Funding boost for St Ives and Scillies – welcomed by George

Andrew George discusses the success with Tate St Ives Executive Director Mark Osterfield and the Gallery Artistic Director Sam Thorne this weekend

 

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, will welcome millions of pounds of Government funding for jobs and investment in St Ives and the Isles Scilly this Monday morning.  The money – from the Coastal Communities Fund – will support national projects that will create 2,500 jobs and almost 1,500 apprenticeships and training places across England. It is the biggest round of cash provided by the Fund so far, for schemes that are also attracting an additional £36million in private financing.

Tate St Ives had been awarded £3.87million for its major project to extend the gallery and to refurbish. The project, which is getting underway in the coming weeks and will be two years in construction, will double gallery space, and provide learning and event spaces, increased visitor capacity and create a public access roof garden. The funding for Tate St Ives will create five direct and 199 indirect jobs.

On the Isles of Scilly, The Islands Partnership has been awarded £202,750 to grow the Islands’ tourism economy by developing event led tourism, local supply chain development, employment and volunteering, and will create two direct and ten indirect jobs.

The Coastal Communities Fund has been created to help coastal towns and villages provide training and employment opportunities. Previous Coastal Communities funding has generated 6000 new jobs, 400 new businesses and 2300 training places or apprenticeships across the country.  The latest round of the Coastal Communities Fund will see £35million invested in seaside towns in England.

Mr George, who has successfully campaigned for support from this fund, for the Jubilee Pool in Penzance and other projects, said, “This is fantastic news for the Tate St Ives and for the Islands. This needed investment will create jobs and training in West Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly.

“This news will give the Tate Trustees the confidence that the planned St Ives extension can go ahead. The Tate has been a very significant economic driver not only in St Ives but across the whole of the art community in west Cornwall.”