MORE than half of the people being made redundant from Cornwall’s Eden Project had worked for the organisation for more than ten years – with 18 having been involved since the biomes first opened to the public in the year 2000.

Following a six-week restructuring process brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the company has announced 169 redundancies.

The Eden Project has lost around £7million in the first quarter of the financial year with more losses expected.

But the number of people leaving is fewer than first feared, said executive director David Hartland. The 169 people leaving in full and part-time roles amount to 122 full-time equivalent jobs out of a total of 375 full-time equivalent jobs. Of the people leaving, 72 took voluntary redundancy. Some staff have agreed to reduce hours or share roles – and because visitor numbers have been better than anticipated since Eden reopened in July, this has also saved the number of redundancies from being higher.

David Harland said: “We have had to react to the most extraordinary set of circumstances that the pandemic caused. The restructure was to ensure Eden’s survival and without it Eden would not have survived. 

“We are gutted that we are losing 169 brilliant people as a result of it. You leave with our love and our gratitude and our friendship and you will be missed enormously.”

He said that 18 of those leaving had worked for Eden for 20 years or more, and 62 for 10 years or more: “Those numbers are staggering and we know that behind each of those numbers are enormous amounts of dedication, hard work and passion.”

In a message to all staff, Eden co-founder Sir Tim Smit said: “The Eden we see today owes so much to all of you and so much to those who are leaving at the moment.  

“No-one can ever take that away from you and nor should they.  I am intensely proud of what everybody has achieved.

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the economy will recover, that next year will be an absolute triumph.  All we can do at the moment is link arms in solidarity and say to those who are leaving us, ‘Godspeed and thanks ever so much. Don’t be a stranger.  We are one family.’”