Plans have been launched to raise £30,000 to open a new facility in Newquay for community groups.

Youth Art Connect CIC, The Autistic Community of Cornwall CIC and Transparent Presence CIC have formed a ground-breaking consortium to find joint premises in the town where people can receive support in one place. 

The facility, which would be called Colourbox, will offer free advice, support, mentorship and advocacy to autistic people and their families, neurodivergent people and their families, Trans and LGBTQIA plus people and their families and young people’s mental health services.

A Crowdfunder has been launched to raise the funded needed for the one-stop-shop after applications for grants have so far failed. Various rewards are up for grabs, which include a Splat art session and original art pieces.

Marie Ralph from Youth Art Connect, which is aimed at promoting positive mental health amongst young people and adults, said: “As not for profit organisations, we saw how much our work aligned so decided to try to obtain funding to secure premises where the public can come to one place for all of these things. 

“It would offer free workshops, group meetings, public advice and support around all of these areas but in one space.

“The vision for Colourbox transcends conventional support systems. It aspires to become a haven offering an array of services where collaborative efforts intersect, delivering courses and groups accessible seven days a week. This space promises inclusivity, providing crucial support for the hundreds who are excluded from statutory support due to NHS funding cuts.

“This initiative envisions a warm, inviting environment, serving as a sanctuary for a diverse range of interventions, from personalized art counselling to small group sessions, catering to disabled children struggling within educational settings.

“We urgently seek support to secure the rental costs for a shared office and artistic workspace in Newquay, requiring £30,000 to advance this mission. 

“We applied for step up funding but that’s now been postponed. 

“We have applied for National Lottery funding but that takes months, and we need to take the tenancy soon. 

“We have applied for countless other grants and awaiting to hear but our services are currently inundated with referrals from mental health, GPs, social care, and education to support more and more people and as volunteers, we simply cannot this without paid positions and a base to work from.

“We applied for the Community Levelling Up but due to internal arguments over Truro town deal and CLUP that’s been a total fiasco and not helpful to communities one bit which leaves us desperately trying to fundraise to provide us with the staffing and premises to really help more people across Newquay and beyond.

“This could literally be a lifesaver for so many. 

“We are even having referrals from crisis mental health teams who can’t find the services but are still referring people to us from mental health placements, medical services and youth services as they have nowhere else to go.

contribution will help amplify their impact, enabling them to extend a helping hand to even more individuals in dire need of mental health support and provide a variety of other aligned services in a one stop shop.

“Together, let's fortify this movement, empowering young minds and marginalised communities to thrive despite life's challenges.

To support the fundraising campaign visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/colourbox or telephone Marie on 07745358588.