MPower Kernow

02/08/2025

🚛 Big News from MPower!
Yesterday marked a HUGE milestone in our journey to create a technical training centre for young people in Cornwall! Thanks to the incredible support of BAM, we’ve had two classrooms, a toilet block, and a storage unit delivered and installed at our St Blazey site. 🙌
BAM’s support has been phenomenal – from generous financial backing to the professional expertise that is helping to bring this project to life.
🙏Special thanks to Watts of BAM Rail, whose visit last year inspired a genuine commitment to helping us grow, and to the amazing team who made this happen: Walsh, Carter, Leigh ColmanLeigh Colman, Reed, White and everyone else involved – you’re helping to build more than just classrooms; you’re helping to build futures.
📣There’s still plenty to keep our volunteers, partners, and trainees busy preparing the site and curriculum ready for accredited pre-apprenticeship training this Autumn!
💙 Help us grow even further:
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👉 Support our crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/introducing-young-people-to-engineering

25/07/2025

📣MPower, the Cornish economy and the “Solvite” locomotive!
On Sunday 27th, the next visitor to MPower’s St Blazey turntable will be 45212. This “Black 5” type locomotive will be heading the Railway Touring Company’s “Royal Duchy” excursion train running from Bristol to Par.

📣Bringing hundreds of tourists to visit the local area, St Blazey turntable provides the only means in Cornwall to turn steam locomotives; it therefore supports the local economy by enabling these popular trains to visit mid Cornwall.

👉 We're currently raising funds to grow our impact and enable us to launch our training programme — please consider supporting our crowdfunding campaign here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/introducing-young-people-to-engineering

📣The 45212 itself was in operation right up to the very last day of regular steam operation on British Railways in August 1968, but rather than being scrapped it went straight into a new preservation life at a heritage railway at Keighley in Yorkshire.

🚂In 1969, the locomotive became an unlikely TV star when it was used in an advert to promote Solvite wall paper paste! The engine was covered from chimney to tender in decorative wall paper, and then operated on the line; a unique - if somewhat bizarre - claim to fame!

📣45212 will arrive at the turntable at approx 14:00 on Sunday, where it will be turned on the award-winning St Blazey turntable and serviced in preparation for its return to Bristol.

📣Please note, that the turntable is unfortunately not yet open to the public, and those wanting to see the locomotive should be aware that any access to watch the locomotive is via private land and entirely at the individuals own risk. Please do not attempt to access any Network Rail property, or park on private property and take care of any vehicles or machinery operating in the area.

18/07/2025

A big thank you to Noah Law for St Austell & Newquayfor recently highlighting MPower Kernow in Parliament as a strong example of pre-apprenticeship training led by the voluntary sector. You can watch a clip of him speaking in the chamber here: https://lnkd.in/etVaajzT

Noah has engaged with some of MPower’s learners and volunteer mentors over the last few months, including visiting our facilities and even getting his hands dirty (quite literally!) whilst helping to operate our award-winning turntable.

At MPower, we’re committed to giving young people in Cornwall — particularly those who are NEET, neurodiverse, or from disadvantaged backgrounds — a route into meaningful careers through practical, hands-on training in engineering and construction skills.

Based in the St Blazey Railway Yard, our facilities include the historic Grade II* listed railway turntable, which is just one of several pieces of machinery and equipment that we use to provide real hands-on training opportunities, helping build a bridge between school and industrial employment.

We’re proud of what our team - learners, volunteer mentors, and project supporters have achieved together; it’s fantastic to see the value of community-driven training being recognised at a national level.

This September, MPower plan to begin delivery of an accredited Level 1 pre-apprenticeship programme, building on the success of our voluntary training initiatives.

👉 We're currently raising funds to grow our impact and enable us to launch our training programme — please consider supporting our crowdfunding campaign here: https://lnkd.in/eKsebEkX

18/07/2025