About - Cornubia

Par Bay Community Trust was established in 2014 to serve the community of St Blazey, Par and Tywardreath in Cornwall, by preventing or relieving poverty, advancing the health of residents, developing skills, advancing education, and assisting in the provision of recreational facilities.

Having used funding secured from the National Lottery’s Big Local programme to purchase and renovate an old auction house in the centre of Par – Cornubia – the Trust now hosts a wide range of activities and events for the community: two social enterprises, venue hire, a community garden, and offices currently rented by NHS diabetes team.

History

This historic building, part of Par Bay Big Local legacy and funded by the National lottery, was once a dance hall where many local people would have met their partners. It then became an auction house for many years and has since been refurbished to provide a vibrant venue and a centre for community engagement, creativity and social enterprise. Its purpose is to serve the communities of St Blazey, Par and Tywardreath.

The building was purchased in 2015 by Par Bay Community Trust and has been refurbished to a high standard from top to bottom with a new roof, insulation, solar power, acoustic panels and fully accessible throughout, fit for the 21st century. There is a new lift to facilitate access to the first floor and a remotely controlled screen on the upper floor for conference use.

It the heart of our activities lies the premise of “Community, Creativity and Enterprise” helping to build a more resilient community by fostering social enterprise, encouraging creativity and promoting healthy living.

In 2022, Cornubia became part of the Community Hubs Network, a collaborative model supporting the healthcare system. The aim is to tackle isolation and poor health through companionship, healthy eating, and community support in collaboration with public sector agencies.

Cornubia Footfall 2024-25

Hub @ Cornubia Impact report 2024-25

Levelling Up

Cornubia’s mission is to provide a welcoming building fit for the 21st century to support the communities of Par, St Blazey and Tywardreath.

In 2024 funding towards future-proofing the building for our community was allocated from Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme, on behalf of the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

We are particularly pleased with our “Woolly Shepherd” acoustic clouds which have transformed our lower hall. No more echoes and the musicians can be heard with ease.

The blackout curtains are lovely and a window upgrade means we can now open the windows with ease and keep the heat in when we need it.

The final touch is our solar array which will ease our energy costs and allow us to download our own electricity. Our Solar array with storage batteries will have a great impact on our energy costs and the environment.

Clubs & Organisations

Cornubia hosts a wealth of community, health and wellbeing, and recreational activities. These include:

3 dance schools for children and older people
Martial arts groups for all ages
NHS workshops and clinics
Arts and games groups
A flourishing community garden

What's On

Keep up to date via our Facebook page and the Cornbubia Weekly Diary.

Facilities

Cornubia has 4 tenant spaces:

A retail space at the front of the building - currently being used as a community computer shop
A studio at the rear of the building -currently leased to Under the Sun Ceramics
2 first floor offices - currently leased to NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

Parking & Accessibility

Located on the A3082 between St Blazey and Fowey, the Hall is just 10 minutes’ walk from Par Station giving easy access from all over Cornwall.

There is parking at the rear of the building at the Moorland Road entrance which is used for community access to the Lower Hall and Community Room. Additional parking is available around the corner at Par Health Centre and free parking in the Coop car park nearby.

About Cornubia