THIRTEEN organisations in Cornwall have received funding totalling more than £17,000 in the latest round of awards from the Cornish Lithium Community Fund.

Grants of between £250 and £2,500 have been awarded to support the work of clubs, charities and groups that seek to make a positive difference in the areas where Cornish Lithium is undertaking mineral exploration work.

These areas currently include the Gwennap, Chacewater, St Day, Carharrack, Tolgus and Blackwater districts in the west of the county and the Clay Country around St Austell.

Twice a year, in the summer and winter, Cornish Lithium invites applications from projects that will enhance skills and education, upgrade social welfare facilities, support industrial heritage and mining history, improve environmental impacts or promote health and wellbeing.

The community fund, established in collaboration with the Cornwall Community Foundation, has awarded £17,390 in the latest round.

Those receiving money are Active Plus, Headway Cornwall, Imagine If, Lowender Youth Folk Project, MEDO Memory Cafe, Moorvision, Redruth Cricket Club, Roche Brass, St Denny’s Beaders, Sunny Days Nursery and Preschool, Travellerspace, Whitemoor Carnival and Whitemoor Village Hall.

Active Plus, located in St Austell, deploys the skills, experience and expertise of injured and retired military veterans to deliver activities that build confidence, improve motivation, and generate a sense of belonging and self-worth, to help people fulfil their potential. The award will enable Active Plus to deliver courses to residents in the china clay area and enhance community connections.

Headway Cornwall in Tolgus will use its award to cover venue hire, wages, specialist services such as physiotherapy and counselling, and equipment to deliver a wider range of activities for those living with the effects of an acquired brain injury to improve their wellbeing and support their rehabilitation.

Imagine If is a wellbeing hub in Chacewater that aims to reduce loneliness and offers practical advice and signposting about a broad array of issues from healthcare to the cost of living. Its grant will fund a variety of activities including triage for frailty, support for carers, movement sessions, a menopause cafe and a pop-up chronic pain cafe.

Lowender Youth Folk Project, based in Redruth, enables young people to learn about Cornwall’s mining, fishing and farming heritage through its traditional folk music. It teaches vocal techniques, rhythm and timing, as well as teamworking and communication skills to help build confidence. Its funding will be utilised to broaden inclusion, celebrate diversity and engender a sense of pride in place.

MEDO is a memory cafe in the Chacewater/Threemilestone area, which “combines dementia and joy in the same room”. This is achieved through a well-planned and researched programme of appropriate activities that promote cognitive ability and encourage smiles. The award will be used to secure high quality entertainment to spark memories, bring laughter and enable people and their carers to socialise.

Moorvision is a charity for families with children and young people who are vision impaired. The grant will enable accessible sporting activities to be provided, including rock climbing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking, in a safe and positive environment, with the aim of reducing social isolation, boosting confidence and improving wellbeing.

Redruth Cricket Club will buy a lithium battery to store solar-generated electricity with its funding. The club will, therefore, save money on its energy consumption, generate excess energy to sell back to the National Grid and reduce its carbon emissions.

Roche Brass will buy a Besson Prestige cornet with its award. Many of its instruments are on loan from brass bands that disbanded after the Covid-19 pandemic and could be recalled at any time. The community ensemble raises funds for local causes and plans to buy instruments for its full cohort of players to enable musicians from all backgrounds to participate.

St Denny’s Beaders is a craft group that meets weekly at ClayTAWC in St Dennis. It comprises widows and retirees in search of company, but everyone is welcome and its sessions bring people together. This group’s funding will go towards venue hire costs.

Sunny Days Nursery and Preschool, based in St Day, will use its grant to expand forest school activities for its early years children, fund staff training and buy equipment.

Travellerspace aims to break down barriers experienced by travellers in accessing health education and welfare services. It offers outreach, runs the Teyluva Centre in St Day and will spend its award on new toys and play equipment for children and babies from a nearby travellers site.

Whitemoor Carnival Committee generates community spirit in the Clay Country by bringing residents and businesses together for its annual event. The grant will fund brass and samba bands to lead the walking procession, as well as a DJ and local groups to entertain villagers in the carnival marquee.

Whitemoor Village Hall will use its funding to assist with the running costs of the charity it has established to raise the required funds to build a new community space following the demolition of the village’s original and derelict hall.

Lucy Crane, of Cornish Lithium, said: “Cornish Lithium Community Fund panel members were inspired by all of these community initiatives, which enhance social interaction, reduce isolation, improve the environment, and promote wellness and wellbeing in the areas of Cornwall where our lithium exploration and extraction projects are located.

“We are immensely proud to support them with awards made through our latest funding round and look forward to learning about the positive impacts that these initiatives will have on local communities.”

Cornwall Community Foundation chief executive Tamas Haydu said: “Cornwall Community Foundation is delighted to partner with Cornish Lithium in supporting grassroots projects that make a real difference to local people.

“These grants will help strengthen communities, enhance wellbeing and create lasting positive change across Cornish Lithium project areas."

The summer 2025 funding round opens on Thursday, March 27, and the deadline for applications is 9am on Thursday, May 15. A panel will then meet to assess applications, select the projects that will receive grants and award them in late summer.

For more information about the fund, visit www.cornwallcommunityfoundation.com/news/cornish-lithium-community-fund/