The Unexpected
I bet when you think of Cornwall, you think of golden sand, surfing, and camping holidays. I bet you didn’t know that there are children in Cornwall who have never set foot on the beach. That’s the reality for some in Camborne. An old mining town, proud of its heritage but left behind as the seaside towns prosper.
Perception versus reality
As the local Innovation Officer for Camborne, I have delved deep into the community to understand what it is that locals find are the biggest issues that need addressing (click here for our blog on Camborne’s needs). What I want to talk about though is some of the positives, because we want to build on the strengths of the community (as well as identifying some of the biggest issues affecting it) in order to overcome the barriers.
There is a stark contrast in the perception of Camborne when it comes to those that live there and those that only know it by reputation. Locals see the beauty of the incredible architecture leftover from the mining days, a tropical town square and high community spirit. Visitors, however, often cannot see past the empty shops on the high street, the high levels of poverty or the health inequalities. I see its beauty, but Camborne clearly needs some real TLC. In the Innovation Hub, we have been learning how some of these inequalities might be broken down, by talking to the locals.
Camborne Pool Redruth Foodbank
Last week Charlotte and I visited the CPR Foodbank that local legend, Don Gardner, set up. It was incredible. The volunteers were welcoming and happy to see us, understanding that like them, we want to help those in need. What Don has created is remarkable — a humble environment where people come for not just food, but help with benefit claims, jobs and much more (click here to see the foodbank opening times and drop off points). While there are the whispers of retirement for Don, he can’t help but have other services in the pipeline. He’s in the process of organising a local pasty morning for people to socialise and meet others, something he’s made me promise I’ll come to, and happily so!
Community Spaces
I was also surprised by how people find support in such diverse places, creating their own support network and community when sometimes all the information out there can become overwhelming. There’s an abundance of resources offered to the vulnerable and lonely but to the technophobe, it’s a minefield of information that isn’t welcome. I don’t blame them, it gives me a headache trying to sift through the available resources or find what it is I might need. There are barriers that people don’t have the energy to break down or even want to break down if they feel they don’t need the help of others.
This brings me on to my favourite part of last week’s community engagement in Camborne. A chance encounter with Bryan in his local Tesco. He immediately wanted to know what Charlotte and I were doing on his trekking ground and was armed with lots of Camborne jokes. He proudly showed us a picture of his beautiful late wife, Angie. Bryan explained that when Angie passed away five years ago, Tesco employees had become his support network. It was no longer just his local shop, it was like family. He told me how he didn’t have the internet at home, he had no use for it and it hadn’t occurred to me that people can find hope and friendship in the simplest of places.
I’ve come away believing that we must simplify how people find what it is they need. Bryan, this positive, sparkly eyed, Cornishman did it beautifully and we should follow in his footsteps.
