For many years the original Passmore Edwards building and the adjacent secondary school has been used as Helston Community Centre. Whilst not now an Arts & Science School, it meets Passmore Edwards' original aims in that it is Helston Adult Education's prime daytime venue for classes in Helston with presently 15 adult classes taking place every week. In addition many local organisations make good use of more than 15 rooms that make up the Community Centre A children's preschool has been located there for 30 years, a ballet school with over 180 pupils has held classes there, six days a week, for the last 15 years. The arts are also represented by the use made by amateur dramatic groups from across West Cornwall and it is even used as rehearsal space for the internationally famous Flora Day celebrations. Unfortunately the Community Groups have now been told that the building is to close and that it is to be sold. The reason given is that the original conveyance of the land to the Corporation was for Technical Education purposes and, according to the present Trustees, the Helston Town Council, require that one third of the present building is used for "Science" purposes. Since, they say, they can not find a way around this obstacle they are unprepared to renew the lease to the Community Association but plan to sell it off and with the money raised, build a replacement community centre at some time in the future. I am sure that Passmore Edwards would now repeat his comment made over 100 years ago when faced with continual delays and bureaucratic meddling over the construction of the Launceston Free Library. He said "If I had known then what I now know I may have spent more of my money in London and less in Cornwall". The local community groups, faced with being turned out of their beloved community centre are planning to contest the Council's decisions and public meetings are being arranged to organise their fight. I wish them well. If it had been shown that the Passmore Edwards building was no longer a viable option as a public building then rather than see it demolished, I would be 100% behind a decision to sell it to a developer who would retain the structure. This is the case in London, where several ,of the libraries, now too small for modern library facilities, have been replaced and the Passmore Edwards building refurbished as office or residential units and even converted into accommodation for University use. The Helston school buildings, however, appear to be well suited to their present use. | 
