News & Events

26 Nov 2021

CLEAR is one of a range of organisations in Cornwall helping residents who had to shield during the Covid-19 pandemic return to a ‘new normal’ funded through a pot of almost £1.5m delivered by Cornwall Council. The grants are supporting people who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable and in need of specialist support.

The projects will offer a range of services designed to improve physical and mental health, increase confidence, and enable vulnerable people to become more sociable in a safe and positive environment. The role of CLEAR will be to help reduce the impact of emotional trauma as a result of Covid-19: CLEAR will provide counselling, therapy, group and one-to-one support for emotional wellbeing, giving children, young people and adults they support the need to process their experiences, to develop strategies to cope and to build emotional resilience for the future.

Carolyn Webster, CLEAR CEO said: “This grant comes at just the right time – we regularly have a demand that exceeds resources but as we move to relaxing from the Covid restrictions the demand is growing even higher and none more so clients who are clinically extremely vulnerable – the last two years have proved very challenging in terms of fund raising and this grant really helps.”.

Cllr Dr Andy Virr, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, said: “The grant will make a huge difference to help those vulnerable people who have been cut off from society receive much-needed physical, mental and emotional support to rebuild their confidence as they return to a ‘new normal’ way of living.”

The grant funding of £1,423,055 has been awarded by the Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to enable Cornwall Council to support those in the local CEV community who need it the most.

Other grant recipients include: Active Cornwall, Active8, Age UK, Community Energy Plus, Cornwall Rural Community Charity, Disability Cornwall, Health for Homeless, NHS Kernow CCG, Cornwall Council Adult Care & Health Commissioning

More information can be found here on the Cornwall council website
www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-news/health-wellbeing-and-social-care/grant-of-over-1m-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-vulnerable-residents-in-cornwall-who-have-stopped-shielding/

27 Oct 2021

Inside Out, a project that helps people who are not working and who have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 restrictions, is expanding its reach thanks to investment from the European Social Fund.

Led by local charity CLEAR, Inside Out reaches out to people whose mental health and emotional wellbeing has taken a knock during the pandemic and helps them to get back on track and into training and work. The project started in West Cornwall in March 2021 and now covers communities in the Camborne-Pool-Redruth, Falmouth-Penryn and Truro areas.

Jen joined Inside Out in West Cornwall in April and has recently started work. Her message for others is: “Don’t hesitate to join up! The wellbeing support and social interaction is a great way to get your confidence back and take the next step, wherever that may be.”

Carolyn Webster, Chief Executive of CLEAR, said: “The expansion of Inside Out comes just at the right time as communities look to safely move on from the pandemic. Inside Out provides a unique mix of trauma-informed wellbeing approaches alongside practical, fun community-based activities, all designed to rebuild emotional resilience, social connection and skills.”

Katy Hutchinson, from Inside Out delivery partner CHAOS said: “The CHAOS group is proud to be part of this great project and will be responsible for engaging with potential participants in the community and helping them to make the most of what Inside Out can offer. We look forward to working with CLEAR, Rebuild South West and Active Plus in this exciting project”

More information is available here.

If you or your friends or family would like to join, give us a shout at Inside Out! Call Sean on 07483 392211 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Inside Out is funded by the European Social Fund through the Cornwall Community Led Local Development Programme.

20 Sep 2021

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a therapy dog? Here Mo Read outlines Rio’s journey: from a bit of a naughty boy to a proper good citizen and so much more!

Rio is a Spanish Water Dog. Born in Wales on 16th Sept. 2015. His official name at the Kennel Club is Kincara Bobby's Child but when he came to live with us at the age of 10 weeks we called him Rio, as a short form of Rioja, the Spanish wine! We have full details of his parents, grandparents and great grandparents, who all have splendid names! His Father was Lendever's Fervent Mind, his Mother Prizelands Sweet Harmony, whilst his paternal grandparents were Leonneus de Ubrique of Maravilla and Lendevers Bolshie Madam and maternal grandparents Josalyn Galeno and Hillin Amigo Mia for Prizelands. Rio does have a certain aristocratic air about him!

We had previously had two Golden Labradors; they were gorgeous but not very obedient! Our fault, not theirs; we should have trained them.
We decided to take Rio to training lessons to get his Kennel Club Good Citizens awards. In the bronze class he peed up the walls, he peed over other dogs, he barked and barked but he managed to get his Bronze and Silver Awards within a few weeks. Getting his Gold Award took a bit longer - just over a year! He was very good at some training exercises and terrible at others. For example the dogs had to walk in a figure of eight round bowls containing food without touching them. Rio is not a good eater; we have to bribe him to eat sometimes with roast chicken, liver or sardines in oil. Even though his lessons were at lunchtime, he would ignore the food in the bowls. The Labradors on the course failed every time because of course Labradors love their food. On the other hand, for one of the exercises Rio had to sit whilst I walked away. I would then call him but when he was about three metres away from me I would tell him to sit. Instead of sitting he would bound up to me and then looked surprised when I would not give him a treat for being a good boy. His face said it all - I was sitting, you called me, why on earth should I sit again??????????

Eventually he got his Gold Good Citizens award and it was time to see if he could become a PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog. He had to be assessed and it is fair to say he was truly brilliant. At one point, the assessor dropped a tin tray on the ground behind us. I jumped but Rio just turned round and looked at the assessor as though to say 'Why did you do that? It was a silly thing to do.'

So how did Rio come to CLEAR? I was told by a Police Officer that CLEAR was a good, worthwhile charity to support. I was impressed by Simon Carpenter, the then CEO, and also the therapists so Rio started to visit the offices. He loved it and the children loved him. He loves a cuddle, as we all do, and he senses when someone is unwell. As well as visiting CLEAR, in normal times he goes to Bodmin Hospital. Only twice has he jumped on the bed. Once when an elderly, blind lady who had to lie on her back in bed could not reach to stroke him and once when he got no reaction from a 40 year old man who had had a major stroke. Rio visited that man regularly until he was well enough to go home.

You may have met Rio at fundraising events. He is happy to sit, be stroked or cuddled. He has the softest ears and children who do not like dogs have been persuaded to stroke them.

His latest success was a retired SAS soldier who was frightened of dogs and would not go into the same room as one. He is now happy to walk with Rio, to stroke him and to play with him.

01 Sep 2021

The CLEAR Annual General Meeting 2021 is at 6-30pm on 21st September 2021 in Truro.

Booking is essential so we can send you the Zoom link.

Please let Julie know if you are planning to attend by Wednesday 15th September - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01872 261147