An exciting project bringing together a range of services for local children, young people and families to work as a single multi-agency ‘team’ in the Bude area has moved a step closer with the awarding of the contract for constructing the building.

Based at Budehaven Community School, the scheme is part of the wider ‘Integration Through Co-location Project’ which will enable services to work more effectively together in the Bude, Launceston and Callington areas.

Funding for the project is being provided specifically for this purpose by central government.

Cornwall Council has awarded the contract to build the new single storey building to Pearce Construction Ltd (Barnstaple). Planning consent was granted in September and work started at the end of last year. Designed by Kendall Kingscott Ltd, the new centre will provide 130 square metres of drop in office space, meeting and conference rooms.

External works includes the re-alignment of the existing emergency access track, re-location of the existing car park, an extra six car parking spaces for office staff and landscaping on completion of the works.

The Bude office will be used by staff from Cornwall Council’s Children, Schools and Families teams who provide support to families and young people, as well as NHS staff and other Children’s Trust partner organisations. The premises will be linked to similar offices at Launceston and Callington.

David Barton, headteacher at Budehaven Community School, says that Governors and staff are delighted that the new Bude facility is being based on the school site: “Budehaven has a very strong history of developing interagency work and, most recently, the provision to young people of all ages has been enhanced through the development of The Haven.

“The Co-location project will further support young people and their families in Bude and the surrounding area.”

Work has started also on building the main ‘hub’ for the project at Launceston College and, once work has been completed on this and the two ‘spokes’ at Bude and Callington, all three facilities will work in tandem with each other to provide integrated services for young people in this part of Cornwall.