Work has begun on our building, alongside the construction of a new stand-alone training centre...
Our charity is undertaking an exciting capital redevelopment to ensure it is there for the long-term to support adults and children who are experiencing despair and distress and help to reduce the number of deaths by suicide.
Cornwall Samaritans is a local independent charity, established now for over 50 years. Alongside feeding into the national network of 24/7 Samaritans helpline support, Cornwall volunteers’ work preventatively; raising awareness of the support available to help prevent poor mental health at its earlier stages.
The number of suicides in Cornwall continues to be higher than both the national and Southwest average, as are the instances of self-harm. Some areas of the county are in the top 10% of most deprived wards in the country. Statutory provision does not meet need and the NHS locally and nationally signposts to the charity. The service is vital and must not only continue but must grow to address the escalating situation nationally.
Cornwall Samaritans operates from a building owned by the charity. Centrally located in the middle of the county, the site in Truro is easily accessible via major roads and public transport for volunteers and stakeholders alike. However, as a 3-story “town house”, the building is problematic, not fully accessible and is no longer fit for purpose.
Undertaking major capital work will release its potential, enabling the reach to extend to more beneficiaries, increasing the number of volunteers and ensure we can grow services to make the charity more environmentally sustainable and financially stable.
What does the capital redevelopment involve?
- Alterations to the building will enable the charity to conduct all operations on the ground floor – making every aspect of the service accessible to all. A new entrance will lead to a new gallery/reception area, linking the Operations Room (where calls are taken) to a new office, a breakout room, a sleeping room and toilet facilities.
- The first and second floors will be converted into a separate, rentable accommodation. The income provided will enable the charity to become more self-sufficient and financially stable in the longer term.
- A new, separate, self-contained Training Centre will be built within the grounds, for volunteers, partners and the wider community. This will have a lobby/ breakout area, 'Space to Change' toilet and mini-kitchen and again will be ‘rentable’ and provide income for the charity.
The Benefits & Impact:
Increased accessibility, diversity and reach – services and facilities will be improved, increased, and become accessible to existing and new volunteers and stakeholders. Developments on the ground floor and the construction of the Training Centre will be undertaken with the utmost attention to accessibility, taking advice from Disability Cornwall.
The main building’s ground floor will be fully accessible. Attracting new volunteers so services can remain open for longer, embrace new technology and offer more outreach into the community, as well as ensuring a more diverse volunteer base that is representative of those who access services.
The new Training Centre will provide improved meeting and training facilities for volunteers and enable enhanced working in partnership with a greater number of other associated organisations.
In being able to support the community by offering quality and accessible space, it will lead to further awareness of our services through increased footfall to the site.
Energy efficiency & sustainability – in achieving an energy efficient, low maintenance, cost efficient Branch, it will ensure expenses are controlled and funds raised are focussed on the provision of services and not on maintenance or overheads. Ground-source or air-source heat pump, roof/wall insulation, energy efficient windows, heating and lighting systems, vehicle charging points and cycle racks are just some of the high spec incorporations to ensure maximum energy efficiency and low costs, as well as accommodate the future move away from fossil fuels.
Income generation - rental income from the private accommodation, alongside income generated through hire of the Training Centre will generate new and sustainable income streams for the charity. This will help to safeguard the charity for the future, spreading income across different streams, and making the charity more self-sufficient and financially stable.
The Outcome:
Samaritans of Cornwall will be able to help reduce the number of deaths by suicide and support more adults and children experiencing distress. Currently the charity is responding to over 20,000 calls for help each year via phone and email, feeding into a national network where the first available Samaritan responds. There is also a significant commitment to raise awareness of the charity to hundreds of thousands of people across Cornwall each year through proactive awareness and preventative work within our community.
With more accessible space and better operating facilities, the intention is to increase and diversify our volunteers and therefore our beneficiaries. Already reaching hundreds of thousands of people locally and nationally each year, both directly and indirectly, our capital development will facilitate further reach via our Cornwall Samaritans initiatives in the county, as well as working more extensively in partnership with others.
The demand for the services the charity provides is growing, with the need for mental health services in Cornwall exceeding capacity. It is vital that the work of the Samaritans of Cornwall not only continues, but grows to meet the demand.
The result of the capital development, in the short term, will be optimum facilities to train the Samaritans of the future and ensure the longevity of the branch at Treyew Road; in turn ensuring the presence of the Samaritans in Cornwall for generations to come, supporting hundreds of thousands of people both directly and indirectly.
Every contact has the potential to save a life; the legacy of the redevelopment will provide the structural and financial stability to enable and ensure these contacts long into the future.
The Practicalities, Costs and Timescales:
Operations have recently and temporarily been relocated off-site to ensure there is no interruption to service provision and to uphold health and safety for volunteers. Contractors have moved onto site and work to the Training Centre and main building are taking place simultaneously to ensure the main project (to the end of phase 6) can complete to an agreed deadline of Spring25; with a further phase 7 to update some equipment to complete by Summer25.
Work has been phased to ensure a clear timeline and enable fundraising to continue for the latter phases as the first phases complete. (Full budget and timescale breakdown is available on request.)
Where we are now:
Costing £1.2 million, we have raised over £1,160,500 thanks to donations, volunteer fundraising and generous grants from: the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund*; The Duchy Health Charity; Edward Gostling Foundation; Garfield Weston Foundation; Wolfson Foundation; Bernard Sunley Foundation; and Cornwall Masonic Charitable Foundation.
We are so grateful to everyone that has supported our capital appeal, as well as our core running costs, as we continue to raise the remaining funds needed to reach our capital target. We look forward to sharing further updates as soon as we are able.
Get involved! If you would like to know more, or to support our appeal, please contact [email protected]
*The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperityfund-prospectus.