NEWS

Nearly £3 million of grant funding has been distributed to 246 not-for-profit community organisations across Cornwall over the past three years through Cornwall Council’s Community Capacity Fund as part of the Good Growth Programme.

Grants ranging between £1,000 and £24,999 were handed to the groups through a simplified application process designed to enable those without previous experience of accessing such funding to apply.

Successful applicants have come from across the whole of Cornwall, with a focus on small rural communities.

Investment through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is helping to future-proof Cornwall’s agri-food sector, supporting the development of new food and drink products, strengthening local supply chains and contributing to long-term UK food security.

The Good Growth Programme, managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is forecast to support 738 local enterprises to adopt new or improved products and services.

Among those are several high-profile Cornish food and drink businesses, who are bringing new products to market and expanding their manufacturing capability in Cornwall.

Work has begun on a transformation of Bodmin town centre, bringing new greenery, bespoke public furniture, and vibrant murals to create a safer, more welcoming space for residents and visitors.  

The first phase of work, which began this week, focuses on three large-scale murals inspired by Bodmin’s heritage and designed to bring colour and character to the town. 

Businesses are being urged to Power Up Your People and invest in team development in 2026 by Digital Futures Cornwall.

The Digital Futures Cornwall partnership, led by Truro and Penwith College, has launched two interactive tools to help businesses plan their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and get digital ready for the year ahead.

Cornwall-based water technology specialists Eliquo Hydrok have unveiled a major new engineering innovation at their Indian Queens headquarters, following investment through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The company has installed one of Europe’s most advanced automated robotic welding cells, enabling it to significantly increase production capacity, improve efficiency and enhance safety, supporting the manufacture of technologies that help improve water quality of rivers and seas.

Cornish developer Treveth has marked a key milestone in the delivery of the sustainable Normandy Way Business Hub, Bodmin, with a topping out ceremony to celebrate completion of the roof and main steel portal frame.  

The ceremony marks significant progress on the development of seven high-quality, energy-efficient workspace units designed to meet the needs of light industrial, manufacturing, distribution, and warehouse occupiers.  

The award-winning Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is on track to deliver huge benefits to local businesses, communities and people as the £186m fund celebrates making more than 900 investments across Cornwall and Scilly. 

The Programme is forecast to create more than 1,700 jobs, support over 7,600 businesses and deliver more than 30,000 training opportunities for local residents. It is also creating or improving natural areas the same size as around 60 football pitches and contributing to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the electricity needs of more than half a million homes.  

The radar system at Cornwall Airport Newquay is to be replaced with a modern, high-performance system designed to keep skies safer and to deliver improved safety and reliability for passengers and operators. 

The contract to undertake the award has been awarded to UK manufacturer Easat Radar Systems Ltd and is being part funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Funding via the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. 

PZN Youth CIC has successfully completed the purchase of their building on Alverton Street in Penzance, marking a major milestone in its mission to provide a permanent safe, accessible space for young people.

The contract signing took place on Monday, 1st December, with members of the local community, supporters, and partners invited to celebrate this achievement.

The purchase was made possible thanks to £61,183 from Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme (TRIP). TRIP is part of the Good Growth Programme, which delivers the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

Cornwall has been recognised as a national leader in economic development after the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme scooped a prestigious national award for its innovative approach to local growth.

Cornwall Council’s £186m Good Growth Programme was named Most Innovative Project of the Year at the Institute of Economic Development (iED) Awards this week for its approach to shaping a fairer and greener economy.

A new £2.5 million equity scheme is set to boost film and high-end TV production in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, supported by a £1.25 million investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Screen Cornwall Equity Production Investment (SCEPI) is a pioneering public-private project designed to unlock the region’s potential as a nationally significant screen cluster.

Led by regional screen agency Screen Cornwall, the scheme will invest in a portfolio of up to 10 high-end TV and film projects produced or filmed in the region between 2025 and 2028, and support skills development with placements for trainees.

Seventeen small and independent businesses in Newquay town centre have been awarded funding to help create a more vibrant and attractive town centre.

The businesses who will receive the grants include a variety of restaurants, cafes and retail premises such as Paulines, The Good Lyfe, Pachanga, Café Cloud & Kook.

Experience Newquay, in collaboration with Newquay Business Improvement District (BID), have announced that businesses will receive grants ranging up to £1,000 to support a range of improvements – including repainting and repairing façades, installing new signage and adding greenery and creative design features to shopfronts.

Oxford Innovation Finance is proud to announce the launch of The Beacon Fund, a pioneering new equity investment initiative commissioned by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme to support ambitious early-stage businesses across the region.

Initially funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, The Beacon Fund is designed to address a critical market gap for early-stage equity investment. A sustainable, long-term funding vehicle, The Beacon Fund will help nurture Cornwall’s next generation of high-growth businesses by offering flexible, targeted equity investment of between £20,000 and £200,000 per transaction.

Cornish developer Treveth has started construction on the Normandy Way Business Hub in Bodmin — a new investment in Cornwall’s business infrastructure, supported by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Located on the established Walker Lines Industrial Estate, the development will deliver seven high-quality, sustainable workspace units designed to meet the needs of light industrial, manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing occupiers.

Thirty-three projects in town centres and high streets across Cornwall are the latest to benefit from investment by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme. 

Grants ranging from £2,500 to £250,000 have been awarded from Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme (TRIP) to a wide range of projects aimed at helping towns and their businesses thrive. 

Activity includes a mix of improvements to town centres, high streets, public spaces and local facilities, as well as work to develop plans for future projects. The £2.7m TRIP is part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme, funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Four community projects including two new skateparks, new toilets and revamped Church Hall are underway thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allocated via Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme.

The projects are part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme and will support the development of new accessible facilities designed to strengthen community engagement and promote environmental sustainability.

Country Lane Foods, a family-run business with over 40 years of experience in the UK egg industry, has successfully completed a transformative investment in a state-of-the-art egg grading machine.

The initiative has safeguarded jobs, created new full-time roles, and secured new customer contracts.

This milestone was made possible through a £200,000 grant from Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grants Programme. The Programme is part of the Good Growth Programme, which delivers the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. It has enabled the company to remain rooted in Cornwall and avoid outsourcing operations to other UK areas. At a time when the business was operating at full capacity and facing difficult decisions, this investment has not only preserved its local workforce but also positioned it for national growth.

Nearly £200,000 has been invested in early-stage Cornish businesses in year one, with momentum building for year two.

The Cornwall Angel Network is celebrating its first anniversary, marking twelve months of connecting ambitious Cornish businesses with angel investors committed to supporting innovation, people and place.

Since launching in October 2024 the Network, led by Falmouth University in collaboration with the British Business Bank, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and the UK Business Angels Association, has established itself as a vital part of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than 25 investors have joined, four early-stage companies have raised investment, and a total of £189,000 has been deployed. There are also several further investments that are currently progressing through due diligence.

If anyone was in any doubt about the contribution Cornwall can make to the UK’s growth ambitions, the recent Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth summit will have dispelled them.

It was also a testament to what targeted investment through Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme using the UK Shared Prosperity Fund can unlock.

What came across to the 130 or so delegates who attended the summit at the Royal Cornwall Showground was the sheer momentum now powering Cornwall’s contribution to the national economy.

Cormac has once again reaffirmed its leadership in urban ecological conservation at the respected 2025 CIRIA Biodiversity Challenge Awards. This marks the company’s fourth year of recognition, following previous successes in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

The Biodiversity Challenge Awards encourage the construction industry to ‘go BIG for nature’ by putting biodiversity at the centre of projects, delivering beyond normal business practice and compliance with applicable legislation, such as Biodiversity Net Gain. This year’s event saw Cormac’s Environment Service team shine, with not one, but two accolades.

The ‘Urban Green Shoots’ initiative, developed collaboratively by Cormac and Cornwall Council, won the national ‘Nature Recovery’ award, sponsored by National Highways.

Communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are feeling the positive impact of Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme with 142 community hubs receiving investment to strengthen local facilities, promote pride in place and bring people together.

From village halls and community centres to churches and charity-owned venues, these hubs are being revitalised thanks to investment under the Good Growth Programme’s ‘Community and Place’ priority, which sits alongside support for local businesses and people and skills.

Falmouth Harbour is now among the Harbours and Port Authorities in the UK using renewable HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) to fuel its fleet of workboats.

A £50,000, 6,500 litre refuelling facility has been created at the Harbour’s Marine Hub with 50% match-funding from Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grants Programme. 

The HVO fuel it provides is produced from renewable sources like used cooking oil and vegetable oils that absorb CO2 during plant growth. When burned, HVO releases the same CO2 it absorbed, creating a closed-loop cycle where there is no net increase in atmospheric CO2. This reduces the carbon emissions by 50-90% when compared with fossil fuel diesel. 

Falmouth Town Council is proud to announce the official opening of the newly renovated Kimberley Park Lodge, now home to a vibrant digital community hub and a permanent base for local radio station Source FM.

Vacant for over a decade, the Lodge has been thoughtfully restored – designed by M Hormann Architects and delivered by local contractors Richards – into an inclusive, creative space for everyone. Its transformation marks a key milestone in Falmouth Town Council’s ongoing commitment to investing in accessible cultural services that benefit both residents and visitors of all ages.

A project that has supported hundreds of young people with additional needs in Cornwall has secured funding to continue until March 31 next year. 

The hugely successful Yep! Project received £800,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allocated through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, to continue providing support for a further year.  

The scheme helps 16 to 24-year-olds who aren’t working, in school, or training to access education and employment opportunities. It also supports those who might soon find themselves in this situation. 

A new chapter for Cornwall’s creative digital sector is underway, as Real Ideas today announces the launch of CreaTech Cornwall’s first cohort, a fully funded programme supporting early-stage creatives, freelancers, and startups working at the intersection of creativity and technology.

Led by Real Ideas, and partners Creative UK, Screen Cornwall, Tech Cornwall, and TecWomen, CreaTech Cornwall offers tailored incubation designed to help emerging talent thrive in one of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors.

The initial cohort of 15 innovators will benefit from expert mentoring, workshops on IP, finance and sustainability, access to immersive domes and digital fabrication tools, plus micro seed funding to help bring bold ideas to life. Recruitment for a new intake also opens in September.

Penzance Dry Dock is this month celebrating four years since it was saved from closure.

Penzance has been home to a dry dock since 1810, with the marine industry part of the fabric of the area long before that. Requiring significant investment to bring it up to standard, the dry dock was nearly lost in 2021 before being rescued by Linked Solutions SW Ltd, led by former Royal Navy marine engineer Jamie Murphy.

Since taking on the facilities, the team behind Penzance Dry Dock have successfully raised £5.3m in investment to regenerate the site. This includes £2m from Cornwall Council via the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, enabling the overhaul of the dry dock gates, a new pumping system, two assembly bays and new cranes as part of a site-wide refurbishment and upgrade.

Cornwall has been recognised nationally for its commitment to fair pay, winning two prestigious accolades at the Living Wage Foundation Champion Awards held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Thursday, 3 July 2025.

The Cornwall Living Wage Place (LWP) campaign was awarded ‘Campaign of the Year’, while Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme and Truro Foodbank were named joint winners of the ‘Local Champions’ award. Both honours celebrate the county’s efforts to tackle low and insecure pay.

A new year-round activity centre is set to open in March 2026, at Hendra Holiday Park. Newquay Rocks Family Activity Centre is a multi-million pound investment which has received funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The facility will be on the Hendra Holiday Park site, with facilities to include a new year-round and wet-weather activity centre, accommodating a family climbing facility, soft play, gym and community event space.

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council is responsible for managing projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

A project to install solar panels on the roof of Miners Court in Redruth thanks to a government grant has come to a successful completion.

Coastline Housing was able to install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at the Extra Care scheme following a grant of £468,863 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Residents have been watching the many panels getting installed with great interest over a number of months. In total the panels cover an area of 1960 square metres – that’s the equivalent of around 4 basketball courts or just over 7 tennis courts.

World-first Microfibre Filter Hub, Microplastic Recycling Lab and Return + Recycle Centre set to save up to 86 tonnes of microfibres annually from polluting the ocean.

Cleaner Seas Group has opened the doors to their world-first Microfibre Filter Hub, Microplastic Recycling Lab and Return + Recycle Centre – a pioneering facility set to transform the way the world tackles microplastic pollution.

The new centre brings together Cleaner Seas Group’s innovative microfibre filter technology with a ground-breaking closed-loop recycling system. It marks a critical moment not just for the UK tech scene, but for the global fight against microplastics – one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

The South Crofty tin mining project is set to benefit from a major injection of funding, with £4,190,500 awarded through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is the programme’s largest single private sector investment to date.

This will see the construction of new workshops, stores, and offices on the Bartles Foundry site at South Crofty which received conditional planning approval in January.

The infrastructure is critical to supporting the underground development phase of South Crofty, helping to bring the historic tin mine back into production and generating skilled jobs in the local area.

Organisations are being encouraged to bid for funding from a new programme to support projects that can breathe fresh life into Cornwall’s town centres. 

The Town Regeneration and Investment Programme (TRIP) is part of the Good Growth Programme, which is managing delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and is making up to £1.5 million available to support schemes that will revitalise towns and high streets and boost local business growth and productivity.

TRIP will offer individual grants of between £2,500 and £500,000 for successful applicants. 

Cornwall Council has unveiled a significant new wave of investment through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, following the allocation of an additional £47.3 million from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) at the end of last year.

This funding forms part of the £186 million SPF allocation for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly over four years to March 2026, aimed at driving economic growth, supporting local businesses, creating jobs and strengthening communities.

The latest round of investment is expected to deliver almost 1,000 new jobs, safeguard a further 1,200, boost more than 500 businesses, support 900 people with learning and training, and create or improve more than 250,000 sq m of workspace.

The Good Growth Programme is delivering transformative change across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This independent evaluation by Wavehill: social and economic research, highlights the scale and depth of the Programme’s impact during 2022-25, and how well activity is aligned to the Investment Plan.

During the first three years, the Programme has invested over £137 million to support projects that are helping local businesses grow, creating better job opportunities, supporting young people and adults to gain new skills, and backing projects that protect our environment.

On 10th May, Community Roots held a launch event for their new initiative, the Big Shed a versatile, multi-purpose space designed to support their current activities and enable future expansion within the local community.

Located at the Mount Pleasant Ecopark just outside Porthtowan, Community Roots cultivates vegetables using nature-friendly methods and sustains its operations by offering weekly veg bags for sale.

The Living Wage Foundation has revealed the shortlist for the Living Wage Champions Awards 2025.

The Awards celebrate individuals and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement.

Cornwall Council has been shortlisted, alongside Truro Foodbank, in the Local Champion category for it’s work through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme to shift employers’ mindsets and behaviour towards ensuring local people receive a fair wage.

As we near the end of the first three years of Good Growth, we have put together a report highlighting the investments made in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The report includes a selection of case studies covering all our key investment priorities, such as projects to strengthen communities, increase business productivity and provide more jobs and training.

The Wave Project reopened their Newquay shop on the 7th of April 2025, following a major refurbishment to expand their Pre-loved Wetsuit Scheme. Made possible thanks to the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme and SUEZ, they have transformed the space to tackle neoprene waste while also supporting young people’s mental health through Surf Therapy.

A £1m project to put Falmouth at the forefront of floating offshore wind development in the Celtic Sea by creating 30,000 square metres of dockside space is well underway.

Floating offshore wind – or FLOW – is seen as a major economic and environmental opportunity for Cornwall.

The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, has set a target of 4.5GW of FLOW electricity-generating capacity in the Celtic Sea by 2035, which is enough to power four million homes from three proposed wind farms. There are also plans for a further 12GW by 2045.

A project to transform a once-derelict town centre supermarket in Helston into a multi-use community and health facility with support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is on course to be completed by July this year.

The former Budgens has been undergoing a complete transformation for the last year as part of the Helston Gateway project spearheaded by the South Kerrier Alliance (SKA) community organisation.

The project is being part-funded with almost £2.75m from the Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council, with a further £500,000 from the council’s Town Centre Revitalisation Fund.

It is being seen as a model for the latest thinking on integrating healthcare into the community through multi-generational, multi-use facilities.

The doors of a Truro landmark reopened on Saturday seven days a week following a significant and exciting transformation.

Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery (formerly Royal Cornwall Museum) received £2.3m in funding from Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund to rejuvenate three key areas in the museum and take the 200-year-old institution into an exciting new phase of its history.

On Friday, 7th February, three new studio spaces were opened at Trewarveneth Studios in Newlyn by Cllr Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council, and Denise Mitchell, daughter of the renowned sculptor Denis Mitchell.

The The Borlase Smart John Wells Trust, who manage the historic studios, received funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund, through the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, to sensitively renovate a range of dilapidated outbuildings creating three new high quality and accessible workspaces for artist.

A multi-million-pound project that will offer equipment and expertise to businesses in Cornwall’s critical minerals sector has been publicly launched this week.

The Critical Minerals Equipment Hub has been funded by the Good Growth Programme via Cornwall Council, and will offer the latest scientific knowledge and technology, as well as training and continued professional development opportunities.

The Hub received £3,547,872 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to create a nexus of key equipment and expertise in minerals processing with the aim of expanding technical capabilities and boosting economic growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The cultural and creative arts sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is benefitting from over £17m of investment from the Good Growth Programme in a range of projects that will leave a lasting legacy for local communities.

From the creation of new spaces and refurbishment of existing ones, to events, outreach projects and digital services, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme will have invested £17.2 in cultural projects in the course of the current three-year programme, which ends in March.

Community groups and organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being invited to apply for a share of £3.5 million in funding as part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The latest funding for community projects is open to applicants including charities, community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations and town and parish councils. There is £2.5m available through the Community Levelling Up Programme and a further £1,051,100 through the Community Capacity Fund.

The Growth Hub has launched another round of grant funding for businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, thanks to the Good Growth Programme.

The funding is available to enterprises with the ambition and capacity to grow, to improve their productivity and competitiveness.  The scheme also aims to stimulate innovation and support the development of high-quality, well-paid employment.

The Growth Hub Business Grant Scheme offers funding from £20,000 to £200,000, and businesses will be required to match fund the grant with their own investment.  

A cohort of 24 coders is set to boost the South West tech industry, having graduated as junior developers following an intensive 16-week digital bootcamp.

Headforwards Digital Academy has delivered its first high-performance Full Stack Software Development Skills Bootcamp, with several graduates already stepping into their first developer role.

Delivered in partnership with the Code Institute, the learners started their journey with little to no coding knowledge. They were introduced to tools of the trade and common programming languages such as Bootstrap, Django and JavaScript, as well as principles of Agile development.

Cornwall College Camborne has official launched the Green Construction Skills Academy, marking a transformative chapter in sustainable construction training in Cornwall.

With advanced facilities and tailored programmes, the academy is set to prepare future construction professionals, and the existing workforce, with essential skills in eco-friendly and energy-efficient building technologies, working alongside top employers in the region.

Businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being urged to apply for investment support after the Government confirmed that Cornwall is set to receive a further £47.3m to fund economic development from March next year.

The funding, which comes from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), is managed by Cornwall Council through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. It builds on the existing three-year SPF allocation of £137m, which is due to end in March 2025.

Cornwall Council is now inviting businesses from a number of targeted sectors to apply for investment support, with a minimum award of £200,000.

Cornwall Council has welcomed the allocation of £47.3 million from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) for the next financial year.  

This funding will be used to continue the authority’s work supporting regional growth and development, ensuring that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly continue to thrive economically. It builds on the existing three-year SPF allocation of £137m, which is due to end in March 2025. 

The Be Newquay Festival has concluded with resounding success, marking a significant milestone in the town’s event calendar. Over the past five weekends in November, nearly 2,900 locals enjoyed music, art, and community spirit in the heart of Newquay as part of the festival programme. 

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Cornwall Council’s Experience Newquay project, with support from local partners, the festival featured an impressive lineup of artists, captivating performances, and a variety of engaging activities from local businesses. 

In a ground-breaking moment Cornwall College University Centre have officially opened the “Centre for Excellence in Research and Knowledge Transfer”, state-of-the-art laboratories at the Eden Project, set to transform sustainable agriculture, horticulture and soil science in Cornwall.

In a display of commitment to ecology and transformative research, the launch event at the Eden Project’s new geothermally heated Growing Point nursery welcomed an excited group of attendees who came to celebrate this landmark addition to Cornwall’s research landscape.

Penzance Dry Dock is on course to regain its reputation as an engineering powerhouse thanks to a £2m investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme towards a £4m refurbishment.

The dock is steeped in history and is the oldest operational tidal dry dock in Europe, established in 1834. For 92 years it operated under the renowned name of N. Holman & Sons. After facing closure in late 2020, it was acquired in 2021 by former Royal Navy marine engineer Jamie Murphy, 32, who set about rejuvenating the business.

Jamie, whose grandfather worked at Penzance Dry Dock for 45 years, aims to transform the facility from a ship repair business to one that also builds ships, while training the next generation of skilled marine engineers.

The Creation Works CIO has received funding to build HWEL AN GWRIANS / THE CREATION WORKS. The building will place a sustainable, accessible, residential arts development centre in the heart of Par Bay.

Supporting and retaining Cornwall’s artists, The Creation Works will connect children & young people with performance makers from across Cornwall and beyond, offering routes into Cornwall’s creative sector. An extraordinary moment for Par!

With National Lottery funding through Arts Council England’s Project Grants, including for a 2018 feasibility study gathering the voices of over 100 artists, individuals & community organisations, the project has now received £929,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Community spaces and places are being transformed across Cornwall thanks to a £9.5m investment from the Good Growth Programme in nature recovery and environmental growth.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is a £137m local investment fund managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

One of its three key objectives is to promote sustainable growth by supporting projects that deliver environmental, economic and social benefits for local communities. These initiatives aim to enhance Cornwall’s natural assets, build resilience to climate change, and create spaces that are accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Following a grant of £468,863 from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, Coastline Housing has started a project to install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at Miners Court in the heart of the town.

The panels will cover an area of 1960 square metres when fully installed and will bring a reduction in energy bills to residents at the scheme.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly could be in line for up to £49 million of additional local growth funding under a one-year extension of the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) programme, announced in the Budget.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that £900m of transitional SPF funding would be made available nationally to support local growth in 2025/26, pending ‘wider funding reforms’. Although this is a 40% reduction on this year’s £1.5 billion national SPF budget, it has been welcomed. There had been fears of a funding cliff-edge, with the current SPF programme due to end next March.

Based on Cornwall and Scilly’s previous allocation, the one-year extension could be worth up to £49m.

Cornwall is making significant strides towards a greener future, thanks to the transformative impact of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. The £137m local investment fund is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

With over £24 million invested by the programme in net zero and decarbonisation projects, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are well-positioned to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions, developing green skills, and playing a key role in the UK’s green industrial revolution.

As the world grapples with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and transition to clean energy, the UK is stepping up efforts to meet its Clean Power target by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050. One of the most promising new avenues for renewable energy development lies in floating offshore wind (FLOW) technology, particularly in the Celtic Sea off the coast of South West England and South Wales.

Cornwall, with its rich maritime history and offshore renewable energy expertise, is ideally positioned to play a crucial role in developing this new industry whilst underpinning our own energy transition and protecting and enhancing our marine environment. 

A special art weekend, Golden October, will take place this month at CAST, in the historic centre of Helston. On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October the building will welcome visitors between 10am and 4pm, with an exciting programme of free creative activities.

This special weekend has been planned to celebrate completion of major re-roofing work, which has taken place thanks to a substantial grant from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, awarded by Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme.

Construction work has begun to regenerate the Town Hall on St Mary’s and make the dream of the islands’ new Cultural Centre and Museum come true. tepnell, the company undertaking the building work, has recently broken ground on the development, in accordance with the timeline which will see the project completed in the summer of 2026.

This pivotal moment was celebrated on 17 October 2024 by an on-site ceremony which was attended by Councillors Robert Francis, Tim Dean, Fran Grottick and Steve Sims and representatives from the project’s funding bodies, as well as trustees of Scilly Arts & Heritage, the newly established not-for-profit charitable business which will be taking over responsibility for the facility from the Council upon the completion of the construction and fit-out.

The creation of Great British Energy, the allocation of capital in the National Wealth Fund and the proposed reform of planning policy and other key policy initiatives clearly signal the new Government’s intent to invest to accelerate the UK’s path to net zero.

As recognised in the UK Critical Minerals Strategy, Cornwall’s critical minerals resources: lithium, tin and tungsten are essential components of a commercially and environmentally sustainable net zero UK economy, positioning the region as a linchpin in the future of the UK’s energy transition.

Manufacture and adoption of electric vehicles, all forms of rechargeable industrial consumer electronics and grid-scale electricity storage to allow the full potential of renewable energy to be realised all rely on an effective critical minerals supply chain.

A Cornish business aiming to establish a state-of-the-art independent facility to treat and recycle sewage waste in the county has secured a £542,000 investment from Cornwall Council through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The investment has enabled longstanding Cornish waste disposal company Pellows to begin work on the £1 million project to develop a new liquid waste treatment plant at its base at Carnon Valley, near Truro.

The innovative facility will add vital capacity to Cornwall’s waste treatment infrastructure as well as creating environmental benefits by recycling sewage into an organic and cost-effective fertilizer (dry cake) which farmers can spread on their land.

As Chair of the new Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Workforce and Skills Board, I’m excited to share our vision to help shape the future of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly economy. We are at a pivotal point, where strategic leadership and sustained investment can develop the skilled and thriving workforce we need to drive growth and realise our economic ambitions.

Our region is moving through a significant transition, with new government policies and evolving local governance. At the heart of this change is the need to focus on skills and labour market development to ensure our economic future. The key to unlocking success lies in aligning employment opportunities with the right skills, creating transformational change for both current and future generations.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen promising progress. We’ve halved the number of individuals without a qualification and doubled the number of people with a Level 4 qualification. However, despite these successes, we still lag behind national and South West averages for higher-level skills. There’s clearly more to be done.

Cornish boatbuilder Cockwells is set to double capacity and create 38 new jobs after securing £1.88m from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council.

The Good Growth investment is part of a £2.9m project by Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding to expand its South West Shipyard operation at Ponsharden, between Falmouth and Penryn.

Cockwells specialises in high-end custom yachts, superyacht tenders and motor launches, including the renowned Duchy and Hardy brands, for a global customer base. It employs more than 140 people and its order book reaches well into 2025.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are delighted to announce a successful funding application to create visionary education centre and programme at heart of its 200-acre historic estate and gardens.

This project, Heligan Learning Seed Pod, has received £300,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is being managed locally by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The funding will enable the organisation to refurbish existing unused buildings and build an Education, Skills and Learning hub known as the “Seed Pod”. 

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme has announced a £1.28m investment in a project that could lead to the extraction of lithium and geothermal heat from deep underground on Cornwall Council-owned land.

The move will accelerate plans for a series of small-scale modular lithium and geothermal heat extraction plants across the Duchy that could support hundreds of jobs, attract millions of pounds of private investment and reduce carbon emissions.

The Good Growth funding will support a partnership between Cornwall Council and private company Cornish Lithium Geothermal Limited to develop lithium and heat extraction from geothermal waters using innovative low carbon technology. It is the latest investment by the Good Growth Programme in developing Cornwall’s critical minerals industry on the path to net zero.

A £2.1m project to restore Polperro’s historic outer harbour pier gets underway this week [23rd September] having secured £1.4m of funding from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The funding adds to £450,000 from the Environment Agency, £49,000 from the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy, and £55,000 from the Polperro Harbour Trust, which is managing the project as owners of the pier.

The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall Pier – known locally as the Prince of Wales Pier – was originally constructed in 1862. It provides essential protection to Polperro’s iconic inner harbour, fishing boats and flood gate, enabling a thriving harbour economy. It also is used for mooring at low water and is popular with residents and visitors for swimming, angling and relaxation.

Community organisations across Cornwall are on track to raise more than £7m to fund projects and ideas in their local areas thanks to support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council.

Some 134 organisations have been awarded £1.85m from the Good Growth Community Capacity Fund. It was set up by the Council to focus mainly on organisations that have not accessed funding before to enable them to go on and secure additional investment for their community projects.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme is backing cutting-edge innovation with an £15.85m investment in projects to drive more research, development and innovation (RD&I) across the local economy.

RD&I investment is seen as crucial to helping businesses develop new products and services, create more well paid jobs, and become more competitive and productive. But in Cornwall and Scilly such investment has lagged behind other areas.

Now the Good Growth Programme has invested millions of pounds to help local businesses embrace innovation.

Following the recent announcement that funding has been secured to obtain and refurbish the derelict Budgens supermarket, we are pleased to confirm that the upper ground floor of the building is to become an exciting new medical facility for the local Helios Health Partnership.

An initiative led by Newquay Business Improvement District (Newquay BID) to run a regular monthly street market to support local businesses and increase town centre footfall all year round, has been supported with a grant of £42,366 from Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme. 

Be Newquay Festival, a month-long celebration of Newquay’s creative spirit, will take place from 1 November – 1 December 2024 funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and managed by Cornwall Council. A new season of events for autumn made up of activities and workshops will showcase the town’s vibrant way of life and unique culture.  

In recent days it has been heartening to hear the new Government’s commitment to unlocking the potential of the regions when it comes to the UK’s economic growth.

In her first speech as Chancellor, Rachel Reeves said growth is now the Government’s ‘national mission’, pledging to ‘make every part of our country better off’. Growth, she said, is necessary not just to balance the books but also to improve living standards.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme which is managed by Cornwall Council is on track to deliver £194m of investment into the local economy, creating a forecast 1,400 new jobs and safeguarding a further 330. To date, 143 projects have been approved for £137m of funding, helping to attract a further £57m of investment, making £194m overall.

But with the funding now all committed, and a deadline of March 2025 for it to be spent, Cornwall Council has written to the new Government seeking clarity about the future of local growth funding for Cornwall and Scilly.

In light of the new Government guidance regarding the SPF Branding and Publicity Guidance we have updated our policy documents and logos.

Key changes to note:
The ‘Powered by Levelling Up’ logo has been removed
The ‘notes to editors’ text has changed for projects issuing press releases

CSW Group is delighted that Yep! has been shortlisted for the “Social Mobility Quality Improvement Initiative of the Year” within this year’s Quality Professionals Awards. The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Leeds on 26 Jun 2024.

The awards honour outstanding contributions made by quality improvement practitioners and leaders in further education and employability.  It celebrates individuals and teams whose unwavering commitment to quality and compliance has made a significant impact.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme has enabled The Wave Project and waste-management company SUEZ to launch a pioneering scheme to recycle Cornwall’s mountain of discarded wetsuits.

The innovative project aims to tackle the estimated 380 tonnes of non-recyclable neoprene generated each year. With over 50% of this waste originating in Cornwall, the county has become a wetsuit graveyard.

Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme is thrilled to announce the launch of Outset VCSE, a comprehensive support program designed to empower and enhance the growth of social enterprises, community interest companies (CICs), voluntary and charitable organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The strategic investment will accelerate Cornwall’s goal to maximise the opportunities for floating offshore wind (FLOW) generation in the Celtic Sea and establish the region as a key player in the UK’s transition to clean energy in the pursuit of net zero. 

Chenoweth’s Business Park, which has become a magnet for local businesses is set to expand thanks to a £600,000 investment.
The expansion is aimed at creating a mix of office space that can support a range of local businesses and start-ups as part of a rural business hub, and there is already strong interest in the new units. The aim is that some of these will be arts and creative businesses to complement those already on site, and to create more of a destination for the local and visitor communities.

A major new initiative to nurture a culture of business innovation and entrepreneurism, boost research and development and attract investment has won support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Homeowners in Cornwall can now apply for lower-cost loans to fund energy saving home improvements through a new Council-backed scheme.  

The Green Home Improvement Scheme aims to fill the gaps for those who are ineligible for grants. Homeowners and private landlords can apply, however the scheme is not open to properties used as holiday lets or second homes.

A green initiative funded by National Highways, the Shared Prosperity Fund and Environment Agency to protect and enhance biodiversity alongside the A30 in Cornwall has just completed.

As part of the Green Ribs initiative, a total of 15,000 trees have been planted within the mid-Cornwall landscape, including species such as Scots Pine, Oak, Lime, Chestnut, Sycamore and Blackthorn near Idless Woods in the Upper Truro Catchment.

A major project to boost the food, drink, farming and fishing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has received a £554,800 investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

A plan to map out Falmouth Harbour’s position as the UK’s best place to live, work and visit over the next 15 years has won almost £100K from the government’s “Levelling Up” Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme has announced a £12.5m investment in people and skills as it continues its mission to provide opportunities for all.

The £137m local investment programme, which is manged by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is investing in a range of activities to boost employability and skills and create an inclusive workforce across Cornwall and Scilly.

South Kerrier Alliance CIC (SKA) has been successful in raising £2.6m to acquire and refurbish the derelict Budgens supermarket with the aim of creating space for community-based services and activities.

The biggest theatre engagement programme ever staged in Cornwall is opening a treasure trove of stories and inspiring creative talents from the Isles of Scilly to the Tamar.

An award-winning Cornish confectioner is planning a major expansion after securing an investment of £852,573 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme.

A new Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust project to recruit community volunteers and broaden the range of people connecting to nature and safeguarding wildlife has been awarded £41,447 from the government’s Community Levelling Up Programme.  

A new high-tech laboratory to help farmers, growers and horticulturalists in Cornwall manage their land and soils more sustainably and productively is being established at the Eden Project.

The transformation of the award-winning Royal Cornwall Museum, including exhibition spaces and a new programme of activities and workshops, is one of the latest projects to receive support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Ambitions to make Cornwall a world-class region for tech metal mining have received a major boost with a £4.7m investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

Communities, residents and businesses are seeing the benefits of millions of pounds of investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme as it marks first anniversary.

By Cllr Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for economy

As the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme reaches its one-year milestone, it is with great pride that I reflect on the positive impact it is already having on communities across Cornwall and Scilly.

Creative Kernow are reflecting on the success of the inaugural Flamm Festival that took place in Redruth at the end of October. The new arts festival attracted over 10,000 visits to exhibitions and installations over the festival weekend.

Cornwall’s construction industry is set to receive a boost from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme with a £3.34m investment in skills and training to create job opportunities for local people and meet growing demand.

Miracle Theatre, Cornwall’s iconic and longest-serving touring company, announces its receipt of a grant from Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. It will empower Miracle Theatre to develop new ways of working for the future, create new opportunities for Cornish artists and amplify and extend its services, reaching across the length and breadth of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, all year round.

Real Living Wage Week runs from 6th to 12th November and is an annual celebration to raise awareness of the benefits of the Real Living Wage.