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Teddy bear museum near Camborne facing eviction by council over rent battle
A teddy bear museum in Cornwall is facing closure at the end of the month, despite its director’s ongoing battle to get more funding to help pay its rent. Bear in Mine’d, located in Troon near Camborne, has been handed an eviction notice by its landlords, Cornwall Council, over unpaid rent.
The museum’s director, Victoria Edwards, said she has been struggling to pay for the rent and is currently two months behind on her payments. She said she is in the process of trying to secure funding to save the museum and is desperately appealing for the council to be “more empathetic”.
Victoria has already had two unsuccessful applications for National Lottery Heritage funding but is looking for a funding expert to help her write a successful bid. She said the grant would have helped the teddy bears stay in their blacksmith home for at least another year, and provided jobs and work experience placements within the local community.
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“The monthly rent is very high and there has been no support from the council – apart from the first month rent free so we could set up – any promotional help, or much maintenance from them either,” Victoria explained. “I missed a few rent payments and I’ve been told that if we don’t get the money, we face eviction, so now I’m trying to get the council to hold on for a bit longer so I can get some funding.
“I tried to apply for grants and National Lottery Heritage funding but I didn’t manage to get it. I narrowly missed out on it, so I’m looking for a funding expert to help us write a successful bid and we are appealing to the good nature of Cornwall Council to waive the rent for the two outstanding months.”
Victoria originally set up Bear in Mine’d using a personal inheritance and opened the museum last year, to display her huge collection of bears. It is run by TheraTeds (SMW) CIC and includes bears as old as 122, which sit alongside bears that survived the blitz, and others from as far away as Japan.
The museum is not only a tourist attraction for visitors to admire Victoria’s huge collection of teddy bears but it has also become a hub for the community, offering regular Knit N Natter groups, and a weekly TheraTeds Friends Memory Café which supports people with dementia. Victoria also changes the displays in the shop each month to reflect different themes and highlight people who have not always been recognised for their talents because of social injustices at the time.
Recently Bear in Mine’d has been chosen to house the ‘Museum of Carefree’ displays of reworked teddy bears and other soft toys by a group of children who live, or have lived, in care, based in Camborne. Victoria said it would be a huge loss for the community if it were to close and said she will keep fighting to secure the museum’s future.
With the cost of living being so expensive for many people, entry has been a suggested £5 donation with 600 people visiting since opening in June 2022. But the closure will mean other community groups are also facing having to find new homes.
“We’re trying to provide for the community. I like to think that we’ve given some people who come here a bit more of a reason to carry on if they are struggling. I feel angry and upset at the situation because I’ve put a lot of money into it, I’ve taken no wages, and I’ve come here every day but I do it because I love it.
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“There are so many different groups and people relying on us and it would be devastating if it had to close. But I’ve been overwhelmed by the wonderful support we’ve had since announcing we may have to close at the end of the month. I want to thank everyone and promise I will keep fighting until the end.”
A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “In these increasingly financially challenging times, we recognise that some organisations are finding it difficult to continue to operate. While clearly we do not wish to see any tenant leave one of our properties, rents are explained at the time of agreeing a tenancy. “
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