A TRURO-based consultancy has won a prestigious European design award for its work on Helston Gateway’s £3.6m Cober Valley Health GP practice.

MJ Medical beat off competition from multi-million-pound projects across Europe and North America to claim the Adaptation and Transformation award for its transformation of a dilapidated building which was attracting anti-social behaviour.

The project has transformed Helston by providing a thriving community building that can grow with its population. It has increased access to healthcare while providing broader community facilities, especially for families and young people.

The team wanted to design a GP practice with a focus on natural light, low carbon solutions, considered interiors and generous space. The health centre provides community rooms where choirs, exercise classes and support groups meet weekly. These spaces can be adapted to vaccination clinics and other wellbeing activities.

Based on Newham Industrial Estate, health planning consultancy MJ Medical works with healthcare providers, investors, architects, engineers and contractors to deliver innovative, effective and adaptable services and facilities.

Over 35 years, it has delivered more than 400 projects across 75 countries. Director Kieren Morgan, who led the design of the new centre, believes the project stands out from hundreds of healthcare projects he has worked on.

“The retrofit shows what is possible and easily replicated across the UK,” he said. “Through the innovative re-use of redundant buildings within our town centres, we can create financially sustainable health and wellness hubs that increase access to healthcare, enhance the wellbeing of communities, and meet the Government’s NetZero targets.”

The ambitious Helston Gateway project cost £3.6m, a combination of Cornwall Council’s Town Vitality Fund, Shared Prosperity Funding from central government, and substantial local fundraising.

It benefitted from a shared creative vision of the multi-discipline team, with MJ Medical working alongside Trevissome Park, and architect Poynton Bradbury. It was delivered by volunteer social enterprise South Kerrier Alliance CIC director David Turnbull and his team, in the face of funding challenges and complex technical and legal issues, prompting judges to praise their steadfast determination as “truly admirable”.

Trevissome Park managing director Jonathan Kearsley said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the community on something which set out from the start to change how we see health. I think we achieved something really outstanding, using local tradesmen and women to deliver the project, which is only right for such a community-led initiative.”

Alongside the GP practice stands the Tide Climbing Centre, a climbing wall and café, and youth and family centre The Basement. These spaces provide opportunities for families to be active and for young people to socialise in a safe and welcoming environment.

The awards were an integral feature of the 12th European Healthcare Design 2026 Congress in London, aimed at contributing towards the development of knowledge and standards in the design of healthcare environments and infrastructure globally.

Dr Jim Tait of Cober Valley Health said: “It’s great that our project is getting recognition internationally; this adds further weight to the model for other similar regenerative neighbourhood health centre projects in Cornwall”.