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T H E B A L A N C E BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE | CORNWALL
THE G7 LEGACY A N E W WAY O F L I F E BIG AMBITION
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03
Research-Led Solutions for a Greener Future
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INTRODUCTION One thing’s for sure, Cornwall now needs no introduction and since the first issue of Find the Balance back in 2018, the spotlight seems to have been shining ever brighter on the county. Rightmove reporting Cornwall as the most searched place in the UK and Penzance having one of the highest rising house prices, says it all – people want to live here. And then in June, Cornwall was also presented in all its glory to the world during the G7 Summit. The whole idea behind Find the Balance is to challenge perceptions of Cornwall. When I left university in 2012, I was told by most around me that moving back home to Cornwall was out of the question, ‘there’s just not the opportunities there’. Whilst this advice was laudable, I’ve never accepted it, and having done the requisite stint in the south east, I moved back ‘home’. I was convinced that even if the opportunities were more elusive, with a bit of lateral thinking I could build a fulfilling career to be enjoyed with the acclaimed Cornish lifestyle – the best of both worlds. Over the next 48 pages, we delve into some of the incredible things happening in Cornwall and business success stories that may just surprise you. If your child is one that has opted to be an astronaut, then maybe one day that dream can be realised in Cornwall, thanks to Spaceport Cornwall, or maybe they’ve aspirations to be an environmentalist, so no better than in a county that strives to reach carbon net zero by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of the rest of the UK. I think it’s pretty clear why Boris Johnson chose Cornwall for hosting the G7 Summit and our preaching is becoming less called for as some sectors in Cornwall thrive and the notion of the best of both worlds is realised. Morveth Ward
IT’S WHAT WE CALL, TH E BA L A N C E.
PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey, Tonick Business Publishing LTD (publisher of Business Cornwall Magazine) EDITORS Morveth Ward and Nick Eyriey DESIGN Tonick Business Publishing
Tonick Business Publishing, Pool Innovation Centre, Trevenson Road, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 3PL All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Cover photo: Karwai Tang/G7 Cornwall 2021
PRINTERS Deltor CONTACT 01209 718688 info@businesscornwall.co.uk
www.businesscornwall.co.uk
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aking an effort to go swimming with others is an act of self care. It is deciding to take the time to invest in our wellbeing and challenge ourselves in a unique way. Wild Swimming Cornwall, see page 42
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CONTENTS 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
G 7 L E G AC Y
Cornwall on the world stage
8
B CO R P
Doing business better
CLEAN GROWTH
The green industrial revolution
BRITISH LITHIUM
Sustainable lithium extraction
CO R N I S H G E M S
The UKs tourist hotspot
S PAC E P O R T
First horizontal launch coming soon
14
E L I T E C YC L I N G
The Tour of Britain
FILM & TELEVISION
Producing the goods
EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF D O R I A N JA N M A AT
From Le Manoir aux Quat‘Saisons to the Roseland
22
FOOD & DRINK
The thriving brewery scene
26 E D U C AT I O N
30
The economic anchor
30 32 36 38
I N N O VAT I V E FA R M I N G
Technology and nature in harmony
G 7 A N D B E YO N D
Inspiring the next generation
ENTREPRENEURIALISM
Starting a tech business at 17
S U S TA I N A B L E P R I N T
Using the power of print for the better
44
40 M A R I N E
A new wave of marine tech
42
WILD SWIMMING
The benefits of embracing cold water
44 E X P O R T
Cornish products across the world
46 W O R K S PAC E Newquay has it all
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O N T H E W O R L D S TA G E T H E E Y E S O F T H E W O R L D S H O N E O N CO R N WA L L E A R L I E R T H I S S U M M E R , A S W O R L D L E A D E R S G AT H E R E D F O R T H E G 7 S U M M I T. hen Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Cornwall as his choice to host G7, initially it was greeted with surprise. But on closer inspection, it was the perfect choice. Looking beyond the natural beauty (and crystal azure waters lapping onto the Carbs Bay beach), Cornwall has many of the building blocks in place in the PM’s vision to build back from Covid “better and greener”. Cornwall is probably best known as a tourist destination, for pasties and Poldark, for its beaches, its food and drink, its lifestyle. But as Boris recognised, it has far more going for it than that. The green industrial revolution is at the heart of Cornwall’s economic plans. Cornwall stands on the cusp of being genuine leader in lithium production,
W E H AV E C O L L E C T I V E L Y S H O W N C O R N WA L L O F F I N THE VERY BEST LIGHT, WHICH I A M C O N F I D E N T W I L L PAY DIVIDENDS FOR THE CAREERS OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN
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geothermal energy, offshore renewables etc. And then there’s the exciting plans over at Newquay for Spaceport Cornwall, which, all being well, should see the UK’s first satellite launch in 2022. It was a surreal sight for many of us in Cornwall, seeing Air Force One at Newquay Airport, motorcades down the A30, thousands of police and the entire media circus descending upon us. But the excitement was quite palpable. Just what the legacy will be, it’s difficult to say. But it is fair to say, hosting G7 has energised Cornwall’s businesses and ambitions more than ever. Kim Conchie, chief executive of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, was in little doubt over the positive impact that G7 will leave. “The police were incredible and seemed to bring communities together rather than alienate them,” he said. “The world leaders and their families appear to have fallen in love with the Duchy, and the protestors in the main were amicable – and in many cases helped demonstrate Cornwall’s creativity, community spirit and uniqueness. “We have collectively shown Cornwall off in the very best light, which I am confident will pay dividends for the careers of our children and our children’s children.” Cornwall is a fantastic place to visit, but an even better place to live in and work. Many of us in Cornwall already knew this, but thanks to G7, the Duchy’s reputation on the wider stage has moved up another level.
Photo on adjacent page: G7 Cornwall 2021. All photos on this page: Karwai Tang/G7 Cornwall 2021.
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DOING BETTER BUSINESS W I L D W E S T ’ S G E O R G I E U P TO N F L I E S T H E F L AG F O R B CO R P iscovering B Corp was a eureka moment for Georgie Upton, MD of consumer PR and communications specialist Wild West. “It was late 2019, I was about to become MD and I wanted to bring something new to the business as we moved into the new decade, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it should be.” In a case of right place, right time Georgie recalls how everything fell into place upon meeting Matt Hocking of LEAP, a change-maker in the design industry who kick started her journey to the triple bottom line.
APPROXIMATELY 4,000 CERTIFIED B CORPORATION BUSINESSES GLOBALLY, WITH AROUND 500 IN THE UK AND 13 IN CORNWALL
“Matt’s passionate about making a living whilst making a difference,” explains Georgie. “While I’m hugely proud to have spent most of my career making money for big brands, I knew there was a better way to do business and with Matt’s help discovering that you can absolutely put people and planet alongside profit was a huge turning point.”
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It’s a journey that with the support and commitment from Wild West founders, Kate Wild and Simon Holborow, Georgie has taken her whole team in Bristol and Truro on. She is now starting afresh with London-based Wild Card having recently merged the two agencies. Described as ‘businesses that balance purpose and profit’, certified B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment. They must demonstrate a genuine and continuous commitment to meaningful purpose and use business as a force for good. And there are many businesspeople like Georgie that are embracing the phenomenon. Any business in the world can strive to become a certified B Corporation; there are approximately 4,000 businesses globally, and now around 500 certified in the UK with 13 in Cornwall including Finisterre, Made for Life Organics, Solve Web Media and Origin Coffee. Together they are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. “The B Corp journey offers a moment to celebrate what you do but also challenge yourself as an individual, as a business and as a business community. Using the BIA (an online B Impact Assessment tool which is completely free to all businesses) you can delve into all areas of your business and see where there’s room for improvement. It is a 360-degree review,” explains Georgie.
“At Wild West we were doing a lot of great things already. We’ve always been a people business and are passionate about supporting the community through pro bono work for charities such as Young & Talented Cornwall and Cornwall Christmas Fair, so part of the process was fairly straightforward. I’m not going to lie though, it was also really challenging – and rightly so, it is a highly credible accreditation. You need to be dedicated and it requires a commitment from the whole team.” On the flipside many businesses in the B Corp community credit the accreditation process with being hugely supportive. You don’t have to be perfect – the B Corporation assessors know that you’re on a journey and aren’t there to integrate you, it’s more about teasing out what you already do and moving at your own pace. “It took us around one year to achieve accreditation, with a pause during Covid, and during that time it become integral to the strategy of the business. As a company everybody is behind it - to future proof the company but more generally, just to feel great about what we do.” There were some easy-gain actions that Wild West implemented immediately to up their environmental and social game. “We introduced purpose days enabling team members to go off and do something good and changed energy provider. It doesn’t sound very revolutionary now but pre-covid we also increased our support for working from home and part-time working, and scrapped aeroplane travel.” As part of the agency’s continual development, Wild Card is now developing initiatives to help tackle food poverty – something that is very close to the food and drink agency’s heart – and they are working hard to widen diversity and inclusion.
THE BEAUTY OF B C O R P I S T H AT P R O F I T ISN’T A DIRTY WORD, YOU NEED TO MAKE MONEY TO DO GOOD STUFF. PEOPLE, PLANET AND PROFIT COME TOGETHER BEAUTIFULLY
So why do it? “Because it makes us feel good as people and as an agency and to be completely honest, because it betters the agency and makes commercial sense. The beauty of B Corp is that profit isn’t a dirty word, you need to make money to do good stuff. People, planet and profit come together beautifully. B Corp allows us to speak confidentially and have conversations with brands that we would love to work with. It aligns passions and opens doors,” enthuses Georgie. To inspire other businesspeople in the same way that he inspired Georgie back in the autumn of 2019, Matt Hocking has joined forces with Russel Cosway of Gydeline to create B Local Cornwall, one of only a handful of local B Corp groups in the country. Sharing knowledge and best practice, the group helps other businesses on the journey and Georgie encourages others to get in touch and follow in her footsteps: “For Wild West the benefit of attaining B Corp and also going through the process has been tenfold. It has touched and improved every part of the business – doing good business is the only way to do business, especially in Cornwall where there is such a strong sense of place.”
The LEAP team
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Geothermally heated Jubilee Pool in Penzance
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CLEAN GROWTH G L E N N C A P L I N - G R E Y , C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F T H E CO R N WA L L & I S L E S O F S C I L L Y L OC A L E N T E R P R I S E PA R T N E R S H I P , E X P L A I N S H O W CO R N WA L L I S P U T T I N G T H E G R E E N I N D U S T R I A L R E V O L U T I O N AT T H E H E A R T O F I T S E CO N O M I C P L A N S . ornwall has long been a renewable energy pioneer, from the early ‘hot rocks’ research projects of the 1970s, to the UK’s first commercial windfarm in the 1990s, to today’s groundbreaking developments with geothermal energy, floating offshore wind ambitions and energy market trials. As G7 leaders convened at Carbis Bay in June, climate change was near the top of their agenda. National government including the UK and US have this year accelerated the pace at which they intend to decarbonise their economies, describing climate change as an existential threat. In Cornwall, we have declared a climate emergency and pledged to become net zero carbon by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of the rest of the UK. In the last eight years, Cornwall has cut its carbon footprint by almost a fifth, and two-thirds of emissions reductions have been achieved by decarbonising electricity. We are the sunniest place in the UK with one of the best wind climates in Western Europe, so we are ideal for solar and wind power. That has helped Cornwall meet 40% of its electricity demand from renewables, up from just 6% in 2009. Now we are looking at how floating wind turbines, anchored miles offshore, can deliver power, jobs and prosperity to our coastal communities and create a global export market. Beneath our feet, the action of cooling molten rock 280 million years ago has blessed us with the best geothermal resources in the country, abundant metals like tin and tungsten, and one of the largest concentrations of lithium-enriched granite in the world. That geological blessing could provide an endless source of heat and electricity for our homes and businesses, and provide secure, sustainable and ethically sourced raw materials like lithium for electric car battery production. Cornwall will soon have the UK’s first commercial geothermal power plant, and Europe’s first plant for extracting lithium from geothermal waters.
On the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles offshore, we’re working with Hitachi to pioneer bi-directional charging for electric cars, figuring out how stored energy in vehicles can help meet local energy demand. With Centrica we have achieved a world-first with a groundbreaking Local Energy Market trial that completed last year. This vital research is helping shape how we create a more flexible, efficient and low carbon energy system. And we are proud of innovators like Bennamann, a local company intent on driving a shake-up of the energy market through the production of net-zero biomethane. By combining our natural assets with our centuries-old spirit of discovery and invention, Cornwall is driving innovation, creating jobs and tackling some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our age. Clean growth is not a contradiction. By generating our own heat and power from renewable sources we can drive our economy, secure our supply, tackle energy inequality in our communities and respond to climate change.
CO R N WA L L M E T 40% O F ITS ELECTRICITY DEMAND F R O M R E N E WA B L E S , U P FROM JUST 6% IN 2009
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GREEN MINING OF THE FUTURE B R I T I S H L I T H I U M I S T H E F I R S T CO M PA N Y TO D I S CO V E R A S I Z A B L E L I T H I U M D E P O S I T I N T H E U K , T H E F I R S T TO D E V E L O P A N O V E L P R O C E S S F O R E X T R AC T I N G L I T H I U M I N A S U S TA I N A B L E M A N N E R A N D T H E F I R S T TO P R O V E B AT T E RY G R A D E L I T H I U M C A N B E P R O D U C E D F R O M CO R N I S H G R A N I T E .
ased in Roche, the business has identified a resource of over 100 million tonnes in a former clay mine near St Austell - enough to support a projected annual production of 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate. That’s enough to meet one-third of Britain’s likely demand by 2030 when all UK car manufacture converts to electric vehicles. From the very start, British Lithium’s aim has been to achieve the lowest environmental footprint possible. Car electrification is based on the need for a greener future, yet most lithium production is currently powered by coal in China. “That’s why we have developed a highly efficient process for concentrating lithium mica without using chemicals and why we will be using renewable energy to power our newly invented Mi-Sep ® technology which has a patent pending,” said CEO Andrew Smith. British Lithium carried out a scoping study in 2018 to
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target areas for lithium, which is only found in the brown mica of granite. The work involved field mapping, grab sampling, trenching and drilling to provide a better understanding of lithium mineralisation and grade variability within the deposit. Mineral processing starts with breaking the rock to a size where the minerals can be separated from one another and extracting lithium from the waste. British Lithium’s method focuses on minimising chemical use so the waste coming from its plant will not need neutralising. Water composition is essentially unchanged and, because the team will be extracting micas at a really coarse size, the waste material is very similar to building or beach sand. “Once we have made a lithium mica concentrate, we roast it using lime as a reagent, rather than acid,” said Andrew Smith. “The solution is then purified to produce lithium carbonate.”
The Government has helped fund British Lithium’s dedicated lithium metallurgical research laboratory in Cornwall – the only one of its kind in the country. Innovate UK is also providing nearly £3m to help develop a pilot plant that should be operational by the end of 2021. “It’s important to eliminate scale-up risk by producing lithium in real-world conditions at pilot scale,” said Andrew Smith, an engineer who previously ran an international mining team for the Cinovec lithium project in the Czech Republic, currently Europe’s largest lithium resource. “The plant will allow us to collect accurate data on any waste products and emissions, test the energy and water balances and prove our process route. We can also produce sufficient quantities of battery grade lithium to achieve potential customer acceptance and buy-in. “Pilot scale production represents a key milestone because battery and electric vehicle makers are very concerned about their carbon footprint. Aiming to produce the world’s greenest lithium gives us a huge advantage, but we need to prove what we are saying.
“We have been researching and developing our plan for sustainable lithium extraction in Cornwall for the last three years and have already recruited some of the country’s finest minds to our project. “When we are fully operational, we expect to be employing hundreds of people directly and thousands more through our supply chain. We also anticipate meeting at least one third of the UK’s annual demand for lithium, whilst protecting the environment.” With a growing team of geologists, metallurgists, technicians and administrative staff, British Lithium looks set for a bright, very productive future. “I’m confident we have the drive, knowledge and professional expertise to achieve our goals,” said Andrew Smith. “The work we are doing is crucial and we’re excited about setting a good example and making a real difference. “Not just to Cornwall, but the UK as a whole.”
“A million pounds worth of bespoke equipment has already been ordered and we will be producing lithium carbonate here by early next year.” Cars are the UK’s biggest export, creating £80 billion worth of GDP and over 800,000 jobs. To comply with the government’s recently announced green agenda, the industry needs to transform itself in just 9 years. That means investing heavily in the lithium battery supply chain – especially as Europe has the same aspirations and is already building gigafactories. “The UK Government’s recently published ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution requires all new cars to be electric by 2030,” said British Lithium Chair Roderick Smith, an acknowledged world expert in extractive metallurgy who spent more than 30 years leading publicly listed Australian mining companies as CEO.
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CORNISH GEMS R E F L E C T I N G O N T H E U K S M O S T P O P U L A R H O L I DAY H O T S P O T. e caught up with Julianne Shelton, co-managing director of Cornish Gems, a Cornwall based, awardwinning, tourism business which boasts a mission to ‘showcase the best hand-selected, luxury self-catering holiday homes in Cornwall’, to find out what it is like to be immersed in such a vibrant sector and how it’s evolving. The trajectory of demand for holidays in Cornwall seems on an inexorable upward trend, which must be immensely exciting to be a part of. Why do you think it is that Cornwall is so popular now? It really is. With the huge demand for staycations we’ve seen a rise in website traffic to cornishgems.com of over 100% (from 400,000 to 800,000 YoY) and our travel advisors are handling hundreds of enquiries every week for 2021 and 2022 holidays, with no signs of slowing. Cornwall has of course always been popular as we’re blessed with miles of stunning coastline, vibrant and historical picturesque villages and the general sense of a more relaxed pace of life. A combination of Cornwall generally upping its game with regards to accommodation standards and offering world class things to see, experience, eat and drink has certainly widened Cornwall’s appeal and demand. Add on the ‘Covid-effect’ and it takes popularity to new heights we never thought possible.
From when you started Cornish Gems in 2007, you have grown to now offer around 200 properties across Cornwall, with a team of 100 strong. How has the market evolved in this time? When we launched Cornish Gems 14 years ago the competitive landscape was very different. We were entrepreneurial to identify a gap in the market for an agency that specifically offered a luxury standard of selfcatering accommodation, coupled with a fully managed service - something property owners really bought into as a new concept back then. Although we’ve grown organically at a steady pace, during this time the market has become crowded with competitors all vying for a slice of the cake. There does seem like plenty of business available for us all to tuck into however the largest concern is the dominance of owner direct booking engines like Air BnB and booking.com, which although a completely different business model to Cornish Gems, have impacted the industry generally in terms of safety and quality standards whilst depleting the former abundance of accommodation to residential let. With very little cost-effective residential accommodation available to rent in Cornwall, I’m concerned that as Cornwall becomes increasingly popular, how are we all going to sustain being successful in recruiting seasonal staff and where are the many people that can’t get on the property ladder going to live if there’s very little to residential let? I appreciate there are many other factors that affect the availability of residential lets, not just AirBnB of course! However, I do feel strongly against the global giants eating into market share in our sector as they do not provide local jobs like we do, Cornish Gems employs 100 people which scaled up in context means at least 300-400 people rely on us for their livelihoods. It seems the sector is becoming less seasonal, where often a cold-water swim or an invigorating winter beach walk followed by a book in front of the fire can be just as enjoyable as a summer holiday. Is this something you have noticed?
Julianne Shelton and Nadia Macer-Wright
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Yes it is. We’ve always promoted the year-round benefits of Cornwall as there really is so much to see, do and enjoy here, whatever the season or weather. There is nowhere better to switch-off from daily life and soak up the fresh air and nature - whether that might be lazy summer days on the beach or storm-watching from the comfort of a beautiful holiday home, a cosy pub or on the coast.
I feel hopeful that with the world’s spotlight on Cornwall for the G7 Summit 2021 and the new markets introduced to Cornwall due to the rise in demand for staycations, that this trend will continue and we may gradually be able to lose the traditional ‘low-season’. It is now quite a crowded sector, how have you managed to keep on top of your game and hold your own against much competition? We are consistently monitoring the competition, looking at trends, evaluating our service and trying to enhance and improve it to appeal to new customers whilst ensuring existing customers remain loyal. This year sees the introduction of a ground breaking new welcome service for guests and we’ve bolstered our service to property owners with the launch of Gems Interiors, our interior design service specifically to help owners create their unique, Cornish Gem at competitive rates. We have recruited many new jobs including; interior designers, customer service personnel (handling inbound calls) and created a role specifically focussing on further developing the guest experience and Cornish Gems’ commitment to corporate and social responsibility. Of all of your properties, which would be your current number one for both a summer holiday and winter one? We are immensely proud to showcase some of Cornwall’s finest homes to rent for holidays stretching from coast to coast, so for that broad reason your question is a little unfair. However, I’m happy to share my personal choice for my family would be Laflouder Thatch, Mullion. It ticks all the boxes as a true Gem for all seasons. The Gems Interiors team helped curate the interiors and I absolutely love the decor. The heated outdoor pool is sublime and is available from Easter right through until the end of September. The pool water is very warm and whilst swimming or sitting around the pool you have a view of the sea in the distance. I love it so much that I’ve stayed this year and already booked it again for 2022 along with a celebratory stay at Molesworth Manor, our flagship north coast property (I would love to tell you about that one too, maybe another time)!
Adjacent page: Julianne (left) and Nadia (right) collecting a British Travel Award for Best UK Self Catering/Cottage Holiday Company 2020 Above: 1). Laflouder Thatch Mullion, 2). Moleswsorth Manor exterior, 3). Molesworth Manor dining room
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T H E O N L Y WAY I S U P S PA C E , S AT E L L I T E S A N D D ATA A R E D R I V I N G A N E W E R A O F G R OW T H I N CO R N WA L L. laying an important role in the national programme, Cornwall has recognised distinct opportunities in data and space; utilising its unique physical, digital and intellectual assets and harnessing the relationships between industries to overcome local and global challenges. As a result of Cornwall’s space capabilities, the region is leading the way on significant innovations across the data, AI and deep learning sectors - this is thanks to a wide range of businesses, from groundbreaking start-ups, to world leading pioneers. From 2022, Cornwall Airport Newquay will be home of the UK’s first horizontal spaceport; Spaceport Cornwall. Delivering the operational environment to create a safe, and responsible, launch site for small satellites to reach Lower Earth Orbit.
F R O M 2 0 2 2 , C O R N WA L L A I R P O R T N E W Q U AY W I L L B E H O M E O F T H E U K ’ S F I R S T H O R I Z O N TA L S PA C E P O R T ; S PA C E P O R T C O R N WA L L The Spaceport team is dedicated to engaging with the local community and businesses through job creation, economic growth and raising the profile of Cornwall on a global stage – further strengthening the space cluster and creating future opportunities. Spaceport Cornwall has partnered with Virgin Orbit for the first series of horizontal launches and has now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a potential second launch partner.
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US-based space company Sierra Space has signed an MoU to explore collaboration opportunities following the completion of a UK Space Agency-funded ‘Concept of Operations’ for Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser is the world’s only commercial spaceplane that can land on a runway. It’s a multi-mission space utility vehicle designed to transport cargo to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the International Space Station. The MoU means that Sierra Space will use Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay as a potential landing site.
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CLIMBING HIGH CO R N WA L L - B A S E D C YC L I N G T E A M S A I N T P I R A N I S TO CO M P E T E AT T H E TO U R O F B R I TA I N , S TA R T I N G O N H O M E T U R F. ust a few years ago, elite cycling team Saint Piran was a pie-in-the-sky-idea, but thanks to an ambitious plan, well executed, it now boasts some serious accolades and is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the cycling world, brushing shoulders with the best, while inspiring young riders.
WHILE SAINT PIRAN MIGHT BE AN ELITE TEAM, IT IS VERY BIG ON PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES, FROM GRASSROOTS UP, TURNING WHAT COULD BE SOMEONE’S DREAM INTO A REALITY AND MAKING HIGH LEVEL CYCLING MORE ACCESSIBLE Ambition and belief are inarguably two of the key elements of success, whether that’s in business or sport, or in this case, both. Where many wouldn’t have for a second entertained the idea, team principal Ricci Pascoe and elite rider Steve Lampier had the vision for creating a limitless race team built around a sustainable business model, with the base being Cornwall – after-all, why not Cornwall?
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Beautiful roads, a lovely place to live and eager business partners willing to join the ride and make it happen. Now after six or so years of hard graft, it’s paying off. At the start of the year, Saint Piran announced the news that the team had secured UCI Continental status for the 2021 season. Now entering its sixth year competing nationally and internationally, the team feels that this is the right time to take the next step on its journey and a core group of 13 riders are signed up. Pascoe says: “Competing at the Continental level in the UK and racing against the top teams will be a privilege for Saint Piran. We look forward to bringing our brand of racing to the highest level of the sport here. “We have committed sponsors, a new development team and a women’s team, and a model which will ensure that we are around for a long time to come.” Lampier adds: “Every single rider of the 2020 roster that wanted to stay and be part of this project has been retained. After a year where nobody had the chance to shine on the road, we owed them the opportunity to showcase their talents on a grander stage.”
While the team is looking forward to all the challenges to which Continental status will open the door, the Tour of Britain this September will undoubtedly be the highlight and main goal. Starting here in Cornwall, this is a unique opportunity for the team to show what it can do on home roads. In 2020, the team worked to sustain existing, and develop new, partnerships with businesses and organisations both within and outside the cycling industry. Testament to the supportive and collaborative business community in Cornwall, Saint Piran is supported by local businesses and encourages new collaborations. This unique model, coupled with an unwavering determination has meant the team has managed to punch well above its weight. While Saint Piran might be an elite team, it is very big on providing opportunities, from grassroots up, turning what could be someone’s dream into a reality and making high level cycling more accessible. Rob McPherson, a Saint Piran development rider from near Falmouth, comments: “Saint Piran has provided me with the stepping stones that are enabling me to see just how far I can take my cycling. “I really look up to the more experienced members of the team, sort of like older brothers, there’s a real family feeling within the team that I haven’t experienced in many other places.”
Steve Lampier
Saint Piran has also formed a women’s race team (WRT) for the 2021 season. The team has some high ambitions and will be racing competitively at all of the National road series, the Tour series and many other regional races throughout the year. Team manager, Jenny Bolsom, says: “Saint Piran WRT is running a two-tier system. We believe in the value of developing our own younger and/or less experienced riders. “By covering topics from training, nutrition, race tactics, team management, social media etc we aim to develop riders who are the complete package and able to progress their cycling careers either with us or another team with a well-rounded background.”
WE BELIEVE IN THE VA L U E O F D E V E L O P I N G O U R OWN YOUNGER AND/OR LESS EXPERIENCED RIDERS Jenny Bolsom
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FILM & TELEVISION C O R N WA L L H A S L O N G B E E N A D E S I R E D L O C AT I O N F O R F I L M AND TELEVISION CREWS ACROSS THE WORLD. ur dramatic countryside and coastal landscapes and our close-knit communities often attract global attention. There is, however, another side to the region’s success in this industry - namely its world-leading educational courses and rich pool of homegrown, cutting-edge creative talent.
WORLD-LEADING EDUCATIONAL COURSES AND RICH POOL OF HOMEGROWN, CUTTING-EDGE CREATIVE TALENT For more than 50 years, The School of Film and Television at Falmouth University has been a world-leader for students from across the world learning their craft in the film and television industries. Leading facilities and equipment have cemented the establishment’s reputation, and Falmouth’s alumni can be found working across every part of the expansive global media network.
There are also a number of establishments and organisations set up to nurture and support Cornwall’s creative talent, including Screen Cornwall, which offers anything from location services to local talent development. By providing opportunities for development and growth in this area, expanding an already comprehensive network of cast, crew and technical talent, it is helping to shape Cornwall’s continued success in the sector. Its ‘New Creatives’ talent development scheme, supported by BBC Arts and Arts Council England, offers commissioning opportunities for people aged 16-30 to get their work heard within the industry. The region also nurtures independent and artistic talent, continuing a long tradition of supporting artistic and pioneering communities. BAFTA-award winning Mark Jenkin and his film Bait, were celebrated in the industry for adopting a unique and markedly Cornish approach to storytelling.
T O S E E M O R E O F C O R N W A L L ’ S C R E AT I V E S E C T O R V I S I T C O R N W A L L . U K 18 | FIND THE BALANCE
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THE IDLE ROCKS’ EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF, D O R I A N J A N M A AT
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THE SHORES OF CULINARY PERFECTION L A S T Y E A R T H E I D L E R OC K S I N S T M AW E S A N N O U N C E D A N E W F U T U R E F O R I T S R E S TAU R A N T TO B E L E D B Y T H E A R R I VA L O F E X E C U T I V E H E A D C H E F , DO R I A N JA N M A AT .
he award-winning chef returned to his home county of Cornwall, following eight years honing his craft at Raymond Blanc’s 2 Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat‘Saisons. For the past three years Dorian has been Executive Head Chef at this pinnacle of the British restaurant scene. Find the Balance sought to understand why the pull of Cornwall was so powerful to draw Dorian away from one of the UK’s very best and highly acclaimed restaurants.
Did you always want to move back to Cornwall? Cornwall is such a special place and I’m proud to be from such a beautiful part of the UK. Having worked at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for eight years, I wasn’t sure whether I would head back to Cornwall or make a move to London but when the offer to head up the kitchen at The Idle Rocks came up I couldn’t refuse it. Our visions for the restaurant were very much aligned so it was a delight to come back in Cornwall.
What is it about Cornwall that pulled you back?
How would you describe the food and drink scene in Cornwall and does it have an exciting future?
Being near the sea! Cornwall has so much to offer and some of the best fish in the business. I source much of The Idle Rocks’ produce locally and strive to support local fishermen and farmers. There are also so many local suppliers selling incredible ingredients from Exmoor Caviar, the Real Cornish Crab Company and Phillip Warren, one of the oldest farm shops in Cornwall. Using ingredients like this, I try to make my cooking processes as sustainable as possible.
Definitely. The food scene in Cornwall is certainly picking up and with everyone spending this summer in the UK, the demand for great restaurants is increasing which is great for the local community. The waters around Cornwall have a huge influence over the food scene here and it’s great to see restaurants serving fresh locally caught fish, Cornish crab and lobster, of course. There are also a number of great distilleries popping up in the county, so the drink scene is definitely making some waves.
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FOOD & DRINK W E A L L K N O W T H AT CO R N WA L L H A S A N E XC E P T I O N A L R E P U TAT I O N I N T H E W O R L D O F F O O D A N D D R I N K , B U T H O W H A S T H E I N D U S T RY R E S P O N D E D TO T H E PA N D E M I C ? W I T H R E S I L I E N C E , A DA P TAT I O N A N D I N N O VAT I O N , S AY S L U C Y S T U D L E Y O F CO R N WA L L CO N T E N T. he unique and diverse food and drink culture we have nurtured here in Cornwall is the envy of many. We enjoy a rich network of chefs, producers and pioneering entrepreneurs who together make the region a world-class gourmet destination. The recent G7 summit will have only added to that lip-smacking reputation. The assembled World Leaders feasted on a bounty of local produce cooked by talented chefs like Emily Scott and Simon Stallard, and accompanied by award-winning Cornish wines, unique cocktails and classic Cornish beers. No matter what your opinion on the G7 and its high level machinations, this was surely a moment of shared pride for an industry which is very much a closeknit community - intertwined and reliant on every element for its collective success.
WE ENJOY A RICH NETWORK OF CHEFS, PRODUCERS AND PIONEERING E N T R E P R E N E U R S W H O TO G E T H E R MAKE THE REGION A WORLD-CLASS G O U R M E T D E S T I N AT I O N The G7 came hot on the heels of an 18-month period during which the Covid-19 crisis bought the Cornish food and drink industry to its knees. Intermittent mass closure of hospitality businesses, a supply chain in chaos, and unprecedented upheaval were followed by a recruitment crisis which left restaurants and hotels heading into summer chronically short staffed. How then did we put on such a good show for Boris and Co? The answer is that businesses and individuals have shown phenomenal resilience, adaptability and innovative spirit to get us through this, proving that Cornwall has all the right ingredients to ‘build back better.’
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The food and drink industry in Cornwall responded to the Covid-19 crisis in a typically energetic, creative, collaborative and inspiring way. Across the sector, business models changed overnight, as everyone from microbreweries to luxury hotels invoked resilience in the face of adversity. One great example of this is our wonderful Cornish brewers, all of whom were extremely hard hit in the early days of the pandemic. From the smallest nano-brewery to the big national brands based in the Duchy, the pandemic is still an almighty, ongoing challenge. However, each has met this challenge in its own idiosyncratic way, diversifying and innovating in order to stay afloat and – in some cases – transporting themselves into the future. One example of this is Cornish Crown Brewery, which has used its size (small!) as an advantage, performing feats of agility which the bigger players can only envy. “We condensed roughly five years of change and evolution into about five months,” explains Josh Dunkley, founder of the Penzance-based brewery. “Pre-Covid we were still producing quite a lot of cask beer for pubs. It was a shrinking market then, but that accelerated at warp-speed thanks to the pandemic.” Josh used the break with normality to install new brewing equipment, rebrand and create a website for online sales, shifting his focus almost entirely to canned lagers and IPAs. Essentially he has repositioned the brewery as an exciting new player in the market for craft beer. Meanwhile another microbrewery, this time on the north Cornish coast, was taking adaptability to a whole new level, investing in a pilot brew kit to allow it to experiment with small batches of beer. The Driftwood Spars Brewery near St Agnes has always balanced innovation with respect for traditional brewing methods. The new pilot brew kit will allow Head Brewer Mike Mason to experiment with micro batches of beers and develop new products; the market demands just this kind of agility at the moment. >>
THE FOOD AND DRINK
I N D U S T R Y I N C O R N WA L L R E S P O N D E D TO T H E COV I D -19 C R I S I S I N A T Y P I C A L L Y E N E R G E T I C , C R E AT I V E , C O L L A B O R AT I V E A N D I N S P I R I N G WAY . AC R O S S T H E S E C TO R , BUSINESS MODELS CHANGED OVERNIGHT, AS EVERYONE FROM M I C R O B R E W E R I E S TO L U X U RY HOTELS INVOKED RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
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THE MARKET HAS
RECENTLY SEEN A MARKED RESURGENCE AND A R E N E W E D S E N S E O F V I TA L I T Y
Skinner’s, which sits somewhere mid-scale between micro and massive, has diversified and innovated in a different way. Following a successful Crowdfunding campaign, the much-loved Cornish brand aims to go from surviving to thriving. Along with other projects and new beer launches, Skinner’s will open a Tap Yard Bar & Café later this summer, creating a buzzing new social space within easy striking distance of Truro city centre.
Stewart Girvan, Market Coordinator, Truro Farmers Market
The space has been innovatively designed to make the most of the existing footprint of the site, whilst making guests feel part of the brewing experience and the convivial Skinner’s brand. It looks set to become new highlight on Cornwall’s food and drink map, with an announcement on an opening date coming any day.
The effect of all of this is that the market has recently seen a marked resurgence and a renewed sense of vitality, as a new generation of food shoppers discover the joys of this colourful, characterful weekly event.
MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND OTHER PANDEMIC SUCCESS STORIES
Covid-19 has prompted more of us to shop outdoors and avoid crowded supermarkets, whilst reminding us of the importance of access to good quality local food. Concerns about the environment have also seen a younger generation engaging with the market, embracing the opportunity to shop locally, sustainably and ethically.
The incredible support we received for our Big Summer Market – which nearly fell foul of the G7 – showed just how important the market has been to local people these past months.
Ugo Massabo, Founder, TiramisUGO Covid-19 forced us to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances, as we were initially extremely hard-hit by the effects of the pandemic. With markets and other events cancelled, we had to diversify quickly in order to survive. We identified a gap in the market for high quality meal boxes delivered to homes, and so I called on my mother – Mamma Daniela – to lend a helping hand! We launched The Cornish Italian in March 2020, focusing on a small menu of delicious pasta dishes all based on our family recipes and made using fabulous Cornish ingredients. We are now sending authentic Italian meals – always finishing with Tiramisu of course – across the UK. I’m pleased to say that we seized triumph from the jaws of disaster and it has been a phenomenal success. Just like our flagship dessert, The Cornish Italian is based on authentic recipes and great ingredients – all freshly prepared with love and care, from our family to yours.
Ben Tunnicliffe, The Tolcarne Inn & The Packet Inn Smokehouse We opened our second pub, The Packet, in the middle of the pandemic and we’ll soon add a third outpost to our food-led pub company. We’ve also opened a takeaway at The Tolcarne, something we’ve been meaning to do for years but never got around to until the third lockdown gave us the time! I will always be an optimist. I have so much faith in the quality and reputation of the Cornish food and hospitality scene that I know we’ll overcome the effects of Covid. Our next challenge is to solve the recruitment crisis and attract as much talent as possible into the industry, so that Cornwall continues to be a thriving food destination for many years to come.
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Beautifully crafted clothing and accessories, woven with stories of Cornwall Find your nearest shop or shop our full collection at seasaltcornwall.com
E D U C AT I O N FA L M O U T H U N I V E R S I T Y B R I N G S £100 M TO T H E CO R N I S H E CO N O M Y. recent economic impact assessment has revealed that Falmouth University contributes the equivalent of £100m to the local economy, with the University responsible for generating £1 in every £109 of economic activity in Cornwall. The report shows that Falmouth acts as an economic anchor, keeping skilled and talented young people in the region, while fostering bold new start-ups and supporting established Cornish businesses.
T W O P R O G R A M M E S I N PA R T I C U L A R – L A U N C H PA D O U T R E A C H A N D I M M E R S I V E B U S I N E S S – H AV E B E E N D E S I G N E D TO S U P P O R T S M A L L A N D M E D I U M E N T E R P R I S E S I N C O R N WA L L Launchpad Outreach, which is funded by HMRC and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to increase the growth capability of businesses by improving productivity, growth and to create jobs in a sustainable manner within local, national and international markets. Utilising Falmouth’s professional level resources and insider knowledge of the creative industries, the fully funded Launchpad Outreach programme provides consultancy to explore new market opportunities, as well as the creation of new products and services. Falmouth is currently supporting businesses by providing market research reports, exploring customer trends and competitor analysis. Businesses taking part in the programme can also gain access to the university’s inhouse product design consultant, offering support such
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as computer-assisted design modelling and prototyping. There are also opportunities to take part in Falmouth’s Student Placement Scheme and to even access time with industry experts where appropriate. The Immersive Business programme, funded by ERDF and led by Falmouth University in collaboration with The University of Exeter, is a business accelerator designed to enable small and medium-sized businesses in Cornwall to compete nationally and globally through the development and use of innovative immersive technology. Eligible businesses can gain access to a programme of events, workshops, collaborative innovation spaces and labs to explore how they could benefit from immersive technologies. Businesses can also benefit from access to expert technical and academic support and advice, as well as product-development support and a digital transformation toolkit. The wAVE (Augmented & Virtual Experiences) project is an excellent example of how Falmouth is supporting the heritage sector in Cornwall. Working with the Cornwall Museums Partnership and five museums (Telegraph Museum Porthcurno; Castle Heritage Centre, Bude; St Agnes Museum; Isles of Scilly Museum and the Old Guildhall Museum & Gaol, Looe) Falmouth’s researchers are bringing local heritage to life, appealing to new audiences by embracing creative immersive technologies. Professor Anne Carlisle, OBE, Falmouth University ViceChancellor says: “Helping to drive Cornwall’s economic growth is a key strategic objective for the University and I am delighted that these new visitor experiences using future technologies will support five communities to access higher value and year-round tourism markets and offer a model that is replicable elsewhere.”
TO F I N D O U T M O R E A B O U T FA L M O U T H A N D H O W I T ’ S INVESTING IN THE LOCAL C O M M U N I T Y , G O TO : W W W. FA L M O U T H . A C . U K / A B O U T TO S E E W H E T H E R YO U R BUSINESS COULD BENEFIT FROM T H E L A U N C H PA D O U T R E A C H P R O G R A M M E , G O TO : W W W. FA L M O U T H . A C . U K / L A U N C H PA D - O U T R E A C H
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E D U C AT I O N W O R L D - C L A S S A N D O U T S TA N D I N G . University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a world-class, research intensive university and a member of the Russell Group providing gold-standard education at campuses in Cornwall and Devon. It is also a world-leader on environment, climate and sustainability research, courses and partnerships. According to a recent Reuters list, the University of Exeter has the UK’s five most influential climate scientists - all in the top 21 in the world. For more than twenty years the university has been leading the way in research and education to address climate and environmental change. By mobilising its environmental expertise of over 500 researchers and professionals, the university is seeking to accelerate global action in partnership with governments, businesses and communities. In 2021, the university launched a ‘Green Futures’ campaign to drive action on the environment and climate emergency ahead of the G7 in Cornwall and COP26 in Glasgow. The Green Futures campaign demonstrates how the University of Exeter is collaborating with businesses, influencing national and international policy, and working with communities to co-create solutions.
Truro and Penwith College Truro and Penwith College is officially recognised as one of the best tertiary further education Colleges in the country. Ofsted awarded the College ‘Outstanding’ status as a result of its inspection in 2016, the first college in the country to retain its Outstanding status under the new framework. It is the best performing state A Level provider in Cornwall and one of the highest performing colleges nationally on all courses at all levels. Students can choose from a huge range of A Levels, T Levels, the IB Diploma, vocational courses and apprenticeships, all taught by highlyqualified, specialist educators. In 2017 the college opened Callywith College in Bodmin as a third campus for 16-18-year-olds in north Cornwall. In January 2020, Callywith College too was awarded Ofsted Outstanding status and continues to develop its provision and facilities. Focussed on the future, Truro and Penwith College opened its new South West Institute of Technology building in March 2020 as the only education partner in Cornwall to be a part of this exciting STEM partnership. The £7 million Valency building houses the very latest in Engineering facilities including virtual welding environments and specialist mechatronic equipment for students to use. The building is also home to the College’s new ESF funded project, Cornwall Space and Aerospace Technology Training, designed to research and establish quality education for those wanting to enter the space and aeronautic industries. In March 2022, the College will open its new STEM and Health Skills Centre at Bodmin, giving the scientists, engineers, health professionals and technologists of the future an Outstanding start to their career ambitions. The positive and nurturing environment, combined with world-class facilities and exceptional tutors, provides students with the best opportunity to achieve their educational goals.
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WWW.TRELONKWELLBEING.COM CARE@TRELONKWELLBEING.COM +44 (0)1872 630061 @TRELONKWELLBEING WWW.WILDCORNWALL.NET
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I N N O VAT I V E FA R M I N G FOR WELLBEING T E C H N O L O G Y A N D N AT U R E I N H A R M O N Y. hen you think of the rolling pastures of Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula, you might not immediately consider that these areas are a hidden gem of British agri-tech and farm diversification. Trelonk, overlooking the fal estuary near Ruan High Lanes, is a 170-acre estate at the heart of specialist oil seed farming. Using cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, Trelonk has just launched innovative health and wellness therapy products to help support people living with stress, chronic and acute conditions, sleep issues and joint and muscular concerns. Their focus on environmental responsibility is clear through their application to be COSMOS Natural. certified. Before 2018, Trelonk Farm had conventional livestock and cereal crops. The team undertook extensive research into nutraceutical and cannabinoid crop production and the suitability of the Cornish climate for crops specialist crops such as Calendula, Camelina, Sunflower and Borage. A licence to cultivate industrial hemp from the Home Office was secured allowing this versatile crop to sit front and centre. Nutraceuticals have high nutrient value and are used as supplements, or in alternative therapies. Oilseed crops produce rich oil high in fatty acids, with many proven benefits to health and wellbeing. The crops, native to the warmer climes of the Mediterranean and South America, have flourished and thanks to the agronomic skills of the Trelonk team, yields have improved year on year. Roses have been returned to the Roseland with 20,000 plants cultivated, which will be extracted for the uplifting Roseland rose oil. Bulk herbs are now being grown at Trelonk including Sage, Lavender, Rosemary, Feverfew, Sweet Marjoram and Mint which will be harvested and extracted through super critical extraction and distillation methods for their essential oils.
These powerful plants are then cold-pressed onsite and used as base carriers for Trelonk’s expert aromacologist, Kim Lahiri, to blend with high-impact essential oils. Trelonk is able to analyse the structure and molecular make-up of its crops to harness Cornwall’s full plant potential and pin-point the most powerful molecules. The pain, mind and sleep formulas are boosted with active ingredients, known as terpenes, designed to target specific conditions – like insomnia, stress, lack of focus and hyperactivity. Terpenes are a family of aroma molecules that contribute to how things smell, like when you zest a lemon. When terpenes are inhaled, they interact with hundreds of different olfactory receptors found on nerve cells inside the human nose. The olfactory system is linked to the centres of the brain that regulate both emotions and hormone production, which means that terpene inhalation has the potential to affect many bodily processes from stress to sleep cycles. It’s this combination of Trelonk’s nutraceutical crops, essential oils and targeted plant terpenes that creates wellbeing at a molecular level. This new innovation has turned Trelonk into a bustling life science campus, attracting interest from plant-tech science companies all over the world. Newly resident is Phytome Life Sciences, a team of highly skilled scientists in plant genomics-to-clinical application. New brand ‘Wild Cornwall’ has also been brought to life by Trelonk’s focus on wellness through nutraceuticals and the health benefits provided by the wild, foraged ingredients that can be found on Cornish land. The Wild Cornwall team have created superb dining essentials like their Hedgerow Burger Relish and Wild Gorse Pancake Syrup.
Founder Mark Parnall believes there is a significant opportunity to connect the authentic origins of Cornish grown crops and world-class science to help people who do not always want to turn to pharmaceutical solutions. He says: “Living through Covid-19 has caused a shift in attitude towards plant science, along with compelling research showing the effectiveness of particular plant molecules on human health.” His aim is to retain the product development and production on site and take farm diversification to another level. FIND THE BALANCE | 31
G7 AND BEYOND 21 Y E A R O L D E L E N A S A L V O N I D I S C U S S E S T H E I M PAC T O F T H E G 7 A N D H O W TO E M P O W E R T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N W I T H S O M E O F T H E DUCHY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN. As a young person growing up in Cornwall, I had always been made to feel that being ambitious in your chosen field meant that you would move away, either to London or another urban centre. However, spending a large part of my university years at home due to the pandemic made me fall in love with Cornwall all over again, and dread the prospect of living in a city, particularly in a time when people are increasingly confined to their homes. Thousands of people feel the same; Cornwall has overtaken London this year as the most searched for location on Rightmove and house prices and tourist numbers have rocketed. This has coincided with the G7 Summit coming to the county, the biggest and most far-reaching event to ever be hosted here. At the event, Cornish businesses, innovations and talent as well as the beauty of our county were broadcast to the world. For many, including myself, this has increased a sense of excitement about what the future holds for Cornwall. About me I was born in London but I always knew Cornwall was where I wanted to be. I grew up spending every holiday and free weekend in the county, and the summer before I went to secondary school, my family took the leap to relocate. As for so many who move to Cornwall however, my parents made the decision out of lifestyle considerations rather than job opportunities. I was
C O R N WA L L H A S O V E R TA K E N L O N D O N THIS YEAR AS THE MOST SEARCHED F O R L O C AT I O N O N R I G H T M O V E . fortunate enough to go to Truro High School and Sixth Form, a school which nurtured my ambitions and helped me to recognise my passions for writing and research. I then went on to study History at the University of Warwick, alongside which I was an editor and writer for my university’s student newspaper. This experience built my passion for telling stories which matter to people and I have since been an editor for a number of publications, including Empoword Journalism, which aims to elevate women’s voices across the UK and globally.
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Career opportunities, which have all-too-often been viewed as scarce in the county outside of the tourism and hospitality sectors seem to be increasing across a range of fields, many of which are leading the way nationally but also globally. The space industry, arts, communications, technology and environmentally-friendly energy solutions are just some of the areas which young people in Cornwall can increasingly aspire to get involved in. Therefore, I decided to ask some of Cornwall’s most influential women, from across this range of different professions, about what they think is in store for the Duchy following the G7, their own stories, and what advice they would give to the next generation about building their careers in Cornwall.
THIS HAS INCREASED A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT A B O U T W H AT T H E F U T U R E H O L D S F O R CO R N WA L L
MY MAIN OBJECTIVE Melissa Thorpe Elena: Tell me about your background and what you do? Melissa: I’m from Canada originally and I grew up in a very rural area. I was always interested in astronomy but where I lived it wasn’t really an option. I am also really into airplanes - my dad worked fighting forest fires using aircraft. I moved to the UK to study economics at the London School of Economics, specialising in aerospace marketplaces. About 11 years ago I was brought down to help Cornwall Airport Newquay diversify its business activities from just passenger services. At the time I was looking at unmanned aerial systems, search and rescue and maintenance contracts, and then spaceport was announced in 2014. I was immediately moved on to that project, so I’ve been on the team since it started. I was initially brought in to write bids for the UK space agency funding, lobby government, and eventually secured our partners at Virgin Orbit. Then, earlier this year I became the Head of Spaceport Cornwall, filling the very big shoes of the previous director. E: What do you think the Spaceport can provide the local community in Cornwall? M: I believe this is a huge thing for Cornwall to reap the benefits from. That’s my main goal with my job, to make sure that our activities reach as far across Cornwall as possible. At the beginning that’s jobs, whether that’s working directly with Virgin or us, contractors on site or this new facility that we’re building, the Centre for Space Technologies. This will involve Virgin, other SMEs, academics and multinationals in one physical R&D workspace. There’s a huge benefit in being a launch location because it drives interest and investment into your site. People want to be part of it, so we’re trying to use that as a catalyst to create jobs and economic growth for the airport, Cornwall and the Southwest.
F O R T H E G 7 WA S TO C H A L L E N G E O U T D AT E D P E R C E P T I O N S O F CO R N WA L L
We’ve also engaged with about 10,000 schoolchildren already this year, inspiring them to get into careers in STEM and showing them the pathways into the space industry. E: Women are significantly underrepresented in the space industry according to recent statistics. What is Spaceport Cornwall doing to encourage gender equality in the industry? M: Just going out and talking about it. Our team is pretty much 50/50, but unfortunately when girls get to secondary school they can lose interest in STEM. By telling my story I hope that I can be an example that the stereotypes associated with working in STEM aren’t quite what they think they are. I never had role models growing up that would come into school, so now I am massively passionate about going in and getting girls interested. E: What was your role at the G7 summit and how did you find it? M: I welcomed the delegates as they landed in Cornwall alongside my Virgin Orbit colleagues and their rocket. We were getting the message across that they weren’t only landing at an airport but also a spaceport and that the two can be integrated in their countries too. My main objective for the G7 was to challenge outdated perceptions of Cornwall, showing it to the delegates, their entourage, and the media as an innovative and exciting place to be. It was definitely a lifetime memory, and I am so proud of how my small team delivered and represented Cornwall on the global stage.
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T H E G 7 WA S A B R I L L I A N T S H O W C A S E F O R C O R N WA L L ’ S TO U R I S M I N D U S T R Y A N D F O O D A N D D R I N K S E C TO R
E: What impact has the G7 had on your business and the brands you work with? K: When COVID hit, about 60% of our business disappeared overnight, which I think was the same for a lot of creative industries in Cornwall. So, the G7 arriving as it did this year is a huge boost for Cornwall. We’re certainly seeing quite a bit more interest in business coming back now which is good. The G7 was a brilliant showcase for Cornwall’s tourism industry and food and drink sector. Seeing Emily Scott and the Watergate Bay team cooking for the G7 leaders at Eden was amazing and really good for Cornwall’s food profile nationally. It was also incredible seeing Simon Stallard from the Hidden Hut doing the barbecue on the Saturday night using all-Cornish ingredients, and Boris with his bottle of Tribute! It is all adding to a real sense of positivity around our key sectors. E: You’ve mentioned Cornwall’s prestige in the food and drink sector and how this was showcased at the G7, but what would you say to young people who want to work in other industries?
Kate Wild Elena: Tell me about your background and what you do? Kate: I’ve been in PR for many years, since I left university, and I set up my own business, Wild Card, about 25 years ago in London. I was born in Cornwall and 12 years ago I moved back with my family, and we opened an office in Truro which is our Wild West office. We’ve built a strong presence for ourselves in the food and drink industry, particularly the hospitality sector around hotels and places like the Eden Project, working with clients like Tresco Island, Roddas and St Austell Brewery.
Photo: Karwai Tang, G7 Cornwall 2021
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K: I think that for the sake of young people we’ve definitely got to show that we’re more than just a lovely holiday destination, particularly because our visitor capacity is only so much. I’m keen to keep young people working in Cornwall and not having to move further afield. We employ 12 people in our Truro office, and what has happened since COVID is we’ve been able to work on Teams. Work from home is much more fluid; our employees can work on London-based campaigns, and we’ve got cross-office teams. I think there’s a real opportunity for young people, and as I said there’s also opportunities growing around tech, energy solutions like the Wave Hub and Cornish Lithium, the Stadium for Cornwall and the Launchpad initiative at Falmouth University which is really strong.
Photo: Karwai Tang, G7 Cornwall 2021 Daphne Skinnard Elena: Tell me about your background and what you do? Daphne: I am currently Executive Producer at BBC Radio Cornwall. I studied journalism at Falmouth, now Falmouth University and like any young journalist, I found it difficult to find a job after university, so I got a completely different job alongside volunteering for the local commercial radio station. Then an opportunity came up with the BBC, and because of my breadth of experience in different areas I got the job. I do all sorts of different things and I love it because no two days are the same. E: What would you say to young people who, as you did, want to stay in Cornwall but are worried about finding the career they want here?
THE G7’S SHOWCASING O F W H AT C O R N WA L L CAN OFFER HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL EXERCISE IN C O L L A B O R AT I O N
D: I think there are more opportunities now in Cornwall, it’s such an exciting place to be. It’s quite funny, because a lot of my school friends who were going off to university elsewhere said ‘you go to Cornwall to retire, you don’t go there to train or, or live or work’. And, of course, they’re now wanting to come back! E: What impact, if any, do you think the G7 will have for people in Cornwall? D: The G7’s showcasing of what Cornwall can offer has been a wonderful exercise in collaboration, and with that collaboration comes the showcasing of what Cornwall can offer. The impact of the summit will last in name because a lot of the recommendations made by the leaders will have Carbis Bay attached to them. From what I’ve heard the world leaders and their partners were very impressed with Cornwall. I think the Eden Project was the perfect location to show what the G7 stands for, promoting sustainability and providing training for young people. The summit showed that Cornwall is a serious place in which to do business and is also taking environmental concerns seriously.
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ENTREPRENEURIALISM AND C U S TO M E R O R I E N TAT I O N THE TECH SECTOR IN CORNWALL IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE UK. WE EXPLORE THE IMPRESSIVE GROWTH OF DUCHY-BASED AZTEK, A BUSINESS STARTED BY A THEN 17-YEAR OLD THAT NOW HAS LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS. could not perhaps justify full-time, in-house IT, so instead looked to an outsourced remote working IT support business – which is where Aztek came in. The latest gap Aztek spotted and filled is in a suite of marketing services and as a result, Aztek Marketing was born, offering services from branding and website design, to video production, eCommerce solutions and all forms of marketing.
ince MD Anthony Hudson started the business back in 2008, Aztek Business has evolved and grown greatly. The company started as a general audience B2B/ B2C workshop to repair computers and has since experienced steady growth transitioning into what it claims is a “customer orientated company, and a single source solution of innovative IT, telephony and media solutions”. It was a natural progression and expansion for Aztek to get to this point of offering the breadth of services that it does today. The first change came about in line with the move away from the ‘break and fix’ society, meaning that people were no longer bothering to mend equipment, but rather replace. At this point Anthony spotted a gap in the market for retained IT services and then moved to a full MSP (managed service provider) model. The team treated this demand for all encompassing digital and IT services as a challenge and wanted to be able to furnish this need, backed up by a growing team of skilled specialists in each area. And the business had its market firmly in sight – the ideal client being one that
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Customer loyalty or ‘customer orientation’ is an area which Aztek prides itself on and evidenced by the many clients it is still working with now and that have been with it since almost the beginning. Aztek stress the importance of long-lasting relationships with its clients and they like to feel like an extension of the clients’ own team, rather than just a subcontractor. This is helped by nature of the managed service offering, whereby everything is inclusive, meaning that clients aren’t worried that every time they speak with a member of the Aztek team, they’re incurring additional cost. To name one example, Cornish Premier Pasties has been a longstanding client, which Aztek talks about like they’re family. Aztek has provided IT support throughout its Growth, where in peak season it will make circa 25,000 pasties, and now helps on a vast range of services including Internet, telephony, IT support and label printing. An interesting facet of the business is that it has an office in Serbia, the land of Nikola Tesla, Novak Djokovic and many others. A cooperation that grew because of the shared passion for quality work and achieving superior results for clients of various size and industry. When Anthony and Vladimir crossed paths in 2012, Vladimir was working in Serbia and the business relationship was forged from there, now with nine of the 23 team members working in Serbia. Both offices are cosmetically identical, too – from the carpet up!
WWW.AZTEK.CO.UK | 01209 712816
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THE POWER OF PRINT ST AUSTELL PRINTING COMPANY EXPL AINS HOW THE S U S TA I N A B L E A N D E F F E C T I V E U S E O F P R I N T C A N D E L I V E R A D D E D V A L U E T O YO U R M A R K E T I N G . or many businesses, the rule book for marketing has been thrown out of the window this year, as we adapt to an ever-changing situation of social distancing, lockdowns and business closures. With emergency business planning and budgets being stretched further than ever before, it’s crucial to ensure that all marketing platforms justify their investment – and it’s never been more important to use print to make an impact. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen an increase in the number of people spending time online – and of course, businesses have followed this trend with reports of a significant increase in online advertising throughout the last year. However, this means it’s become more of a challenge to get your message in front of the right people in a meaningful way as you fight against competitors for space in people’s inboxes. “Print cuts through the digital noise and offers a form of escapism – when someone picks up your print, you have their undivided attention” Print creates an emotional connection with the reader because it’s a multi-sensory experience. Print’s tangibility feels ‘human and real’ against a backdrop of fleeting, competing communication vying for people’s attention. It’s engaged with, and remembered by, people of all ages – even younger and more digitally engaged audiences. “It’s not unusual for brochures to live on a coffee table for weeks” If your print is of exceptional quality, then it’s more likely to be retained for longer. Print can now be used so creatively and in tandem with digital marketing to develop a trusted and long-lasting relationship with customers, encouraging them to engage with your brand and ultimately entice them to complete a purchase. “94% of mail is engaged with in some way and is 49% more effective than email alone” This is backed up by research carried out by Royal Mail which found that 87% of UK consumers said they were influenced to make online purchases as a result of receiving direct mail. Let’s not forget about the sustainability credentials of print too. Paper is one of the most recycled products in
the world and European forests which provide wood for making sustainable paper products, have been growing by the equivalent of 1,500 football pitches every day! By using FSC paper from sustainable forests alongside working with an environmental printing company, consumers can be assured that by using effective print marketing you’re not compromising your environmental values. The environmental impacts of our ever-increasing digital world cannot be ignored. The ICT industry accounts for around 2.5-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and this is predicted to rise to 14% by 2040. Businesses and individuals are increasingly using ‘cloud’ services which rely on mega data-centres to store almost everything we do online; including our web searches, our social media posts and our online statements. St Austell Printing Company has embraced sustainable practice across its business to minimise its impact on the environment and is a certified “Carbon Balanced Printer” with the World Land Trust. The company keenly promotes the environmental credentials of print and paper through their support of the Love Paper campaign and Two Sides, an independent organisation that researches and promotes the sustainability of paper. St Austell Printing Company works with many prestigious brands across Cornwall and the UK, specialising in sustainable, eco-friendly print and offering a range of specialist finishing and mailing services – all produced under one roof, here in Cornwall.
PRINT CUTS THROUGH T H E D I G I TA L N O I S E AND OFFERS A FORM OF ESCAPISM – WHEN SOMEONE PICKS UP YOUR P R I N T, YO U H AV E T H E I R U N D I V I D E D AT T E N T I O N
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MARINE
H O W M A R I N E - I I S S U P P O R T I N G A N E W WAV E O F M A R I N E T E C H N O L O G Y I N N O VAT I O N I N CO R N WA L L . arine-i is a pioneering business support programme that has been designed to foster innovation in the marine technology sector in Cornwall. Professor Lars Johanning, Programme Director for Marine-i explains their philosophy: “Our goal is to help put Cornwall at the forefront of the sustainable marine tech industries of the future. These include marine energy, marine manufacturing, maritime operations and marine environmental technologies. This programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and aims to stimulate and support research and innovation, to help Cornish marine businesses exploit new market opportunities. Comprehensive support for marine technology businesses “Marine-i offers one of the most complete packages of innovation support ever designed for the marine sector. This encompasses business consultancy, research expertise, grant funding, access to some of the best testing facilities in Europe and graduate support at a subsidised cost. Marine-i provides a bespoke package to marine businesses that is geared to their specific needs and delivered through one point of contact. “There are six Project Partners who work closely together to create the Marine-i offer. These are the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Marine Network, Cornwall Development Company, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. They each have their own particular strengths and specialist expertise that they apply to support innovative marine businesses. “Marine technology is a vital industry for Cornwall, and one with high growth potential for the future. It will have a huge influence on the economic prospects of the county and will be vital in creating the high value jobs we need.”
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Photo credit: Feritech Global Floating Offshore Wind: a huge new opportunity for Cornwall Marine-i has supported local companies working in wind, wave and tidal power generation, helping to pioneer new ways of delivering the green energy of the future. The next ten years will see the most exciting development yet in our area – the building of floating offshore windfarms in the Celtic Sea. With floating windfarms, instead of attaching the turbine to a fixed foundation, the turbine is supported by a structure that floats on the surface. This is then tethered to the seabed. This technology means that turbines can be located in very deep waters, where the most powerful winds are. Cornwall is lucky because it has easy access to one of the world’s best locations for floating offshore windfarms, and the local engineering expertise to build them. The UK Government believe this technology will play a crucial role in delivering our country’s goal of a Net Zero economy by 2050. Cornwall will be right at the forefront of this new industry, one in which it has the potential to become a world leader.
WWW.MARINE-I.CO.UK
Photo credit: Principle Power Inc Marine-i is supporting a range of Cornish innovators who are working in this field, including: • J-Supplied, who are developing technology for the 3D printing of turbine blades. • Tugdock, who have designed an innovative floating platform for offshore wind construction projects. • Falco Drone Technologies, who are creating a long-range drone that can be used for surveying offshore windfarms. • Feritech Global, who plan to create the world’s first autonomous vehicle for subsea geotechnical surveys • Inyanga Maritime, who are developing a new system for anchoring floating turbines. • 4 Earth Intelligence, who plan to use satellite data to assist in the building and maintenance of offshore windfarms.
An exciting range of marine technology innovations Other innovative projects that Marine-i is currently supporting include: the development of electric and hybrid propulsion for vessels, technologies to reduce harmful ship emissions, the use of ocean thermal energy convertors to provide green electricity to remote island communities, novel sail systems that could replace fossil fuels on long-range vessels, devices for harnessing wave energy, and offshore farms to grow seaweed for food. A bright future for Cornwall’s marine technology industry Professor Lars Johanning concludes: “The pioneering innovation that we are seeing in Cornwall today is building a brilliant platform for future growth, making this a really exciting time for our marine technology industry. “The new ideas that are being developed right now in Cornwall can help lay the foundations for economic prosperity and job creation. All of these innovations could have a significant impact on marine technology around the world, helping to secure Cornwall’s reputation as a leader in this field. “The Marine-i team is really proud to be able to help these businesses accelerate the development of their ideas and bring them to market more quickly, and with a greater chance of long term success.”
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WILD SWIMMING WORDS BY BETHANY ALLEN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX CAMPBELL
W E A R E I N C R E D I B L Y L U C K Y TO L I V E I N A C O U N T Y W I T H S O M E O F T H E B E S T S W I M M I N G L O C AT I O N S A N D T H E C L E A N E S T WAT E R I N T H E U K , M A K I N G I T T H E P E R F E C T P L A C E TO PA R T I C I PAT E I N W I L D S W I M M I N G . he Wild Swimming Cornwall community was co-founded in May 2020 by three friends, Lydia Paleschi, Max Campbell and Bethany Allen. They share a mutual passion for the ocean and a desire to broadcast the benefits of swimming in cold water to more people. Each of the co-founders has personally experienced the mental and physical benefits of going swimming in cold water regularly, and they hope that the book will enable more people to access these benefits. Lydia tells us: “It’s all about finding community, self care and an affinity with nature through cold water.” These are the core aspects of wild swimming that they believe will have the power to improve people’s quality of life. Many of us have hobbies that we do to promote the production of dopamine and stay healthy such as running, cycling, walking or going to the gym. Wild swimming stands out because you don’t need any equipment other than a swimming costume or trunks and a towel. This makes it accessible to anyone who has the ability to swim, no matter how young or old you are. It is also advisable to always swim with at least one other person, which enables us to nurture relationships with others. If there’s anything that the pandemic has taught us, it’s how valuable participating in activities outdoors can be. Especially when we can do so together. With this in mind, the Wild Swimming Cornwall team have created a map on their website (www.wildswimmingcornwall.co.uk) listing all the swimming groups in Cornwall that they know of. When we show up at the water’s edge, no matter what kind of day we’re having, it will always be eradicated by the adrenaline and excitement of swimming in cold water. Making an effort to go swimming with others is an act of self care. It is deciding to take the time to invest in our wellbeing and challenge ourselves in a unique way. Swimming in open water whether it’s a lake, river, quarry, tidal pool or the ocean also enables us to build a greater affinity with nature. We can watch cormorants dive beneath the ocean’s surface as we do and explore ecosystems that nourish our instinctual desire to be surrounded by nature. Max elaborates: “We hope that as more people head outdoors to swim, they will develop a greater affinity with nature and a greater drive to protect it.
If more people are accessing the benefits that nature helps to provide us, both mentally and physically, then hopefully it will encourage them to take action to protect these spaces for future generations. A big part of the project for us is to promote the importance of reducing our impact on the environment. Whether it’s making the decision to cut down on single use plastics, or supporting other projects like Surfers Against Sewage – we hope that reading our book and going swimming will enable more people to connect what they do in their daily lives with how that’s going to impact the environment that surrounds and looks after us.” The founders spent the entire summer last year creating, co-authoring and self-publishing A Guide to Wild Swimming in Cornwall. The guidebook features over 50 swimming locations with detailed information on how to conduct a cold water swim safely. To discover more about Wild Swimming Cornwall, for safety advice on swimming outdoors and to read a full list of the many benefits that swimming in cold water has – head to www.wildswimmingcornwall.co.uk Or follow them on social media @wildswimmingcornwall
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IDEAL FOODS 80% EXPORT SALES
TREGOTHNAN SELLING TEA TO CHINA
EXPORT CO R N I S H P R O D U C T S A R E E X P O R T E D AC R O S S T H E W O R L D. deal Foods is a family run, international seafood trade and export company, based in Liskeard. The company exports fish, shellfish and fish-by-products to customers in more than 40 countries around the world, specifically in the Far East, Europe and the USA. Over the past 13 years, Ideal Foods has seen consistent year-on-year growth and despite the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit has achieved another record turnover of £15.9 million for the last financial year. This equates to 14,670 tonnes of fish of which 80% has been sold overseas. Sustainability is at the very heart of Ideal Foods core values and the company strives to ensure that no parts of the fish go to waste. Fish heads and other fish by-products are exported to Asia, supplying the large retailers in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The frames, bellies and offcuts are exported to the Ukraine, Poland and Latvia to name but a few. The safest part of the fish, Ideal Foods supplies to Europe’s largest baby food manufacturers and the company has become a long-standing and trusted supplier of fish that meets some of the strictest food safety specifications, in this highly regulated industry. Three years ago, Ideal Foods launched its own pet food brand, Purely Fish with a range of 100% natural treats, canned wet food, toppers and raw food for cats and dogs, all made from fish. This provides a market for any parts of the fish that are not suitable for humans.
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Other Cornish companies making big impressions overseas include Newquay-based fashion brand, Celtic & Co. The ethically-sourced clothing company has enjoyed particular success with export sales in recent years, winning the Queen’s Award for Export in 2018 and again in 2020. Latest annual sales figures of £16 million were fuelled by an 82% lift in international business, which now accounts for a third of Celtic’s turnover. It sells its products to more than 100 countries worldwide, with designated websites for America, Australia, Germany, and most recently, Japan. “Our strategy is to focus on a wide range of markets and opportunities to ensure we are not over reliant on one market or territory,” says co-founder Nick Whitworth. “A key part of this strategy is international growth. We will be targeting a further 20% increase in net sales and increased profitability in 2021.” And if you can sell tea to China, you must clearly be doing something right. For that is exactly what Cornish tea grower Tregothnan does. China is unlikely to ever be Tregothnan’s biggest overseas customer – that’s the USA – but it certainly grabs the headlines. “China is never going to be a big market,” says MD of trading, Jonathon Jones OBE, “but it’s nice when we get Chinese tea companies asking us to produce tea for them under licence. It makes us realise that they take us seriously.”
CELTIC & CO. IN 100 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE
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Aerohub Business Park
C-Space
Kowel Gwenen Co-workspace
Kowel Gwenen Co-workspace @ Newquay Orchard
INSPIRING WORKSPACES N E W Q U AY O F F E R S A N E X E M P L A R Y R A N G E O F C R E AT I V E W O R K S PA C E S . For a more rural feel, there is the new Kowel Gwenen at Newquay Orchard, which claims to be the first of its kind in the UK bringing together a community garden and collaborative office-working environment. The new community building is the brainchild of CEO Luke Berkeley. He said: “The way we work as a society has been changing for a long time now and this has only been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. I think bringing together lots of different people with different specialisms, in a space that we have proven can benefit mental health, will be a fascinating reaction to this change in working life. HoHouse specially this past year, many have realised that our workspace is just as important to us as any space – why do we put up with stuffy, uninspiring workspaces? Newquay on the North Coast offers a plethora of creative spaces where you are literally spoilt for choice. Firstly, there is a choice of inspiring co-workspaces, including the home of Crowdfunder – CSpace – a renovated backpacker’s hostel which offers people the chance to “connect, collaborate and create under one roof” and also boasts a production studio, event space and a local produce café and bar. Then there is the HOHouse, which offers a very contemporary industrial look with plywood wall finishes with artwork and houses offices and hot desking as well as a Pilates studio and hair salon. The most recent arrival to the town is four-storey Pentire House which opened earlier this year, another co-workspace which has stunning sea views from its rooftop terrace alongside a yoga/event space, kitchen, and bar on the ground floor.
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“The office team here at Newquay Orchard experiences first-hand the benefits that can come from working in a community space like this. Taking that time away from their screen to walk through the Orchard, join a volunteering session or even forage for some herbs to take home for dinner has impacted their ways of working and their mental and physical health and that’s what we want to share with our members of the co-workspace at Kowel Gwenen.” Located at Cornwall Airport Newquay is the Aerohub Enterprise Zone which claims to be the best location in Europe for aerospace businesses, with plots available as well as ready-made office and industrial space. So, Newquay really has got you covered.
T H E C H A N C E TO C O N N E C T , C O L L A B O R AT E A N D C R E AT E U N D E R O N E R O O F
ACCELERATION THROUGH INNOVATION 2 DRIVING BUSINESS INNOVATION IN CORNWALL WITH ACCESS TO WORLD LEADING RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH: SUSTAINABLE EARTH INSTITUTE MARINE INSTITUTE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE RESEARCH
SUPPORTING BUSINESSES TO ACCELERATE GROWTH THROUGH THE UTILISATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
ASK THE INNOVATION EXPERTS: WWW.ATICORNWALLINNOVATION.CO.UK
CO R N WA L L.U K T H E G 7 B R O U G H T CO R N WA L L TO A W O R L D W I D E AU D I E N C E . B U T A S W I T H T H E A N N UA L E XO D U S O F O U R S U M M E R V I S I TO R S , T H E R I S K I S T H AT CO R N WA L L W I L L O N C E AG A I N J U S T B E CO M E A VAG U E M E M O RY O F W O N D E R F U L B E AC H E S A N D G R E AT H O S P I TA L I T Y TO S O M A N Y. Like this magazine, cornwall.uk aims to change all that! Cornwall isn’t just a once-a-year (or even a once-in-a-lifetime) place to visit. It is also a place of heritage, innovation, ambition, culture and so much more. The site does not compete with all the existing, and often excellent, Cornish content already available. Instead, it acts as a central portal, carrying interesting features and stories, but also signposting more in-depth content created and maintained elsewhere. It will also be the repository of the G7 legacy, and all the stories of Cornish innovation and excellence pulled together for this event will continue to have a worldwide audience through the site. It is the brainchild of the Cornwall Place Board, which brings together people who care about the future of Cornwall and who wish to actively promote the Duchy as a great place to live and work. It is an independent not-for-profit organisation which acts as a guardian of the Cornwall brand and place story. With the support of Cornish businesses, organisations and Cornwall Council, it has created cornwall.uk to help improve the Duchy’s economic outlook through attracting inward investment and creating well-paid jobs, whilst also sharing interesting facts that showcase the distinctive heritage and special character of Cornwall as a place to live and work. Content on the website includes Business, Community, Culture & Creativity, Education, Environment, Food & Drink, Stay & Enjoy and Quick Facts, as well as links to news content and a growing list of content partners.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT C O R N WA L L A N D T H E G 7 L E G A C Y : C O R N WA L L . U K
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James Staughton OBE DL is chair of the Cornwall Place Board, and, together with a growing band of influential Cornophiles, is tirelessly promoting the Cornish agenda. As well as cornwall.uk, this includes an ambitious “Ambassador” programme, open to one and all. The only stipulation to participate is that Ambassadors actively promote the interests of the Duchy in return for joining a global Cornish network, access to content and invitations to events. Details of the scheme, which aims to recruit a “Trelawny’s Army” of 20,000 people from around the globe is on the website.
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