St Ives CLT were invited to be part of a national pilot scheme funded by the Government’s UK Research and Innovation Department
Its aim was to set up a number of Community Research Networks around the country to collect existing data and research new information in to subjects chosen by local people, in order to use that information to make positive changes.
Our pilot community research network was called Life In St Ives. We wanted to build on the St Ives Community Charter, launched in 2017, and understand what would be needed to support the declared assets in the Charter for the benefit of the local community and its long-term needs.
The pilot phase focused on four of the Charter’s Community Assets and how we should develop plans to sustain them:
Asset 1. Our health and well-being –
many of us choose this as a place to live because of the quality of life it offers, in close connection with land and sea and with strong community spirit. The well-being of current and future generations in both these regards should be considered paramount in decisions on the future direction of development in the area.
Asset 2. Our aspiration of an affordable and prosperous future for younger generations –
including secure employment, enterprise and educational opportunity for those who desire it. This future should be based around local production and retail, entrepreneurship and good management of land and resources. Truly affordable living is vital, particularly with regard to home ownership and/or rental. Houses in St Ives area should be seen first and foremost as homes rather than investments.
Asset 3. Our strong small and micro business sector –
which rests on local innovation and entrepreneurship and is the bedrock of local economic resilience. Provision should be made to support and promote the diversity of small businesses, potentially threatened by the insatiable spread of tourism, into the future in order to provide sustainable and right livelihoods for future generations’
Asset 4. Our variety of local facilities available to the local community –
allowing social, faith based and sporting groups to flourish. These include chapels, St Ives farmers market, museum, Archive Heritage Centre, St Ives Theatre (Kid R Us), choirs and singing groups, Rugby Clubs, football grounds, rowing and sailing clubs, band rooms and many more. And the aspiration in Carbis Bay and Lelant for more of these facilities.
For more information about the St Ives Community Charter, please click here.
We heard in October 2024 that our application for the main phase of funding had been unsuccessful.
We are now going to look for new opportunities during 2025 to work out whether there can be a new version of Life In St Ives.