TWO people have been recruited to ensure young people benefit from the regeneration projects taking place in St Ives.

Laura Peach and Rosana Cox have been appointed jointly as youth engagement project officers, which is funded by St Ives Town Deal.

They will be working with the funded projects to help ensure young people are more involved. The aim is to increase activities and opportunities for children and young people and build a longer term legacy from the Town Deal investment for the parish.

Laura and Rosana will also help to co-ordinate and plan wider youth activities and engagement across the parish. The pair both live in St Ives and bring with them a wealth of complementary skills and knowledge to the role.

Laura has spent over 15 years working with young people inside and outside of the educational environment.

She spent eight years working in local secondary schools teaching design technology and the arts, whilst also working with young people and their families in pastoral care. Laura has turned her attention in recent years to creating workshops for young people to develop confidence in artistic ability and participation in local events such as Kite Fest.

She also created Art Club St Ives, which has been running successfully at the Cornerstone library building since January 2023, for young people to be inspired by a range of artists and experiment with a range of materials.

Laura said: “I’m excited to begin working with St Ives Town Council and the Town deal projects to create an environment to enable the young people of St Ives to engage with the projects and find opportunities to flourish and grow.”

Rosana has been working with young people in a variety of settings throughout her career.

She has a background in education, teaching in secondary schools and adult education colleges across a broad range of humanities and social science subjects, developing courses and helping young people to gain new skills and find their voice.

Rosana has a passion for food and until recently lived in Spain where she ran an organic farm and events venue; welcoming people to participate in courses, re-connect with nature and explore how to make an impact towards positive change. Rosana is a spoken word performer and musician, and since settling in St Ives she has been involved with various community projects and events.

Rosana said: “I’m looking forward to putting my enthusiasm towards engaging young people in activities, helping them to develop and grow, and cultivating meaningful, mutual relationships between them and their local area.

“We are both really excited to be sharing this role and the opportunities that will be created to engage, encourage and empower the young people in the St Ives community and the parish.”

Councillor Kirsty Arthur, the chair of the facilities committee at St Ives Town Council, said: “Before the pandemic hit in 2020, I held the first Youth Summit for West Penwith, right here in our very own Guildhall.

“One of the main priorities for the area that came out of the summit, was the need to provide outreach, support and co-ordinate more activities for the young people of St Ives.

“The town council recognised the importance of looking out for our younger community and pledged our help in actively finding opportunities to do so.

“Now, with thanks to Town Deal funding, we are able to deliver on that pledge as we welcome two highly experienced, and respected youth officers to the team who are committed to improving support for our parish’s young people. We are very lucky to have such dedicated individuals working with us and I wish them the best of luck as they begin in their new roles.”