Plans to set up a green community hub in Penzance’s historic Morrab Gardens have been given the go-ahead thanks to a £2.2 million grant.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will be boosted by £886,000 from the Penzance Town Deal Fund.

Led by the Gardeners’ House – Penzance, a charity set up to establish and run the centre, the project has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery, Penzance Town Deal, Penzance Town Council and The Architectural Heritage Fund.

At the heart of the Gardeners’ House project will be a ‘living archive’ based on a collection of books, papers and objects donated by the Hypatia Trust. This living archive will grow to include items that reflect the thoughts, feelings and experiences of people from the community as they respond to the natural world and the climate emergency.

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Falmouth Packet: A computer generated image of how the building will lookA computer generated image of how the building will look (Image: South West Architects LTD)

There will also be renovation work on a disused building to transform it into an environmental education centre which will be getting underway soon with the aim to open in the latter part of 2024.

While the renovation of the building is still underway, a new community art project led by Jane Darke and Andrew Tebbs, alongside local artists and craftspeople, will start in the coming months. The project will involve creating a gateway to link the heritage collection through a new Sensory Garden and is being supported by funding from the Tanner Phoenix Trust administered by the Cornwall Community Foundation.

The Gardeners’ House charity will work with a wide range of partners to develop a programme of events and activities inspired by the collection and their surroundings in Morrab Gardens.

Welcoming news of the latest grant from NLHF, Rich Stever of Earth’s Green Guardians (EGG) said: “The Gardeners’ House will provide the ideal setting for EGG.

"Instead of us going from school to school, burning fossil fuels, local schools can walk or take coaches to this central location with a classroom and gardens. The planet needs us to connect, protect, restore and prepare.

"The Gardeners' House is the perfect place for EGG to empower our youth for the future.”