Young person's charity hails 'huge' funding boost

A charity supporting young people's mental health in Cornwall has described a new funding boost as "huge".

The Pearl Exchange, in Bude, was awarded nearly £125,000 earlier this month to support its work to help young people build confidence and develop skills.

Managing director Fliss Loxley said the funding would allow the charity to plan for the future, rather than "constantly having to raise enough money to keep the doors open".

"The fact that we've been able to get this money will hopefully mean more people realise we're here and want to support us moving forwards," she told BBC Radio Cornwall.

The Pearl Exchange was founded in 2020 following the death of 19-year-old Pearl Bamford.

It was created with the goal of making sure no young person in north Cornwall felt alone, unsupported or without opportunities to thrive, bosses said.

"Some of the big challenges that people are facing are lack of transport links, and a lack of things to do, because there aren't many youth clubs anymore," said Loxley.

"If you live in a bigger town or city, then you'd be very well connected to other places. But, in this North Cornwall bubble, there's very little opportunity.

"If you don't have the support of people to help, you it can feel really isolating."

The charity said many of the young adults it supported faced poverty, mental ill-health, neurodivergence, trauma or unemployment.

Since its founding, the creative hub was based in a small building overlooking Bude's seafront, but moved into a town centre building in July 2023.

"We're trying to provide a space that gives young people something to do," she said.

"It is a place to learn things, a place to socialise, and a place to possibly push themselves forward - so a place to learn things."

She added: "The lottery funding is is huge for us because now we are able to forecast into the future and not be constantly trying to raise enough money to keep the doors open.

"It means we can expand our programme, be open more, and we're going to try and take The Pearl Exchange on tour to offer a mini pop-up version of what we do."

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