Thankyou to everyone for your support!

Our initial Crowdfunder achieved its goal of £25,000 with almost 200 pledges from over 135 supporters.  Whilst you can no longer select from the campaign rewards we are still accepting donations - each and every donation to our project is hugely appreciated.

Since the Crowdfunder ended we have received a further £20,000 grant award from the Bernard Sunley Foundation and we are finalising the documents ready to take the project to tender.  

Sadly we still have no word on when the Community Ownership Fund decision will be announced - originally we should have heard at the end of June but decisions were delayed due to the election being announced and we've had no update since then, but we'll keep everyone posted! Fingers crossed we have positive news soon!

Who we are?

We're a volunteer run charity that provides affordable facilities for community sport & recreation, located on the Sennen seafront.   

The centre was donated to the people of Sennen over 100 years ago (1923) and the charity was set up to ensure it remains a valuable community asset for future generations.

As the only waterside community building in Sennen Parish we provide essential space for ocean based community clubs, lifesaving training, environmental awareness events, community social activities and more.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Recent feasibility studies determined the centre requires rebuilding if it is to remain open and fulfil its intended purpose: providing an affordable space for the local community to use for sport, leisure, training and recreation. 

The building is simply no longer fit for use for anything other than storage, and the condition is rapidly worsening due to the leaking roof. This severely limits the activities of the community groups based at the centre - including the local surf club, gig club & junior lifesaving club.

Without renovation we will be forced to close!

We have recently received planning permission to rebuild the centre, which is great news as the building is in very poor condition, with widespread damp & mould and a subsiding bank at the rear, so it is unsuitable for use by the community.  

This new and improved centre will offer a warm, safe, comfortable space with accessible changing areas, toilet & shower facilities, community gym, small kitchen and multi-purpose training areas, enabling us to support many more activities.  

We have been working on securing funding in order to complete this exciting build project, but it doesn't cover everything and this is where you come in! We really hope you can help us. 

 "The current building is not fit for purpose, and the plans for the new centre look great. The new building would turn it from a space I have to use, to one that I would want to use."

Please pledge your support and share the project with your friends & family! You can donate directly (with added gift aid contribution of 25%!) or select one of the fantastic range of rewards we have available - many of which were donated by fantastic local businesses. Read on to find out more.

Together we can save this community space and create a modern, warm, environmentally sustainable centre for our community, and for the generations to come.

Why is it needed?

Recreation, leisure and sports activities play an important role in communities. Their many benefits include improving the health and well-being of individuals, contributing to the empowerment of individuals, and promoting the development of inclusive communities.

"We are so lucky to have this valuable community resource in the cove, it is such a shame that its condition is such that it cannot be used properly at present. Hopefully, the redesigned centre will allow it to meet its full potential. It will be a welcome addition to local life"

The rebuild of the Sennen Cove Recreation Centre facilitates and supports provision of affordable community focused activities, in an area that is predominantly tourist focused, enabling our local clubs to improve the lives of many in the community through: 

Improved physical & mental health

Rising levels of obesity (in both children & adults) is a national problem, so encouraging a healthy lifestyle by providing opportunities for physical activity with a local, affordable community gym / training centre, and improving access to ocean based physical activity is essential provision for the health of the local community.

The centre facilitates the running of the Sennen Surf Club, which is one of the longest running clubs in the UK and Cape Cornwall Gig Club, amongst others. The surf club offer affordable surf sessions purely for members of the local community, providing both an adults club and a children's club.  Surfing has been proven to not only improve physical health, but also improves mental health through raising self esteem, providing social interaction and reducing anxiety.

"The centre at the moment is really only suitable for storage. Having a changing space, surf storage, fitness facilities and classes and social facilities would really help bring an already strong community, even closer together. It would provide a space for those windy days when it is too dangerous for the children to be out surfing, to continue their surfing and lifesaving education."

Essential water safety & skills training

As a coastal community it is critical that the local population are able to safely engage in water activities. Despite the limitations with the current facility, the recreation centre has been used to help run a series of lifesaving programmes -  such as the RLSS Rookie Lifeguard Programme and the RLSS NVBLQ Beach Lifeguard Programme, lifeguard development for young people aged 14-16 years old and first aid / life support courses. There are opportunities for personal development which include surf coaching courses based at the centre.

Courses run from the centre are extremely affordable, even more so for individuals who volunteer within the clubs involved, but even at the standard rate it is less than the usual cost at a commercial provider.

Reducing loneliness & isolation

Loneliness & social isolation is a particular problem in rural areas, and as many as half of our estimated users could be classed as socially isolated due to their location. Sennen has an imbalance of second homes, which compounds this problem, with many unused for much of the year providing little or no benefit to the community.  Provision of a warm, safe & inviting space is an essential offering for community groups to provide an opportunity for social interaction and improve community cohesion.

The Cove doesn't have alternative social spaces for community use and since the building condition deteriorated community groups have reported their opportunities for socialising have been heavily impacted.

 "I’m so excited for this renovation, it will totally transform the centre and turn it from a damp building that’s held together by community spirit into a real asset for the wider community. I can’t wait to see what exciting things take place in the new space and how many doors it will open up."

Opportunities for volunteering

The recreation centre is a space that empowers the local community to take ownership and provide activities and services to meet local needs. There are varied volunteering opportunities within both the charity itself, and the community groups who are based at the centre.

The community clubs based at the centre have qualified instructors in life support, first aid, beach lifeguarding and junior lifeguarding. Volunteers at the community surf club have used their experience to gain employment at local schools, and volunteer lifeguards (trained via the RLSS NVBLQ course held at the centre) have gained employment with the RNLI and as surf coaches with local surf businesses.

 "Being a member of Sennen surf club, a volunteer with the groms club, a yoga teacher and avid surfer I am very excited with the proposed development."

Reducing impact on the environment  

The new build aims to create an environmentally friendly centre - using recycled / sustainable materials wherever possible, lowering our CO2 emissions and improving our environmental sustainability. It will be fully insulated, significantly reducing energy use and the impact on the environment, enabling the installation of an energy efficient heating system. 

The centre will encourage active travel and help to reduce the local need for private car journeys by providing more options for local activity within walking / cycling distance of residents' homes. This is particularly essential as Sennen is isolated geographically and has limited public and private transport options.  The next closest gym facility for example is over 7km away.

The centre's members have a wide range of experience in environmental topics, with some members also volunteering with agencies such as Plastic Free Penzance & Surfers Against Sewage, or being specialists in areas such as ecology and marine science. There has been interest expressed in holding environmental awareness workshops & talks at the centre which can utilise this expertise to help increase the awareness of environmental matters locally.

Additional community use

We have big plans for the future, and the new centre would allow us to expand the current range of activities on offer. We recently surveyed the local community to discover what activities would be of interest to people locally, with 126 responses to date. The existing activities at the centre (surfing, gig rowing and lifesaving) were well represented, and there was very high demand (over 50% of responses) to first aid training and gym / circuit training.  

New activities, such as sea swimming, yoga / pilates, film nights & environmental awareness events were also highly rated by respondents.

Several of the local schools in the West Penwith area have expressed interest in establishing a future partnership with the centre, there is a high demand for the centre for a variety of purposes as there is nothing similar available for their use. Their uses include outdoor learning opportunities, curriculum such as geography lessons, school enrichment & extra-curricular activities. 

 "Redevelopment of this building is essential to make it future proof and to make it more accessible to a wider section of the community."

The centre is the only purely community focused seafront centre in this area of West Penwith - with most waterside infrastructure focused on the tourist trade.

There is overwhelming support for the project, and the rebuild will ensure we are able to offer a warm, welcoming and safe space for all local residents for years to come.

How do we achieve this?

We have already been in receipt of £48,000 of funding (largely thanks to 2 successful funding bids from the Community Capacity Fund) and there are several further funding applications being processed, with decisions due by July. 

This includes a comprehensive bid submitted to the national Community Ownership Fund, which is specifically aimed at community buildings, like the centre, which are at risk of being lost. Due to the widespread damp & mould in the building fabric and the subsiding retaining bank behind the centre we perfectly fit the criteria for the fund!

But this won’t cover everything, and this is where you come in!

How can I help?

The simplest way is to help us reach our target here on CrowdFunder.co.uk.

You can:

• Make a Pledge. Make a donation or choose a reward from the many options we've put together, if we all put in a little then we can achieve great things! Please don't delay - momentum is key to our success! 
• Spread the word. Share our project with family & friends, post it to your social media pages & help us get word out to the world about what we're doing. The more people we reach, the more support we will get. 
• Help us fundraise. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea! 
• Offer a Reward. Do you run a local business? We can add additional reward tiers to our campaign, so let us know if you are able to donate! We will give you a shout out! 

Every penny helps! This campaign is eligible +Extra Funding of £16,000 - helping to make your money go even further! To unlock all of this we need 100 supporters and to raise £9,000 ourselves so every single person supporting us is hugely valued.

ACT NOW!

A massive thankyou from everyone here at Sennen Cove Recreation Centre, the Sennen Surf Club, Cape Cornwall Pilot Gig Club, Sennen Junior Lifeguard club & everyone else who relies on this centre!

Check out our rewards

We have a range of rewards available to you in return for your pledge, or you can donate directly to our project with optional gift aid to increase the effect! Every single pledge of support is very much appreciated - thankyou!

Many of our fantastic rewards were donated by the following amazing businesses and individuals - a big thankyou to all of you!

All items will be available for collection between 10-12am on Sunday 30th June or 28th July at the Sennen Cove Recreation Centre, other collection dates can be arranged. Postal option for rewards is available - please make sure you select that option along with the item that requires posting (we aim to have all postal items delivered by the end of June).

For more details on any of the rewards below please see our website!

• Sponsor the Centre!
  We have a prominent seafront location in a popular tourist destination!  Your business will be featured on a plaque on the front of the centre & on our website!
• Limited Edition Sennen design T-shirts, vests & hoodies
  All clothing in our campaign is 100% organic cotton printed with low waste printing tech in a renewable energy powered factory. The sustainable option!
  Please select the size on our campaign - we will get in touch for your preferred design / colour selection (circle design available in white, stone blue & denim blue) after the campaign ends!

Standard / Scoop / V-neck option is also available for ladies T-shirts, but not in all colours! 

• 1 week holiday for 6 in a luxury holiday let in Mousehole!
  This luxury 3 bedroom former fisherman's cottage is right in the heart of Mousehole with idyllic views over the harbour and a luxurious interior. Please check this website for availability (your booking will be made direct with us), excludes school holidays.

• Long weekend in a 2 bed (sleeps 4) superior caravan in Sennen
  The Wyldecrest Parks superior caravans are top of the range, offering superior comfort and all the amenities to have the most relaxing getaway. Long weekend stay (Friday - Monday) for any date between 15 Sept 24 & 1 April 25 (subject to availability). 
  

• FCS UK - A selection of fins, surfboard covers, leash & wax bundles!

• Coastal Ear Health - Ear Health Check & Consultation
• Moulded.co.uk - Custom Moulded Ear Plugs

• Mike Newman Photography - Waves photo book & calendar

• Midwinter Silver - Sennen sea glass & silver necklace
• Sara Bevan - 'Late Autumn'. Framed oil painting on board
• Nicky Huxham Artist - Hand crafted copper bracelets

• Nicky Huxham Artist - 3 Stunning paintings (oil on ply 3' x 3')
  'Storms End', 'Cape Cornwall from Sennen Cove' & 'Emerald Wave'

• St Justin Jewellery - a fantastic selection of their Cornish crafted pewter jewellery, which uses Cornish tin: 

• Angela Annesley Printmaker - Linoprint of Sennen Lifeboat Slip
• East of Here, Penzance - 100% wool rug with St Piran Flag 
• Cornish Seaweed Bath Co - Super Nutrient Haircare Set
• Hellcat Hair - Selection of haircare products 
• Moonshine Framing, Penzance - £50 voucher
• Archie Browns, Penzance - ocean saver water bottle, bag & £10 gift voucher
• Ania Haye Jewellery - 6 x £50 vouchers
• St Eval - selection of candles
• Glassraven web design - Custom designed WordPress website

Treat yourself to some great local food & drink!

• The Copper Fox Bar / Mounts Bay Wines - £25 voucher
• Ruby Junes Indian Kitchen - £20 voucher
• Pizza Roja - £20 Voucher
• Blue Lagoon Fish Bar, Sennen - 4 x Fish & Chips vouchers
• First & Last Inn - Meal for 2 voucher
• The Mexico Inn, Longrock - 2 x £10 vouchers
• Lavenders Deli & Bakery - £10 voucher
• Moomaid of Zennor - £10 ice cream voucher
• The Cornish Oven - Voucher for 4 pasties
• Porthcurno Beach Cafe - 4 x Cream tea vouchers
• The Old Coastguard, Mousehole - 3 course lunch for 2!

Or entertain yourselves with some of these activities:

• Sennen Surf Club - Surfing lessons:
  Various date options available - each date has limited places to ensure a small group to help you learn! Lessons led by club coaches Mike, James & Justin. Bring your own wetsuit (or hire next door at Smart Surf!), surfboards provided.
• Penzance Leisure Centre - 3 family swim vouchers
• Rob Hepworth from Penzance Tennis Club - 1 to 1 tennis lesson (1 hour)
• Porthcurno Telegraph Museum - family pass
• Roos Van Leeuwen - 3 hour beach art workshop at Sennen
• Newlyn Film House - 2 tickets to Arnow (surf film)
• Minack Theatre - 2 tickets to a performance of your choice
• Sennen Karate Club - £20 of karate lessons in Sennen
• James Allen Yoga - 1 to 1 Ashtanga Yoga Class (90 minutes)
• Cornwalls Great Escape Rooms - £20 escape room voucher 
• Polgoon Vineyard - Voucher for a guided tour for 2 people
• Penlee House Gallery & Museum - 2 x Entry for 2 adults
• Lands End Landmark - family entry to all 4 attractions 
• Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens - 2 garden entry gift vouchers
• Isles of Scilly Travel - 2 return tickets to the Scilly Isles

Thankyou to everyone who donated rewards to our campaign, and thank you for your support!