Mind our language: Cornwall Council is calling on the government to give Cornish the same recognition and protection as Irish, Scottish, and Welsh languages. The call comes on the tenth anniversary of Cornish being recognised as a national minority under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which recognised Cornish people’s right to express, preserve, share and develop their distinct culture and identity.
But the Cornish language (Kernewek) remains the only Celtic language in the British Isles that does not enjoy protection under Part III (Articles 8 – 14) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The five group leaders, representing all 87 members of Cornwall Council, have signed a letter calling on the government to extend Part III of the Charter to apply to Kernewek.
Battery warning: Residents are being reminded to recycle their batteries after a fire broke out on a rubbish collection vehicle. Smoke was seen coming from the back of the lorry while the crew were collecting rubbish in Longrock. The team acted quickly and called the fire service, who extinguished the fire.
The fire is believed to have been caused by a bank of lithium batteries that had been put in the rubbish. Fortunately, no one was hurt. When put into general household waste, batteries can get crushed or punctured. This releases flammable electrolytes into the air which can trigger explosions and result in rapidly spreading fires.
Samaritans cash: Samaritans of Cornwall at Truro has been awarded £495,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), alongside £15,000 from The Duchy Health Charity, to help transform and redevelop the building it owns in the city, alongside the construction of a new stand-alone training centre within its grounds. The £495,000 investment comes from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Community Organisation Fund, which is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The charity provides a listening service for adults and children in despair, with a vision that fewer people die by suicide, alleviating emotional distress and reducing the incidence of suicidal feelings through the simple act of listening.
Adoption changes: Adoption services for Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly have now joined the Regional Adoption Agency, Adopt South West. Adopt South West was established in 2018, following the government’s introduction of regional adoption agencies. The aim is to improve the recruitment of adopters, to help children move into their permanent families as promptly as possible, and to offer robust adoption support across a wider region.
Boosting business: A new initiative to nurture a culture of business innovation and entrepreneurism, boost research and development, and attract investment has won support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. This is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Read more
Looking for land: Cornwall Council is calling for sites that could potentially be used to build houses, employment space, community facilities, or for helping nature recover. Read more
Careers help: A website bringing together a host of information about career and training opportunities in Cornwall has been launched for job hunters, students, and residents thinking of changing careers. Read more
Culture cash: Cornish language and culture projects have been given a £500,000 funding boost as part of the Devolution Deal for Cornwall. The government investment will increase Cornish language work in schools, the screen industry, and the community, giving additional income to Cornish community groups and suppliers. Funding will be used to support the 40 primary schools across Cornwall who are already using Cornish language as part of the GoCornish project.
