A VITAL community hub in Saltash is helping to change lives, thanks to funding from the Commissioner’s Community Grant Scheme.

The Core Youth and Community Centre, a safe and inclusive space for young people, has received a £5,000 grant from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Devon and Cornwall – support that staff say is “nothing short of a lifeline”.

The Core offers a wide range of activities and essential services for local youth. Open seven days a week, the centre includes a sports hall with a climbing wall, art room, fully equipped kitchen, a large garden with a fire pit, and a soon-to-be-opened boxing gym.

Thanks to this year’s grant, The Core has launched a 12-week pilot project targeting Year 11 students at risk of school exclusion.

Partnering with Groundwork South, the programme offers alternative provision two days a week to 16 teenagers, focusing on practical and functional education. The project is further supported by skilled volunteers from the Saltash Community Shed, who are helping to provide hands-on learning and mentoring.

This funding follows a previous £5,000 grant from the Police Property Act Fund in 2023, allowing The Core to expand its offerings further.

Youth co-ordinator Charlotte Carpenter said: “Our youth programme is reliant on grant funding as we keep the cost of our sessions low so that everyone can come here and use it as a safe space.

“All the pots of money we receive are a lifeline; we really wouldn’t be here without them. To have received two lots of £5,000 from both the Commissioner’s grant schemes is massive for us.”

With demand for youth services rising and many organisations struggling financially, support like this is more vital than ever.

Thanks to these grants, The Core can not only keeping its doors open - it can help change the trajectory of young lives in Saltash.