The Pearl Exchange
The Pearl Exchange is an award-winning charity based in Bude, Cornwall, dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of 18-35-year-olds across Cornwall & Devon. We offer free workshops, events and counselling for 18-35 year olds.
The Pearl Exchange was founded in 2020 after the devastating loss of 19-year-old Pearl Bamford. Pearl struggled to access the mental health support she needed, revealing a stark gap in services and safe spaces for young adults in Cornwall and Devon. Determined that other young people should not face the same isolation, Pearl’s parents, Rose and Johnny, set out to create something different. Now The Pearl Exchange’s Volunteer Creative Director, Rose imagined a space where creatives, makers and experts living in Cornwall could share their skills, knowledge and energy with younger generations – an “exchange” that would spark confidence, purpose and hope.
What began with a handful of community feasts and fundraising events quickly grew into a vibrant hub at the Pitch n Putt site in Bude, offering workshops, talks and free counselling sessions for young adults. Backed by a passionate community and successful crowdfunding campaigns, The Pearl Exchange grew rapidly and achieved full charitable status in 2023. When the organisation was forced to leave the Pitch n Putt in 2024, the community stepped up once again, raising over £56,000 to transform a new home at The Old Coach House — where The Pearl Exchange continues its mission to support young people with creativity, connection and care.
Create, Nurture & Inspire
The Pearl Exchange exists because too many young adults in our region lack access to opportunities to build their confidence, develop skills and feel part of a community. As a result of this, combined with poor transport links and lack of employment opportunities, the mental health crisis is growing.
Our mission is to change that by providing a vibrant, welcoming hub where 18 – 35 year olds can access free creative, educational and wellbeing workshops, courses and events. We curate a monthly changing programme across 4 core pillars: work, wellness, music and art.
Our delivery model combines creative engagement with high-quality mental health support. Young adults can access 9 free counselling sessions in a matter of weeks, compared to the 18 month wait for statutory support.
This preventative and curative approach reduces loneliness, supports positive mental health and empowers young adults to shape their own futures.
Our Aims
The Pearl Exchange exists for public benefit to improve the lives of 18 – 35 year olds by;
– providing access to high-quality arts and cultural opportunities (often for the first time).
– advancing their skills to help them achieve in the future.
– relieving mental health issues.
– promoting positive social interaction.
We believe that working with and empowering young adults, providing both practical support and opportunities for creative and cultural engagement alongside mental health support and mentoring – will increase the aspirations and hope of this generation of young people growing up in Bude and the surrounding areas.
Open To All
The Pearl Exchange is for 18 – 35 year olds. We’re an open and inclusive organisation but we target our outreach towards those hard to reach, on low incomes, who are out of work and/or struggling with their mental health. We fundraise to ensure we can provide our services free of charge to alleviate any financial barriers.
If you fill this criteria and would like to book on to a workshop, please do so. If you are working with anyone that you would like to refer you can email us on [email protected]
We are based in Bude, an isolated area of North Cornwall. If you face transport issues and/or cannot make it to us, please email us. We have a hardship fund available to help with travel costs to and from our sessions.