PZN Youth secures new home thanks to Emily Bolitho Trust Fund

PZN Youth secures permanent welcoming space in the heart of Penzance for young people aged 11–17 thanks to multiple funding streams including £30,000 from the Emily Bolitho Trust FundA sum of money made available for grant making, often with specific criteria/conditions. and Community Fund.

We met up with Bek Brewslaw, Director and Manager of PZN Youth, to hear what this funding means to her and the difference this will make to the young people of Penzance.

When PZN Youth Club first opened its doors, Penzance had very little in the way of open-access youth provision. After the Covid pandemic, Bek was seeing more and more young people spending evenings on the streets, often bored, sometimes getting into trouble, and clearly in need of somewhere safe to go.

“I spoke to the police, and they confirmed everything I was seeing,” Bek explains. “As both a parent and a professional, I felt strongly that young people needed a space where they could come without being signed up by an adult, where it was free, where they could get a healthy meal, meet safe adults, and try new experiences.”

A Year of Temporary Homes

Finding a location, however, was far from simple. Bek and the team searched across Penzance and relocated the club three times, using community buildings whenever they were available.

“We used the Sea Cadets building for a while, which was brilliant in terms of location — right in the centre of town — but because nothing was fully ours, we couldn’t create the environment the young people wanted. No sofa, no pool table, no cosy atmosphere. We were constantly lugging boxes around, trying to make each space feel like home while making sure we didn’t make too much noise or mess.”

Despite the challenges, they ran the club this way for a full year.

A Building… and a Big Risk

Then Bek discovered that a council-owned building was about to go on the market. She asked if the group could rent it while a sale was arranged — and after some persistence, they agreed.

“It was too small, and we knew that straight away. But something about the parcel of land next to it made us think: if we could eventually own this, we could do something incredible here.”

After two years of operating from the small building — splitting age groups to fit everyone in, running waiting lists, and seeing around 40 young people every Friday — the council agreed to sell the property to PZN Youth. But there was a catch: they had only a limited time to raise the funds before it would be placed on the open market.

“We had nothing to lose. We launched a GoFundMe and put out a press release. Then one day I got a phone call from someone offering £30,000, if we could raise the remaining £90,000. It was amazing — but still a huge amount to find.”

Community donations helped cover initial legal costs, but the clock was ticking.

A Wave of Community Support

At this point, Bek contacted Cornwall Community Foundation to see if any funding streams could help bridge the gap.

“To my amazement, the Emily Bolitho Fund offered £20,000, and the CCF Community Fund added £10,000, both dependent on us raising the rest. Suddenly we had £63,000 pledged. For the first time, it felt possible.”

At the same time, a new Shared Prosperity Fund programme, TRIP, supporting town-centre businesses, opened applications. Bek assumed PZN Youth wouldn’t qualify, but decided to ask.

“They told us we could apply, so we poured everything into it. We reused parts of our previous levelling-up bid, which took a huge amount of work, and submitted it feeling genuinely hopeful.”

The news came through: the funding was secured and the building could finally become theirs.

“It was the most incredible feeling. But we couldn’t have done it without everyone who pitched in: donors, funders, partners, the community. And Cornwall Community Foundation has supported us right from the very beginning.”

What Happens Next? A Bigger, Better PZN Youth

Even while applying for the levelling-up funding, Bek had been one step ahead. PZN Youth had also secured community capacity funding to commission architects and a full feasibility study.

“We always knew the building was too small, even though the location is perfect. The architects have created an amazing vision for what the site could become – a purpose-built youth centre that really meets the needs of young people in Penzance.”

PZN Youth will host a community consultation on 17th December, 2–6pm, inviting local people to view the ideas and share feedback.

“With the demand we’re seeing, around 100 different young people each month over two nights, increasing our capacity is essential. We rarely advertise because we’re already full, and we’re having to turn young people away on Friday nights. We want to change that.”

Building a Sustainable Future

Now that the building is secured, the next step is strengthening the charity itself.

“We’re applying to Reaching Communities for a finance and operations manager for two days a week, which will make a huge difference. We also want to secure multi-year core fundingThe running costs of your organisation. This is the money you need to make your work happen. These are also called overheads, running costs or operating costs. to help grow the offer because the need here in Penzance is so clear.”

Bek’s vision is simple: a safe, welcoming, permanent space for young people.

About the Funder

The Emily Bolitho Trust Fund supports the wellbeing of individuals, especially those facing hardship.

The CCF Community Fund supports community groups and charities across Cornwall and the IOS.

If you’re a community group looking for funding, take a look at our available grants.

If you’re interested in donating to help community groups such as this, take a look at our ways to donate.

About PZN Youth

PZN Youth is a safe, welcoming space in the heart of Penzance for young people aged 11–17, with targeted sessions available for those up to 19 (and sometimes beyond) who need extra support.

We run free, open-access youth club sessions from our building on Alverton Street, offering a place to relax, make friends and get involved in creative activities, games, trips and projectsA piece of work that delivers an output..

Find out more.