Mention Camborne in other towns across Cornwall and you'll probably get the same reaction - a few derisory comments, the odd snigger and some sympathy for a town that was once the centre of the Duchy's rich mining boom but has since fallen on hard times.

These days Camborne is most often talked about as being among the poorest towns in the UK, and even Europe, with Pengegon as the most deprived neighbourhood in Cornwall. In short, it's often seen as Kernow's whipping boy.

Frankly, it's time to stop looking down on Camborne and its people - exciting things are happening and the town centre is probably the most over-looked in the whole of Cornwall. You can get everything here - there are possibly more independent traders than anywhere else and there's a new-found positivity thanks to a forward-thinking Business Improvement District (BID) and the announcement of up to £23.7m in funding from the Government's Towns Deal Fund, some of which has already made a huge difference to a town which once looked tired and downtrodden, but now has a newfound sense of purpose.

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I must admit, I hadn't visited Camborne for quite some time. Living near Truro and Falmouth, I didn't feel the need to, but after strolling through its streets on a sunny day this week, I realised I'd missed out. There's a unique atmosphere here, a friendliness missing from other Cornish towns and some really good shops.

I visited on Friday - market day on Commercial Square - so I could have bought some fish, the sweet stuff from Cornish Cake Pixies, jewellery and even some edible poems from street entertainer Sally Crabtree. What I actually got were some huge salad tomatoes, a punnet of cherry tomatoes of mixed colours and flavours, and a whopping cucumber - all for just £2.20 thanks to the Kehelland Trust. One of the good things about Camborne is that things are cheap.

Looking down a busy Trelowarren Street in Camborne
Looking down a busy Trelowarren Street in Camborne

Unlike other towns such as Helston and Looe, Camborne still has a high street bank. Incredibly, it still has five - Lloyds, Barclays, Nat West, Halifax and Santander as well as a post office counter. Anna Pascoe, manager of BID Camborne, told CornwallLive: "It's nice for people to come into town and talk to somebody. People got quite lonely during the pandemic and have got sick of doing things online or having to go through various stages on the phone. It's refreshing when you're on the high street to go somewhere where someone is glad to see you and glad of your custom."

If anyone is a proud Cambornian ... Cambornonian ... Camborneite (what is the correct term? In the 19th century the nickname for Camborne people was Mera-jacks or Merry-geeks) it's Anna: "I could live somewhere else if I wanted to but I use the '20,000 people know the reason why' line - 20,000 people have chosen to live here. [People having a go at Camborne] is a bit of an insult to all those people. There's low crime, house prices are affordable, all the services you need are on the high street but there's a lot more too ... you can genuinely get everything here. We're not an affluent town but people actually enjoy living here."

One of BID's biggest successes has been the introduction of the Camborne Loyalty Card - shop, get a stamp, fill the card with ten stamps, send it in and you're in with a chance of winning monthly shopping vouchers worth £100, £75 and £50. Since starting the scheme in May, 10,000 purchases have been made via the loyalty cards alone. People are loving it.

Anna Pascoe, manager of Camborne BID
Anna Pascoe, manager of BID Camborne

Project A-Void is also improving Camborne's fortunes - 66 businesses applied for up to £5,000 each from a pot of just over £250,000 from early Town Deal funds. Given confidence by the scheme, traders also spent an extra £170,000 in matched funding. One in every three or four businesses was able to install new windows or doors, fit new disabled access, refit flooring, improve tables and chairs and provide better security. The town is looking better for it.

It is hoped there will be a further £400,000 in government funding to widen the scheme to more businesses. It's also a cheap place to open a shop, as Anna said: "Rates are affordable so people try their hand at giving a business a go."

Part of Project A-Void will be a new town brand - making the welcome bright and vibrant. Young people in the town are getting involved with the consultation, which will mean no more pressing on Google Maps to find your way around, but signage and pointers of the best places to visit, including Discover Camborne's heritage trail of important industry and mining buildings and locations.

I met Anna in Tyacks Hotel, one of the oldest hostelries in Cornwall, dating back to 1780. She told me there are plenty of reasons to visit the town, whether you're a tourist or live elsewhere in the county. "For the holidaymakers, there's loads of affordable accommodation and it's a great base - you can stay here [Tyacks] and have a lovely breakfast or at one of the other hotels then stroll into town and you're only a ten-minute drive from the beach."

Poet Sally Crabtree draws curious people to her stall at the Friday market in Camborne
Poet Sally Crabtree draws curious people to her stall at the Friday market in Camborne

Despite being "grossly overlooked for the G7", as Anna says, the town actually played host to many of the summit's delegates last summer.

One of the other things in Camborne's favour is the fact that it is the most disabled-friendly town in Cornwall. As well as all the ongoing work to make its shops and businesses wheelchair friendly, it is level (no hills like Redruth) and has some of the widest pavements you will ever see. "It really helps if you're in a wheelchair, pushing a pram or using a mobility scooter, or simply don't want to walk up massive hills carrying loads of shopping, which is a reasonable want," added Anna.

After chatting, we took a walk through town. It's easy to see why there are now plans to brand the town into different quarters. Each area definitely has a distinctive feel. The bottom end is the business quarter, leading up to the commercial / retail centre, Cross Street has more independent shops and eateries, while the top end of Trelowarren Street is the creative quarter with everything from artists to trendy barbers to dog groomers and the rather wonderful and unique Queens at 46 who upcycle clothes - more on them later.

People often denigrate Camborne as being full of charity shops - and there are quite a few - but Anna thinks this is a plus, particularly at a time of economic downturn. "I think with people being more eco-conscious now they are thinking about buying things that are 'pre-loved'. It's daft to be spending willy nilly at the moment so those shops really do provide a service and the money goes back into helping people."

Cross Street has some great independent businesses
Cross Street has some great independent businesses

Pass the market on Commercial Square and you head up beautiful little Chapel Street, the business heart where solicitors and dentists sit alongside Create CIC (Camborne Contemporary Crafts Hub) and the grand Apollo Bingo - the first and last bingo hall in the land (which also serves value-for-money meals). There is fantastic architecture everywhere in Camborne - just look at the old Post Office building on Chapel Street, which is still used as a sorting office.

At the end of Chapel Street is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of Trelowarren Street - Cross Street is full of fantastic little indie businesses, from florists and tattoo parlours to Aldridge Cycles, The Make Space sewing service, Thai in Town takeaway and Colclough and Canine dog shop. It is also home to Delight 2 Bite cafe, run by Sharron Lipscombe-Manley, who is also chair of the BID.

She's well aware of the town's lack of fortunes but says its people are rich in spirit: "We do have that label of being Cornwall's poor man or woman, but we have the most generous people living here. They might not have an awful lot but they'll give you everything. I've never known such a strong community of people.

"We are a positive town, a happy town and a loyal town. In fact, Camborne is a small town with a massive heart."

Sharron Lipscombe-Manley runs Delight 2 Bite on Cross Street in Camborne
Sharron Lipscombe-Manley runs Delight 2 Bite on Cross Street in Camborne

An example of Camborne's generosity can be found on the cafe's From The Wall scheme. There penned on the wall is how much people have given to help others less fortunate than themselves, so currently there are currently 46 drinks going free and 29 meals.

Customers voted Delight 2 Bite the best small business in Camborne's inaugural Community and Commerce Awards earlier this year. Speaking about the number of attractive window displays around the town, Sharron added: "Everybody takes pride in what they do and how their premises look - we want to make Camborne look as good and positive as possible."

She believed Camborne was now becoming more of a destination town rather than a "generic town".

Nearby is J Toms & Sons, a model shop and former ironmongers which has been based on Cross Street for over 50 years. Wilfred 'John' Toms - the son of one of the 'Sons' - is still running the shop at the age of 85, as more of a hobby than anything else. There are days when John takes no money at all - it's a sign that times are still tough in Camborne. Do him a favour and go and buy a model car.

Wilfred 'John' Toms runs his model shop, J Toms & Sons, the oldest shop in Camborne
Wilfred 'John' Toms runs his model shop, J Toms & Sons, the oldest shop in Camborne

However, just around the corner is a vibrant business for our times - Queens at 46 at the top of Trelowarren Street is an ingenious zero waste shop, using upcycled fabrics to make almost anything, so duvets become dresses and dressing gown cords (which can't be recycled, who knew?) are turned into funky cooling accessories for dogs, cyclists or whoever and whatever.

Susie Willis and Kate Richards have made this ground floor shop and first floor workshop one of the most exciting places to visit in West Cornwall. They provide Stitch and Bitch sessions, where you can learn to sew - one man, who had never sewn in his life, now makes bowling shirts for the shop - and upcycling workshops. They make some of the most eye-popping, colourful knickers, shower caps and clothes you will ever see.

The pair, who were originally based at Krowji in Redruth, originally got together to make PPE for the NHS. Tragically, Kate lost her husband to Covid but as a way of helping her get through her loss, Susie coaxed her into helping make the PPE out of recycled fabrics, which grew into the whole Queens at 46 upcycling business and ethos.

Susie said: "Camborne was a no brainer for us - the rent is really reasonable compared to somewhere like Redruth, thanks to lots of funding. Our rent in Redruth would be about three times the amount it is here. People don't have to walk up steep hills here and there's free parking on the street, so customers can pop in.

"We want to be able to help people in the community - homeless people bring their trousers in to be fixed because they can't afford to buy new clothes."

Kate Richards and Susie Willis run Queens at 46 in Camborne
Kate Richards and Susie Willis run Queens at 46 in Camborne

An extention of this is their novel 'no fuel cooky' - a fabric 'oven'. Pour hot water over a pot of vegetable stew or similar, sit it in the cooky and four or five hours later you have a slow cooked meal. "We want to respond to what is around us, so people living in the homeless pods in Camborne or residents who cannot afford fuel could benefit from them."

They will be taking part in Camborne's Green Fest on October 1, which will showcase local sustainable businesses and feature live music and fashion shows by the town's charity shops.

I could mention so many more businesses - from the new Tastylicious ice cream shop and Under The Collar dog supplies and groomers to traditional high street butchers, Pooleys Meat Pantry. The best thing you can do is give Camborne a visit and discover it all for yourself.

Get ready to Discover Cornwall

Cornwall is unique - there's no place like it on the planet. With its stunning beaches, glorious countryside, ancient traditions and fierce sense of identity, it's no wonder millions of people visit the county every year.

With this in mind, Discover Cornwall has been launched to highlight everything that makes Cornwall special, from the quirky to the fascinating and the historical to the downright weird and wonderful. Discover Cornwall will help you find out about the county regardless of whether you're a local or a visitor. From the best fish and chip shops and pasty sellers to insightful reads into the more isolated parts of Cornwall, Discover Cornwall will help open your eyes to everything this special county has to offer.

To Discover Cornwall, click here.

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