A CHARITY based in Bude which provides support for the area’s young people is creating a dedicated community of donors who support the group’s work.

This Christmas The Pearl Exchange is calling on the local community to help reach a major year-end milestone: welcoming the final few new monthly donors needed to complete its ‘String of Pearls’ giving circle, a collective of people who believe that small, shared acts of generosity can make a big difference.

The collection of individuals come together to form the charity’s String of Pearls, a group of community members dedicated to supporting The Pearl Exchanges work. Through small monthly donations, members help sustain vital free services at The Pearl Exchange, including creative workshops, cultural events, inclusive social spaces and one-to-one counselling for 18 to 35-year-olds across Devon and Cornwall.

“Small actions multiplied by many make a real difference,” explains operations manager Orsi Fülöp. “Every day, someone walks through our doors looking for a fresh start, a friendly face, or a moment of creativity to lift their spirits. String of Pearls members make sure we can keep this space open, welcoming and full of life.”

Founded in 2020 by local couple Rose and Johnny Bamford in memory of their daughter, Pearl Bamford, the charity uses arts, wellness and culture as its medium to engage, educate and empower young people, offering a supportive environment to build confidence, forge connections and explore creative potential. The founding couple said that their daughter’s experience highlighted the deep lack of support available to young adults in the region.

The exchange has said that its members are always at its heart, members like Ryan, who found confidence, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose through The Pearl Exchange’s free creative and wellbeing programmes.

“My confidence has definitely improved,” Ryan shares. “Meeting lots of different people who I wouldn’t have met otherwise has improved my social skills and taught me to try new things. It’s also given me a social life outside of just going to the pub.”

Ryan is just one of 364 young people who have walked through the doors of The Pearl Exchange in 2025 so far, each carrying their own story, hopes, challenges, and potential. The charity is incredibly proud of the impact made this year and is determined to deepen and expand this support in 2026. With only four more pearls needed to hit the year-end target, the team hopes the community will rally behind local young people at a time when they need it most.

Those who join before December 31, will receive a limited-edition String of Pearls tote bag, screen-printed in-house, as a small thank-you for being part of something bigger.

A spokesperson from the charity said: “Interested supporters can visit thepearlexchange.org.uk to learn more and sign up to become part of the String of Pearls.

“Monthly donations of any amount are welcomed and each contribution helps make the organisation’s work sustainable year-round.”