Grant to help art group reach isolated children in Cornwall

Directors said they had seen art turn people's lives around

The founders of an art scheme "changing the lives" of young people in Cornwall hope to take their classes on the road.

Community Interest Company (CIC) runs art sessions for children and teenagers in Newquay struggling with their mental health.

Plans are now in motion to buy a van with a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Marie Ralph, co-director, said this could help children in "isolated areas".

Ms Ralph said the "inclusive" service for 11 to 17-year-olds was about using art as a form of "intervention to communicate and engage with young people".

It is hoped young people in remote areas will access the service for the first time

She said they had seen art "change lives".

She added: "Even as an adult we find it hard to go and talk to a therapist and yet we're expecting children to be able to do that.

"We've done some targeted work with young people out of school, suffering from really severe anxiety, depression... and had fantastic feed back and results from that".

The CIC, based at C-space work hub, has run many art sessions in Newquay for young people with a range of mental health and behavioural issues since it formed in 2021.

It has run "pop-up" events around Cornwall but logistics and storage of resources were difficult.

Ms Ralph said the new van will be able to get to "more remote areas where young people are completely isolated".

Sessions are run for adults as well as under 18s

"It's about reaching those people who would otherwise get missed or be on huge waiting lists," she explained.

"Nobody is excluded here - we don't care if you've got challenging behaviour, we don't care if you've been excluded from school... we support everyone together," she said.

There is no charge for the service but people who can afford to are asked to make a small donation.

Ms Ralph said Youth Art Connect were in the process to become a registered charity and to be eligible for further grant funding.