History

Groundwork Plymouth Area Trust started work across the Plymouth travel to work area in the summer of 1991. It was a partnership between Plymouth City, South Hams District and Caradon District Councils initially, with support from various other private and third sector organisations.

We later expanded our charitable boundaries to become Groundwork Devon and Cornwall and set up an office in Torquay, delivering a range of environmental business support and community focused activities.

Early on our focus was centred on employment and conservation volunteering programmes. At one point, we even rowed people across Plymouth Sound to look after land on Drake’s Island! We supported large numbers of people back into employment through the New Deal and Intermediate Labour Market employment and training programmes.

The largest project that we have been involved in to date was at Saltmill Park in Saltash, Cornwall, in partnership with the land owner Caradon Council (now Cornwall Council) and many supporting and funding bodies. This 17 acre site was gradually transformed from an abandoned landfill site to a multi-purpose recreation, sports and arts area, adjacent to the dramatic River Tamar. Residents from the local area were involved in many aspects of this transformation and now continue to enjoy what has been created there.

In April 2009, Groundwork Devon and Cornwall expanded it’s charitable boundaries to include the entire South West region of England and merged with the South West regional office of Groundwork UK to become ‘Groundwork South West’.

 

For background information into how Groundwork became the charity it is today, please click the following link:

Groundwork UK history