Dor Kemmyn finds a natural home

The move towards establishing an Inter-Faith Centre in Cornwall has taken a great step forward.

Dor Kemmyn – Cornish for ‘Common Ground’ – has been searching for a potential site for several years and is very pleased to announce a partnership with the staff at the Penmount site just outside Truro.

The land is owned by Cornwall Council and occupies a stunning 28-acre former country house estate with beautiful gardens and woodlands. There the staff have created a peaceful and welcoming environment, which ensures that visitors can spend time in a quiet and reflective atmosphere.

Over the coming years, Dor Kemmyn will be looking for ways to complement this environment with a beautiful sustainable elliptical building, which will be open to all people in Cornwall.

Dor Kemmyn aims to bring people together from different faiths and cultures to find common ground for the future well being of everyone. Besides creating a safe and quiet place for groups and individuals to worship and contemplate, there will be opportunities for children, young people and adults to learn about different faiths.

The addition of an Inter-Faith Centre, will also enhance the vision that Susan Cannan, the Bereavement Services Manager for Cornwall Council, has for the site.

“I see the site at Penmount as being capable of providing more than just a crematorium facility,” she says. “Only 11 of the 28 acres are developed as formal memorial gardens and there is scope for the remaining 17 acres to provide so much more for the people of Cornwall.

“The Dor Kemmyn vision sits well alongside the current facility which is already available for services by those of all faiths or none. Consideration is currently also being given to the possibility of developing a natural burial area and a hospitality facility where visitors will be encouraged to use the less formal areas of the grounds at times other than when attending funerals or visiting memorials.”

This is a special opportunity in Cornwall as the representatives of different faiths are committed to working together and to create a centre that will be of benefit to everyone.