Local community makes its mark in Camborne

Youth groups, school children and community groups from across Camborne have been demonstrating their creative flair by designing the artwork for safety hoardings that will surround the former CompAir Holman site in Camborne. The new hoardings are being installed to secure the site and protect the public from dust and noise once site preparation gets underway at the end of November.

The art project has been organised by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency and site owner, in collaboration with CPR Regeneration to stimulate interest in the regeneration of Camborne and to make the hoarding as attractive and informative as possible. English Partnerships is in the process of preparing the former CompAir Holman site for redevelopment as part of the £90m investment programme that will deliver new homes, employment space, better transport links and around 250 new jobs within a high quality, sustainable neighbourhood.

Groups of children and young people, along with some of the town’s more senior residents, have been encouraged to put pen to paper and illustrate what a day in the life of Camborne means to them during a series of workshops led by local community artist Mark Craig. The next stage will be for Mark to transfer the designs to the hoardings with the help of the young artists. On-site painting will take place from 7 November and the project will be completed in early December.

The process is being co-ordinated with the help of the local Excellence Cluster education initiative, CPR Success Zone, which works with pupils in 28 primary and secondary schools in Camborne, Pool and Redruth to raise self-esteem and expectations of children of all ages and provides access to high quality training.

Those invited to decorate the hoardings include young people from Camborne Science and Community College, Rosemellin, Roskear, St John’s, St Meridoc, Troon and Weeth primary schools, as well as youth and community groups.

David Warburton, English Partnerships’ Area Director and URC Board Member said: ‘This is a terrific way to get young people thinking about the future of their home town and from what I’ve seen of the designs, the art project has really captured their imagination. The hoardings serve a practical purpose but they’ve also enabled the youth groups to articulate their aspirations for Camborne. Regeneration isn’t just about building new developments; it’s about creating new opportunities and improving the quality of life for people by giving them ownership of their community and a sense of pride in the place where they live, work and relax.’