In the seaside town of Bude you will find a special place offering a lifeline to young people in Devon and Cornwall.
The Pearl Exchange was founded in 2020 following the tragic death of 19-year-old Pearl Bamford.
Pearl died in 2019 following an incident in a Truro river.
Although she made it to the other side, Pearl sadly succumbed to hypothermia.
After helping Pearl through her own struggles, her parents, Johnny and Rose, experienced firsthand the lack of support, direction and hope for young people and realized the importance of filling this gap.
(Image: Cornwall Live)
So they created The Pearl Exchange, which offers young people between the ages of 18 and 30 the opportunity to make new friends, participate in free creative and social activities and, above all, access free counseling sessions.
Since its inception, The Pearl Exchange has changed the lives of young people for the better, like that of 20-year-old Cara Phillips, who travels frequently from her home in North Devon.
Cara lives in what she described as “in the middle of nowhere”, so she was thrilled to find The Pearl Exchange – even if taking part means traveling out of her home county to Cornwall.
“I never thought I would find a place in Bude where I would feel so welcome,” she said.
(Photo: Cara Phillips)
“As far back as I can remember, I’ve always come to Bude to do certain things. But as I got older, all I could do was hang out in the dunes or near the castle.
“That’s why I’m so grateful to The Pearl Exchange, because it actually gives us a space where we can go.
“I think this place will truly save the lives of young people – it does.
“It’s so hard to put into words – to emphasize the importance of it. Because it feels like a sanctuary in a place that’s not built for young people.”
(Image: The Pearl Exchange)
With job opportunities scarce in North Devon, Cara is happy to have secured a position as an Assistant Program Manager at The Pearl Exchange through the Kickstarter programme.
She said that due to the lack of employment opportunities in North Devon, other young people are moving away from the area permanently.
“Everyone I know left. They went to college as far as they could go – they went to live in cities,” she said.
“They just don’t want to be here anymore, which I think is really sad because it’s a hometown, you know?”
“These are all seasonal jobs or waitressing, cleaning – there are no great opportunities for young people [in North Devon] because there are not enough jobs around.
“And everyone else already has those years of experience and everything they could possibly have on their CV – and we just don’t have that opportunity to have that here.”
However, Cara said The Pearl Exchange gave her those much-needed opportunities and said she felt the center was “the best thing that happened to Bude” in her lifetime.
Megan Foster, 24, is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator at The Pearl Exchange and lives in Bude.
“It provides that place where you can come and meet people and learn new skills that you wouldn’t get anywhere else,” she said.
(Picture: Megan Foster)
“It’s such a niche little place, and I think the fact that you have mental health support and free counseling is so important that we can offer you.
“The fact that we can offer it for free with minimal wait times is really important to us, and it has huge benefits for local people – and we’ve had really good feedback on that,” said Megan.
“There’s a youth group for the younger ones [in Bude]but other than that, once you get out of school, there’s not really any support.
“We know Bude in particular struggles with isolation – I know a lot of North Cornwall do.
“But I know that because of our lack of public transport, we are particularly cut off, and there is very little to do.”
The Pearl Exchange recently received a fund from Louis Vuitton as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations and has also launched a fundraiser to help continue its vital work.
“We rely on people to help us help others,” Megan said.
“Last year we had 76 people we provided advice to for free, and they had six or twelve weeks depending on their needs – and it’s all funded by the support we’ve had.”
In addition to knowing they will help others, people who donate to The Pearl Exchange appeal can choose from physical rewards such as artwork, branded merchandise, or a pledge of kindness.
And Megan and Cara said they’re grateful for all the support the fundraiser is getting.
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Rose Bamford, Artistic Director of The Pearl Exchange, said: “Our goal is for participants to gain skills and knowledge that will help them increase their self-confidence, self-esteem and broaden their horizons.
“Long term, our goal is to reduce isolation issues, increase cultural experience, increase employability skills, improve mental health and resilience, leading to more opportunities and a better quality of life.”
Julie Sims, Project Manager, added: “The Pearl Exchange is a pioneering business in North Cornwall and Devon.
“There are very few cultural, creative and social offerings for young people, which can lead to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem and a lack of hope.
“We offer a chance to socialize in a welcoming informal space and try new experiences without feeling pressured.
“We offer many different workshops and activities as well as guidance, and it’s all completely free, so open to everyone.”
Donations to The Pearl Exchange fundraiser can be made here.
You can find more details about what The Pearl Exchange offers and how to contact them by visiting their website here.
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