Cornish Metals backs Catalyst scheme for Cornwall’s young talent

One young fencer sat down with an Olympic gold medallist. A young writer talked storytelling with author Brian Selznick. And someone with an interest in drones ended up climbing aboard a Merlin helicopter at RNAS Culdrose.

Those were three of the five experiences in the pilot of Catalyst, a programme from Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund. Now it has officially launched, and ten more are on the way.

What Catalyst is

Catalyst gives talented young people from across Cornwall access to people, places and experiences that would otherwise be out of reach. The aim, the fund says, is to help them build confidence, broaden their horizons and see more clearly where their talent could take them.

The pilot ran over six months and connected five young people with leading professionals and practitioners. Each opportunity was designed around the individual’s own talents and ambitions.

Core funding from Cornish Metals will now allow Young & Talented Cornwall to roll the programme out further, creating ten new Catalyst opportunities.

Who took part in the pilot

Professionals and organisations from across Cornwall gave their time and expertise to the pilot phase. The experiences were:

• Eiger Swinscoe, an aspiring sabre fencer, met Olympic gold medallist Ed Coode to explore the mindset, preparation and resilience needed to go from talented young athlete to Olympic champion.
• Finlay Lyall, a musician, attended the IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses, meeting other young musicians and experiencing performances and masterclasses delivered by internationally respected artists.
• Max Morrison, a young writer, spent time with author Brian Selznick, discussing storytelling, creativity and the ideas behind Brian’s work while developing his own writing.
• Lili Chu and Alec West, both young dancers, took part in an intensive two-hour masterclass with Julie Felix MBE, recognised as Britain’s first professional Black ballerina, at Falmouth University’s AMATA.
• Connor Dean-Pjuan was given a behind-the-scenes visit to RNAS Culdrose, built around his interests in drone technology and electrical engineering. Connor explored aviation engineering and drone operations, climbed aboard Merlin helicopters and tried a flight simulator.

What Cornish Metals says

Don Turvey, CEO of Cornish Metals, said: “Cornish Metals is committed to making a positive and lasting contribution to Cornwall, and we view supporting the next generation as key to this.

“Catalyst is a brilliant example of what can happen when organisations and individuals come together to invest in the county’s future. We’re proud to help Young & Talented Cornwall build on the success of the pilot and give more young people the chance to experience their own break-through moment.”

‘Access isn’t always easy to come by’

The Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, heads the fund.

He said: “Cornwall has an incredible wealth of young talent, but access to the right people, places and experiences isn’t always as easy to come by. That’s what makes Catalyst so exciting. Each experience is shaped around the interests, ambitions and stage of development of its recipient, making it truly life changing.

“The pilot has shown us just how powerful those connections can be. By building on that success, Catalyst can open more doors, create more extraordinary experiences and help more young people see just how far their talent could take them.”

The fund behind it

Catalyst sits alongside Young & Talented Cornwall’s existing support for gifted individuals aged 14 to 23. That includes mentoring and grants across disciplines ranging from sport and performing art to mining engineering and creative writing, so that financial, social or geographical barriers do not stand in the way of potential.

The fund was launched in 2005 as The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Youth by the then Lord Lieutenant Lady Mary Holborow and Vice Lord Lieutenant Michael Galsworthy. It is administered by Cornwall Community Foundation, an independent charity managing more than 60 funds.

Over the past 21 years it has awarded more than £650,000 to over 500 young people. Its latest impact report is online, and anyone wanting to find out more or support Catalyst can visit the Young & Talented Cornwall website.

📷Don Turvey, CEO at Cornish Metals, supports Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund, to launch new Catalyst programme giving extraordinary opportunities to Cornwall’s talented young people. Credit: Toby Weller