AFTER a six-month build and eight years of community effort, the trustees of St Tudy Playing Field Trust are celebrating the opening of the new community hub building.

The Hub is a purpose designed net-zero, accessible community building located in the centre of the village on the St Tudy Playing Fields.

St Tudy Community Hub trustees and committee members during the official opening. (Picture: Frankie Thomas on behalf of St Tudy Playing Field Trust)
St Tudy Community Hub trustees and committee members during the official opening. (Picture: Frankie Thomas on behalf of St Tudy Playing Field Trust) ( )

The opening event on was attended by local dignitaries instrumental in carrying the project to completion. Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire, Cllr Louis Gardner and Cllr Dominic Fairman of Cornwall Council and representatives from those who will use the purpose-built building were all in attendance, including community organisations, the parish council and children from St Tudy Preschool and St Tudy School.

The green ribbon was cut by Cornwall women’s rugby captain Amy Bunt and local resident Harold Sheer, 94, cut the cake. After the official opening members of the local community including preschoolers, school children, their parents and families enjoyed a tour of the new building, followed by tea and cake.

Harold Sheer cuts the cake. (Picture: Frankie Thomas)
Harold Sheer cuts the cake. (Picture: Frankie Thomas) ( )

Construction work was carried out by Runnalls Construction and made possible thanks to a Community Levelling Up Programme grant of £137,028. The Community Levelling Up Programme is part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The trustees also secured a grant from the Cornwall Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy Fund of £100,000.

Mr Maguire, MP for North Cornwall, said: “I would like to congratulate the people of St Tudy who have pulled together over a very long time to bring this fabulous new building to the village. It is a testament to their tenacity and hard work that they managed to secure funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which has so often not favoured rural projects.

Amy Bunt cuts the ribbon to declare the new community centre open while invited guests and dignitaries join in the celebrations (Picture: Frankie Thomas)
Amy Bunt cuts the ribbon to declare the new community centre open while invited guests and dignitaries join in the celebrations (Picture: Frankie Thomas) (Frankie Thomas)

“I am sure that the benefits will be felt well beyond the boundary of the parish and it is a pleasure to see such a well thought out and sustainable project delivered by local contractors. I sincerely hope that future government support will be offered on a much longer timescale with appropriate recognition of the unique challenges to accessing funding for the smaller rural communities that are so typical of North Cornwall”.

Karen Whalley, trustee, on behalf of the St Tudy Playing Field Trust, who led the bid said: “We are delighted that our Community Hub project has been completed. It comes after eight years of meetings, community research, different building plans and a huge variety of fundraising events. Countless hours have been spent on the project by members of the local community over the years for which Playing Field Trustees are very grateful.

“Thanks must also be given to all the grant providers who thought that our project had merit and were willing to support it financially. We look forward to the Hub being used by community members for a variety of uses, extending the opportunities for those in the village of St Tudy and the wider area.”