St Austell Brewery Donates £25,000 to A Band of Brothers Cornwall

£25,000 Boost for Cornwall Mentors Helping Young Men

St Austell Brewery has donated £25,000 to A Band of Brothers (ABOB) Cornwall, a charity working to support young men facing serious challenges through mentorship and community support.

The funding will help expand the organisation’s work across the county, including training more mentors and supporting its 12 week mentoring programme.

The cheque was presented last month by Piers Thompson, Head of External Affairs at St Austell Brewery, on behalf of the brewery’s charitable trust.

Piers said: “A Band of Brothers is doing extraordinary, life changing work with young men across Cornwall, and we’re proud to support a programme making such a tangible difference in our communities. Our donation will help ABOB train more local mentors, expand the 12 week mentoring scheme, and provide ongoing community support for young men in Cornwall.”

Supporting young men across Cornwall

Founded nationally in 2006 and active in Cornwall for more than a decade, A Band of Brothers works with men aged 18 to 25 who are often dealing with significant challenges including trauma, addiction, offending or social isolation.

Many young men are referred to the organisation by the judicial system in an effort to help prevent them from ending up in prison.

ABOB’s Cornwall branches operate in Penzance, Falmouth and St Austell. They are run entirely by trained male volunteers and deliver a 12 week mentoring journey supported by one to one mentors. The programme ends with a ‘homecoming’ graduation ceremony where each participant’s progress is celebrated.

As well as providing financial support, some St Austell Brewery staff are also training to become mentors.

A moment that changed everything

Mentor and local businessman Sam Galsworthy first came across ABOB around five years ago through the Cornwall Community Foundation.

After attending a graduation ceremony, Sam said he was deeply moved by what he witnessed.

Later, while serving as High Sheriff of Cornwall, Sam chose ABOB as his charity following a moment he described as “a lightning strike”.

Sam explained: “Whilst working with Devon and Cornwall Police one evening, a hotline went off: a death – a young male, no suspicious circumstances. Half an hour later, another, the same again. Then another. Four calls in three hours. All young men and all from Cornwall. That moment crystallised for me just how urgent the situation was.”

Recognising the scale of the challenge facing young men in the county, Sam joined ABOB as a mentor.

He said: “The most profound thing happens when you mentor, you get just as much back as the young men. At the passing-out ceremonies, the bravery of these young men – sharing their stories, often for the first time – is extraordinary.”

Turning lives around

James is one of the young men whose life changed through the programme.

Four years ago he said he was struggling with heavy drinking, drug use and the pressures of becoming a father.

He described his life at the time as “basically going downhill.”

James was introduced to ABOB through the Wild Young Parents Project. After completing the rites of passage weekend and 12 weeks of mentoring, he turned things around and eventually started his own business.

Since then he has referred four other young men to the charity and has mentored two himself.

James said: “It’s a place for men to find community, role models, to learn and grow. It helped me accept parts of myself I never could before.”

A graduation moment to remember

One of the men James encouraged to join the programme was his colleague Seb.

Seb, 20, had been struggling with alcohol when he started working for James. Recognising the same warning signs he had once experienced himself, James encouraged him to connect with ABOB.

Seb said: “Taking that step was huge. I’d struggled with drinking for a while. But I’ve just graduated the homecoming and I’m proud of myself. I dropped out of school and college – I never had that end of year certificate. Seeing all those people there to support me was eye opening.”

Supporting communities across the South West

The donation was made through the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust, which has supported charities, community causes and individuals across the South West since 2003.

More information about the trust can be found on the <a href=”https://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/about-us/charitable-trust”>St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust page</a>.

📷Piers Thompson [fourth left] with members of A Band of Brothers