11 minute read
BUSINESS NEWS
IAN COCKERILL
STRATEGIC BOARD CHANGES
Mineral exploration company Cornish Lithium has announced a number of changes to its board of directors.
Ian Cockerill, a mining industry veteran, has been appointed independent non-executive chairman, while Janet Blas has been named as an independent non-executive director.
Additionally, Varshan Gokool, the company’s chief financial officer, has joined the board as an executive director.
Following Cockerill’s appointment, former chairman, Derek Linfield, will transition to a non-executive director role and former nonexecutive director, Louise Wrathall, will step down from the board to concentrate on her other business interests.
Jeremy Wrathall, CEO and founder of Cornish Lithium, said: “I would like to thank Derek and Louise for their major contributions to the company’s development over the past five years, and look forward to Derek’s continued involvement as a nonexecutive director.
“We are also excited to welcome Ian and Janet to Cornish Lithium. I am delighted that the company is able to attract an independent non-executive chairman and independent non-executive director of such calibre and experience.”
CORNWALL TOPS ‘GOOD GROWTH INDEX’
Cornwall’s green growth agenda and commitment to a low carbon economy have helped push it to the top of this year’s ‘Good Growth Index’ of English regions.
The annual survey from PwC and think tank Demos, ranks regions and cities across England according to a range of ‘good growth’ indicators. GLENN CAPLIN-GREY
These looks beyond just economic performance and focus on what members of the public believe are important in terms of wellbeing. This includes access to jobs, income, health, skills, work-life balance, housing, transport and the environment. while “maintaining that regions and rural populations can also be engines for growth, not just urban cities”.
The LEP continues to invest in a range of new sectors in Cornwall including a lithium extraction plant currently under construction at United Downs, significant investment in Spaceport Cornwall and support for the development of a floating offshore wind industry in the region.
The Index says this year there has been a marked shift in public preferences, with greater weight being placed on issues such as work-life balance, income distribution and the environment. It also says the pandemic has exacerbated already deeprooted inequalities in society.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly rank #1 out of 38 Local Economic Partnership (LEP) areas in England for ‘good growth’.
The report singles out Cornwall for “playing to its strengths as a region rich in natural resources”, and points to geothermal energy, technology metals like lithium and planned satellite launches from Newquay as examples of how Cornwall is helping to “power growth nationally”.
It says that the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and Cornwall Council “have made very deliberate decisions around the type of growth they want to pursue”, But the report also points to the challenges facing a rural economy, saying: “Behind the picturesque postcards and reports of soaring house prices, Cornish communities are grappling with inequalities that strike at the heart of the nation’s levelling up agenda, such as low wages and a housing supply crisis.”
Glenn Caplin-Grey, chief executive of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, welcomed the report, saying: “The Good Growth Index shows how the pandemic has triggered a widespread shift in public priorities and highlights how people want to be more connected to their communities and to live in greener, fairer places.
“That’s a great opportunity for Cornwall, but also brings its own pressures. As Government works through the detail of its Levelling Up agenda it needs to recognise the huge potential we have to contribute to national growth while securing a fair economic recovery for one and all.”
Cornwall Air Ambulance has celebrated 35 years since the first emergency helicopter service began in Cornwall – and the UK.
In 1987, Cornwall was the first county in the UK to launch an air ambulance helicopter, a vital service that has proven time and time again its importance in such a rural destination.
Now, 35 years on, the crew are tasked to around 1,000 emergency missions every year, with more than 31,000 under their belts since the service was first launched. In 2021 alone, Critical Care Paramedics were called to 1,092 patients in need, attending everything from medical emergencies to trauma-related incidents across the county and beyond.
AIR AMBULANCE MILESTONE
CEO Tim Bunting said: “There is no doubt that this lifesaving service is vitally needed in this county.
“But what’s more amazing is that it’s completely funded by the generosity of the people of Cornwall and beyond.
“Without your support, our crew could not do what they do – help to save lives and keep more families together in Cornwall. The public has proudly supported us for the last 35 years. Today, we need them to help keep us flying for many, many more.”
BESTOF THE SOUTH WEST
There were a number of Cornish winners among last month’s South West Tourism Excellence Awards.
More than 90 awards were presented at the awards held at Sandy Park, home of the Exeter Chiefs rugby club. All forms of hospitality business were amongst the winners, with cafes, pubs, cookery schools and sailing schools all celebrating alongside attractions, camping and glamping sites, holiday parks, B&Bs, cottages and hotels.
Among the Cornish winners were Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, which took double Gold in the Accessibility and Experience of the Year categories.
St Mawes hotel The Idle Rocks also returned across the border with two Golds in the Restaurant and Small Hotel categories.
Other notable Cornish winners were Treseren (Business Events & Wedding Venue), Bango Kitchen (Casual Dining), Gwelmor (Dog Friendly), The Minack (Large Visitor Attraction), Three Mile Beech (New Tourism), Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park (Resilience & Innovation), St Michael’s (Spa & Wellbeing) and Treloy Holiday Park (Water Conservation).
For a full list of winners, head to the southwesttourismawards.org.uk website.
CRUISINGINTO DRY DOCK
A&P Falmouth welcomed cruise ship MV Balmoral to its facility for ship repair works last month.
The 218-metre cruise ship carries 1,325 passengers and is operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.
Fred Olsen cruise ships are regular visitors to Falmouth International Cruise Terminal, which is operated by A&P. However, this is the first time the company has chosen to send its cruise ships to A&P for ship repair works.
The Balmoral’s programme of works includes steel inserts, ship side valves, tunnel thruster overhaul and underwater paint.
CEO David McGinley said: “It has been fantastic to welcome Fred Olsen’s Balmoral into A&P Falmouth.
“Contracts such as these help us to sustain our workforce, apprenticeship programme and supply chain which drives prosperity and adds real social value to the south west of England and beyond.
“We are delighted to welcome the MV Balmoral to Falmouth and look forward to developing our partnership with Fred Olsen.”
The South Crofty tin project has taken a major step forward following news of a big cash injection.
Cornish Metals is raising £40.5 million from a group of investors that includes former Tory party chief executive Sir Mick Davis, the founder of Vision Blue Resources (VBR).
The cash will go towards dewatering the mine, resource drilling and the completion of a feasibility study.
Cornish Metals CEO, Richard Williams, said: “This announcement marks a transformational moment for the company, its shareholders and all stakeholders in relation to the redevelopment of South Crofty, the company’s principal asset.
“It is testament to the quality of both the project and the company that an investor of the calibre of Vision Blue Resources is proposing such a significant investment, and we are delighted to welcome them as a major strategic shareholder. “Tin is essential to anything electronic, including electric vehicle (EV) components, computing, 5G, robotics, renewable power generation, and the electrification of the economy, making South Crofty a strategic asset with the ability to provide a secure, traceable, sustainable supply of this important metal.”
HRH The Duke of Kent officially opened the newly-constructed Feritech Innovation Centre last month.
The Duke of Kent was welcomed by Rob Ferris and Gemma Ferris, directors and co-owners of Feritech Global Ltd. He was accompanied on the visit by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE and Deputy Lieutenant James Staughton OBE.
FERITECH CENTRE OPENED
After the tour, Rob Ferris thanked The Duke of Kent, who unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion. The Duke was then invited to plant a tree close to the entrance of the centre, as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy tree-planting initiative to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Commenting on the visit, Rob Ferris said: “We are very grateful to HRH The Duke of Kent for making the time to visit us today. It has taken a huge effort by our team to get this new facility planned and built, and it is really exciting to now see its official opening.
The Duke of Kent was taken on a tour of the new Innovation Centre, which is based just outside Falmouth and specialises in advanced engineering solutions for marine and other industries. “This new innovation centre will give us space to grow as a business, by expanding our range of services, helping us win important new contracts, and providing new job opportunities in our local area.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
St Petrocs has appointed Henry Meacock as its new chief executive, succeeding Steve Ellis, who has stepped down after 20 years in the role.
The weekly ‘Better Presentations More Sales’ podcast from business consultant Trevor Lee has been ranked among the five best presentation podcasts in the world, by Feedspot.com, the world’s largest database of podcasts.
Specialist lender Folk2Folk has reported year on year growth for its Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA), with 44% more ISA funds received than in the previous year. With several peer-to-peer platforms closing to retail investors, Folk2Folk says it has seen an inflow of new customers from Funding Circle, Ratesetter and Zopa.
The Headland claims to have become the first hotel in Newquay to become an accredited Living Wage Employer. The Real Living Wage, which is currently set at £9.90 an hour, is paid by almost 9,000 business across the UK who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs. It is almost £1 an hour more than the National Living Wage (£8.91 per hour) and over £1.50 more than the Minimum Wage (£8.36 per hour).
St Petrocs and Hall for Cornwall have been selected as the official charities for this year’s Royal Cornwall Show. The decision gives the charities the exclusive right to carry out collections across the three-day event (June 9-11).
Penzance-based currency broker TorFX has been named International Money Transfer Provider of the Year for a seventh consecutive year. The category was first added to the Moneyfacts awards in 2016, meaning that no other provider has ever taken home the trophy.
Rising costs have been cited behind the decision to cancel this year’s Newquay Fish Festival, which was set to take place in September. Organisers are readying plans for a return in 2023, with a “refreshed” format.
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