20 years of Young & Talented Award Evening

The twentieth anniversary of Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund was celebrated at the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery with a spectacular cake in front of the latest cohort of Young & Talented Cornwall award recipients. The celebration coincided with Cornwall’s new High Sheriff, Geraint Richards, selecting Young & Talented Cornwall as one of his focus funds for his year in office.

Young & Talented Cornwall supports Cornwall’s exceptional young talent, aiming to ensure that no potential is left untapped due to limited resources, whether financial, social or physical. Over the last two decades, the fund has awarded more than £500,000 to almost 500 recipients, helping to break down the barriers so often faced by Cornwall’s gifted youngsters.

The High Sheriff joined Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, in congratulating the latest Young & Talented Cornwall recipients. Covering the All Talent and Spirit of Trevithick (STEM) editions of the Award, 34 individuals ranging from footballers, cyclists, athletes, surfers, dancers and musicians to aspiring engineers, physicists, a geologist and an ecologist were celebrated at an event sponsored by the Duchy of Cornwall. Grants totalling around £50,000 were awarded, which for the Spirit of Trevithick awardees will be supplemented with mentoring programmes with some of Cornwall’s most innovative businesses.

Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho comments: “Over the last two decades Young & Talented Cornwall has given a helping to hand to an incredible collection of young people, many of whom have gone on to perform or compete at a national and global level. It demonstrates the power of support and the difference of being believed in. Such a remarkable feat is certainly worth commemorating and with these latest awards, our twentieth year is shaping up to be one to remember.”

Geraint Richards, High Sheriff of Cornwall and Head Forester for the Duchy of Cornwall and to HM The King adds: “The next generation is our future. It is critical that we nurture, inspire and support them to fulfil their potential so that they can go on to follow their talent and pursue their careers. I have long been impressed by Young & Talented Cornwall and the difference the fund is making. I am delighted to lend my support – especially during such a milestone year for the initiative.

“Congratulations to Young & Talented Cornwall on this twentieth anniversary and to our deserving young recipients.”

The fund’s twentieth anniversary is being marked by a year-long series of events. In addition to the May celebration at the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, a Gala, sponsored by Cornish Metals and St Eval is planned for November at the Hall for Cornwall. This immersive showcase will see recent cohorts come together with alumni and partner organisations to illustrate the many and varied talents of Cornwall’s young people, championing and threading inspiration and challenge to the next generation. Later the same month Paul Ainsworth and his team will be preparing a very special fund raising dinner for Young & Talented Cornwall at the Royal Cornwall Showground.

For more information and to apply for the next round of grants which are now open across the All Talent, Spirit of Trevithick and Creative Writing categories, visit www.youngandtalentedcornwall.org

Young & Talented Cornwall is supported by Cornish Metals, Seasalt Cornwall, Cornish Lithium, Watson-Marlow, Wildanet, Rodda’s, St Austell Brewery, Paul Ainsworth, Falmouth University, University of Exeter, Jackie Stanley, Duchy of Cornwall, Screen Cornwall, Cornish Marketing, Impress51, Bull & Wolf, Pendennis Shipyard, Truro High School, A-side, St Austell Printing, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wild Card and Toby Weller.