, beautiful old buildings that sit in the middle of our towns, that really were put together originally for community use.

“It’s fantastic to see the investment in them to enable them to come back into the 21st century and rejuvenate our communities.”

Lisa says: “intoBodmin is a community arts organisation and that means that we do lots of different projects and activities with the community here in Bodmin.

“We believe that everybody should get to experience the kind of creative life they really want.”

More information about The Old Library, Bodmin, can be found here: The Old Library – Into Bodmin

This project is made possible thanks to a £180,000 investment from the Good Growth Programme funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.