Following on from the audio story tools we developed for Pam’s Story — our collaboration with the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission — we’ve been invited by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Climate Commission to develop similar, regionally-specific materials for them.

So in May 2026, Steve travelled down to Cornwall by train — in the midst of the hottest temperatures ever recorded for the UK in May. In those conditions, it wasn’t hard to focus attention on the question of Cornwall’s climate future. Working alongside Peter LeFort, of CIoSC, Steve conducted three workshops in Penzance, Truro, and Redruth. Guest participants from a variety of backgrounds shared their hopes and concerns , and helped to identify possible story angles.

Cornwall is on the front line in terms of the UK’s exposure to climate change. As a peninsula, the region is surrounded on all-but-one side by the sea, and faces significant problems with coastal erosion and exposure to storms. Supply-chain infrastructure connecting the region to the rest of the UK relies on precariously-positioned coastal rail lines and on an under-resourced network of roads. Meanwhile, rising summer temperatures add to the attraction of Cornwall as a destination for holiday-makers — so that large numbers of properties are now rented out for short-term visitors, even as local people are priced out of affordable housing.

Determining the right story to tell here is certainly a challenge.

Watch this space!