Rural farm project gets £10,000 support
Sep 14, 2011 - 02:08 PM
One of the redundant buildings that will be converted into affordable housing thanks to generous contributions from donors such as Cornish Mutual
A project in Cornwall to provide affordable housing and workspace for farming families is receiving £10,000 worth of funding from rural insurance firm Cornish Mutual.
The company, which is based in Truro, is making the significant donation to farming charity the Addington Fund to put towards supporting the conversion of a single storey building to a workshop at the Ruthvoes Farm Project, near Indian Queens.
Cornish Mutual has a long and proud history of working within the rural community and supporting families and activities in communities in which their Members live. The company has also previously given financial support to the Addington Fund.
The site was purchased by the Addington Fund from Cornwall Council and planning permission was granted for four work/live units, providing viable business options to local farm businesses and families.
The redundant buildings include an old barn that will be converted into four new family homes, an old single storey building which will become a new workshop, and alongside this there will be three more workshops.
There is also sufficient land to create a land-based business on the site. Ground source heating will provide heat for the whole site and solar panels will be installed on the roof of the new build workshop complex.
Alan Goddard, Managing Director of Cornish Mutual, says: “This is such a worthwhile scheme that we couldn’t not be involved in helping the Addington Fund to bring this fantastic project at Ruthvoes Farm near Indian Queens to fruition. Farming families are the absolute lifeblood of the rural community in Cornwall and as a mutual organisation; we are firmly committed to supporting any initiative that will make a real difference for future generations.”
This is the second project of its kind embarked on by the Addington Fund. In 2006, the charity successfully completed its first affordable housing development in Cornwall. The Trevorva project created five affordable homes from three redundant barns targeted at retired tenant farmers.
Ian Bell, the Addington Fund’s Director, adds: “We are extremely grateful to Cornish Mutual for their generous contribution to the Addington Fund for the regeneration of Ruthvoes Farm and would like to thank them for all their support. We have already received enquiries from three farming families and we are confident this development will have a very positive impact by bringing four working families into a community which is becoming very influenced by second-home owners.”
The total cost of the project will be in the region of £1.2 million, with £422,000 coming from the South West RDA towards the cost of developing the workshop element of the scheme.
The charity will need to secure all funding before building work on the project can commence. The estimated date for completion is 2013.