St Austell Brewery is funding a vital course which is delivering a mental health fitness programme to young people.
The Pearl Exchange, in Bude, is a drop-in centre for 18– to 35-year-olds, where they can find an escape from a variety of issues through creativity and workshops.
Following the death of Pearl Bamford in 2019, aged just 19, her parents, Rose and Johnny, felt compelled to assist the younger generation of North Cornwall to help them build more positive futures. They set up a charity to do just that.
With improving mental health for young people at the forefront of its goals, the Pearl Exchange approached the St Austell Charitable Trust to cover the cost of providing a one-day intensive course working with mental health practitioner Katie Griffin to deliver her ‘Thera-Sea’ mental health fitness programme.
The programme promotes the idea that the understanding and management of mental health is a lifelong journey, one that participants can take ownership of by equipping themselves with an educational, science-backed approach to aid the prevention of mental ill-health.
The St Austell Charitable Trust has been supporting local charities, good causes, and individuals in need across the South West since its launch in 2003. To date, it has raised more than £1 million.
“We’re always looking to support causes in and around the South West which are actively making a difference to people’s lives, and that is exactly what the Pearl Exchange is doing,” said Piers Thompson, St Austell Brewery’s external relations director.
“It’s so important to look after our mental health, and for a charity to reach an age group which can really benefit from this course is one of the reasons we wanted to help provide a crucial resource for local young people.”
A spokesperson from the Pearl Exchange added: “We are so grateful to St Austell for their generous donation. This donation will enable us to provide an accredited mental health resilience day in January 2024, equipping 12 participants with the skills to revolutionise their mental health wellbeing and create lasting change in their lives.”
The course will be open to young people who will be further supported by the charity through signposting to its counselling support or workshops. The Pearl Exchange aims to run the course in January 2024 to kickstart people’s mental health resilience at the beginning of a new year.
