THE Edward Hain Centre in St Ives has announced that it has secured more than £172,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to enhance its community health and wellbeing services.

This funding will contribute to the centre’s running costs, and also support the hiring of two new staff members to facilitate the expansion of services for local residents.

To celebrate the achievement, the centre will feature the presentation of a giant cheque at its upcoming Community Open Day on Saturday, September 6.

Chair of trustees, Lynne Isaacs, remarked: “This is very timely icing on our birthday cake! We’ve come a long way in the two years since we opened, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Initially, the centre was staffed by just one person, Sharron Goldingay, who faced immense challenges in the first year. These included managing the £400,000 mortgage taken out to meet the NHS’s £1-million purchase price, basic renovations, and satisfying extensive health and safety regulations.

Nevertheless, with help from grants, donations, and fundraising events organised by the Friends of the Edward Hain Centre, several free services were successfully established, such as the still-ongoing NHS-run Pain Café and a Knit and Natter group. The arrival of the St Ives Food Bank in May 2024 added further life to the building.

Last September, the addition of an office administrator and a community hub officer marked a significant turning point. By January, this increase in staff resulted in a surge of free community health and wellbeing sessions including yoga, pilates, and activities afternoons for elderly care home residents. Two independent providers, Penwith Ear Care and Samantha Evamy Counselling, also moved in.

The award from the National Lottery Community Fund - the largest community funder in the UK - signifies a second major turning point for the centre.

Sharron said: “Considering how much extra life and activity our first two staff members brought into the building, we’re very excited about how many more services we could now provide!”

Potential new activities include further support groups, Falls Prevention courses and an Adult Education offering.

With her new responsibilities, Sharron assumes the title of centre director and shifts her focus to longer-term development. Half of the building still being in disrepair, she and EHC fundraising strategist Samantha Peters aim to apply for substantial Capex funding in 2026.

Fully renovated, the building will accommodate more providers like the NHS and mental health groups, moving the centre towards financial sustainability while enhancing health and wellbeing provision to the community.

The centre team are eager to share their momentous news at the upcoming Community Open Day on September 6. The event, which takes place from 11am to 4pm, is free entry and all are welcome. For more details about the event, visit: edwardhaincentre.org.uk/community-open-day-2025

National Lottery players raise over £30-million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year the fund awarded more than £600,000 of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting more than 13,700 projects.