Save Flashlight: Help save an important resource for children in St Ives.

Flashlight St Ives, founded by carers David and Katrena Peters in 2010, is a not-for-profit lifeline for at-risk young people in one of the UK's most deprived areas. Flashlight provides a positive environment for young people through engaging projects that enhance social interaction; promote creativity and new experiences; and develop social and vocational skills.

Tackling mental health, social risk factors, and abuse, this incredible youth group offers unique experiences and vital support that cannot be found elsewhere.

But time is running out! At Easter, the ministry that owns Bedford Road Church - the home to Flashlight - announced they wanted to grab their 30 pieces of silver and sell the property, devastating the congregation and leaving Flashlight without a venue with only two weeks unwritten notice.

In St Ives, 36% of children live in poverty, facing hunger and health risks. Flashlight empowers these young people through projects like Prepped, teaching cooking, hospitality’s skills vital to the local economy, and food hygiene, providing skills and certifications that improve employment and further education opportunities. Alonside this, The Tower Music subsidiary Project sparks creativity and collaboration, offering free access to multimedia facilities and workshops for young people aged 13-21. Performers from Tower have gone on to achieve many successful careers in music and film.

Flashlight St Ives is entirely funded by private grants and donations from people like the National Lottery, Comic Relief, Tate St Ives, Tesco, Brian Murtagh Charitable Trust, Cornwall Community Foundation and many others. Because of this generosity, Flashlight has been able to provide warmth, nourishment, and support through qualified counsellors, project organizers, and volunteers without EVER asking a young person to pay a single penny. At Flashlight, nobody gets left behind.

Don't let St Ives' children lose this life-changing resource. Please sign this petition now to save Flashlight and secure a brighter future for our most at-risk youth! We have very little time, the Ministry hoped to push this through quietly before anyone had time to object. Too often greed has won out over the future of our young people in St Ives, don’t let avarice win again.

Spread the word far and wide!