Camborne Regeneration Forum Youth Conference
Friday October 7th 2022 at the Fibre Hub
‘Shaping Camborne’s Future’
The 2022 Camborne Regeneration Forum Youth Conference at the Fibre Hub, Trevenson Lane, Pool, was a great success attracting a record 57 students from 10 Camborne & Pool schools.
The event was sponsored by the Fibre Hub & Cornwall College Camborne, with fantastic food from the NIMBUS cafe in Fibre Hub.
Rose Hitchens-Todd, Engagement Officer at Camborne Town Council, gave an introduction to the 8 projects planned for Camborne – using the £23.7 million Town Deal funding from the Government. Asked to describe Camborne in one word, the children said: Beautiful – Calm – Bustling – Traditional – Improvable – Community – Inspiring – Unique – Growing – all great positive thoughts on our town. It was also good to hear their caring thoughts on what the money should be spent on – Building affordable housing – Creating homeless shelters – Nursery Care – Activities.
In the afternoon Rose ran a workshop for the students to give all their input into 3 particular Town Deal projects – Park Gerry Sport and Amenity, Kerrier Way Green Space & the Basset Centre & White House Community Hub. To learn more about the Camborne Town Deal Projects go to www.cambornetowndeal.com
Toby Parkins, owner of Fibre Hub & co-sponsor of the Conference, talked about the high technology business hub he is creating to make Camborne the high tech. centre of the South West. Town Deal funding is helping him in his mission. He gave examples of how remote ‘intelligent control’ is being developed at Fibre Hub & applied to the ‘Tour de France’ cycle race, Formula 1 racing & remote underground mining. There is a great career opportunity for Camborne students in this highly paid business sector. Have a look at the Fibre Hub on their website www.fibrehub.uk
Venetia Summers, head of the Duchy College at Rosewarne, & Clyde Connellan from catering at Cornwall College, demonstrated how to grow herbs on your windowsill & how to make your own Pesto sauce – to go with your Pizza. Duchy College has Town Deal funding to develop a Food & Farming Enterprise Hub to provide short courses on: Growing & Maintaining your own vegetable garden, Cooking on a budget, Herb planting & use, Let’s go Vegan, Introduction to Smallholders (Poultry and Bee Keeping), Basic Butchery, Environmental Awareness, Preservatives – all essential topics to be able to enjoy a healthy life. To learn more go to www.duchy.ac.uk
Delia Webb & John Page, from the Cornish Plastic Pollution Coalition, presented & demonstrated the catastrophic amount of pollution left on our beaches by visitors to the beaches & pollution washed up onto our beaches from around the world – all polluting our amazing coastline & environment. In 2021, in Cornwall, volunteers spent 70,000 hours clearing rubbish from our beaches. Over one winter they collected 66,000 bottle tops from our beaches. Such pollution goes all the way down the food chain so that we humans, & all other creatures, are eating plastic. In their workshop, Delia & John showed the many different types of pollution found on our beaches – many of which the students could not identify. It was good to hear that all of the students knew that it is their, & all humans, responsibility to stop this happening. Have a look at their website www.cppccornwall.org.uk & if you would like to have a presentation at your school contact info@cppccvornwall.org.uk
George Le Hunte
Camborne Regeneration Forum
October 2022