Cornwall has been recognised nationally for its commitment to fair pay, winning two prestigious accolades at the Living Wage Foundation Champion Awards held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne last night (Thursday, 3 July 2025).
The Cornwall Living Wage Place (LWP) campaign was awarded ‘Campaign of the Year’, while Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Programme and Truro Foodbank were named joint winners of the ‘Local Champions’ award. Both honours celebrate the county’s efforts to tackle low and insecure pay.
The Cornwall Living Wage Place campaign began in 2023, when Truro Foodbank noticed an increase in employed people not being able to pay essential bills and needing to turn to foodbanks for help. At that time 30% of households attending had at least one person in work but were either paid the lowest legal minimum and/ or were in a job with insecure hours where shifts could be cancelled at very short notice without pay.
With support of business leaders, community organisations and Cornwall Council, the campaign gained momentum. In February 2025, Cornwall became the first area in the UK to be officially recognised as a Living Wage Place, joining 17 other cities and boroughs already accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.
Simon Fann, Chair of the Cornwall LWP Group and Manager at Truro Foodbank, said:
“Cornwall’s achievement in putting this hugely important issue in the spotlight - and in becoming the first area in the UK to become a Living Wage Place - is the result of the widespread encouragement and support we have received from communities, businesses and local representatives across the county.
“This coming together by Cornwall to tackle what is a key social and economic issue of our time has clearly been recognised by the awards judges and it is a tribute to the work of all those involved with and supporting this campaign.”
Cornwall Council’s £186 million Good Growth Programme, which manages the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, was praised for its innovative approach to local growth funding since launching in 2022. By requiring grant applicants to commit to paying the Real Living Wage, the programme is helping shift Cornwall away from a low-wage economy. Over 150 employers and hundreds of employees have already benefited.
Kate Kennally, CEO of Cornwall Council said:
“We are incredibly proud that Cornwall has been recognised nationally for its commitment to fair pay. These awards reflect the dedication of our partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors and shows what can be achieved when we work together to tackle low pay and insecure work in Cornwall.
"Our Good Growth Programme meanwhile has put inclusive, fair and sustainable economic development at the heart of how we invest public money, raising pay for hundreds of workers and setting a new standard for local growth funding.”
Cornwall Council has been a longstanding advocate of the Living Wage movement, having committed in 2015 to pay all directly employed staff the Real Living Wage. This was extended in 2019 to include all contracted staff, marking a significant step for one of Cornwall’s largest employers and acting as a catalyst for momentum across other sectors.
Simon added:
“This award is a genuine recognition of the commitment put in by a whole team of people to assist employees struggling on the lowest, most insecure pay. Getting to this point marks good progress but we must not be complacent. Last year, for the first time ever in the UK, more employed people than those on benefits felt compelled to turn to loan sharks with resultant massive interest and debt. If this campaign means workers can determine their own financial security without the need to use foodbanks or loan sharks, then that is the true achievement.”
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said:
“We are delighted to congratulate all our Living Wage Champion Awards winners for their outstanding commitment to the real Living Wage and driving up employment standards. Thanks to their campaigning and advocacy, there are now over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers delivering vital cost of living pay rises to nearly half a million workers every year.
"Over 200 Living Hours Employers and more than 70 Living Pension Employers are raising the bar even further to ensure all their workers have security and dignity today and tomorrow.
"Together the Living Wage movement has put £3.85 billion back into the pockets of low paid workers since the campaign began. I warmly congratulate Cornwall Council, Truro Foodbank and the Cornwall Living Wage Place campaign on their well-deserved award and thank them for their support for the Living Wage movement.”
Representing the Cornwall LWP Action Group to receive the ‘Campaign of the Year’ Champion Award were Simon Fann (Chair), Aryan Shah, the young persons representative and Toni Sheffield, lived experience group member. The joint ‘Local Champions’ award was received by Jordan Whaley Good Growth Fund Manager from Cornwall Council and Simon Fann from Truro Foodbank.
Aryan Shah said:
“For 18–21-year-olds the gap between the government minimum and the Real Living Wage is huge. Young people now don’t just look at the bottom line pay they also want to know about the ethics, culture and values of a company. If a company wants to attract and retain good young employees being Real Living Wage accredited is significant.”
Toni Sheffield added:
“This is so important for the workers in Cornwall. We need to build on this achievement – it is hugely positive but this needs to be the norm for employers in Cornwall. More firms need to realise the benefits to them and their staff.”
Jo Stone, Chair of Truro Foodbank Trustees said:
“Winning the joint Local Champions award with Cornwall Council is a national recognition of how essential it is to collaborate. No one organisation can achieve significant change by itself; impact on reasons why foodbanks are still necessary can only come by relevant agencies working together.”
Patrick Langmaid, Managing Director at Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park and longstanding advocate of the RLW, said:
“Because we pay the Real Living Wage, we value our staff, they in turn provide excellent service and this service generates repeat bookings which helps our productivity. It’s a virtuous cycle.”
Find out more about the Living Wage Foundation
ENDS
Posted 4 July, 2025