Disused Bank Building to House Breast Prostheses Retailer

A previously occupied bank branch is set to be repurposed as a retail outlet offering items for individuals who have experienced breast cancer. Boost, a firm based in Calstock, Cornwall, which manufactures breast prostheses, has acquired the noticeable structure situated at the summit of Pike Street in Liskeard. Samantha Jackman established Boost in 2018 and has operated from her adapted garage until now, but will relocate to the former Barclays Bank premises, which ceased operations in March 2023. Lynn Gledhill, who underwent a mastectomy three months prior, expressed that it would be a “great thing” to have a dedicated breast shop in the heart of the town. Ms Gledhill received her breast cancer diagnosis after a standard mammogram examination three months earlier. She recounted the challenge of locating suitable prostheses after her surgery, stating: “It’s been the most extremely stressful thing that has ever happened to me. It’s been really truly awful, ” she said. “I went for surgery but the actual prosthesis were really difficult to find, I had to go online and do a lot of research and it was like I was in the dark really.” Mrs Gledhill found the Boost website and purchased a product, finding its appearance “different and a bit funky.” She described her experience using it, saying: “I felt okay using it and it was fantastic in my swimsuit. It just dried so quickly, it wasn’t some solid mass, it was just really really useful,” she said. She views the establishment of a breast form shop in Liskeard as fantastic. “Because if it helps other people not go through what I did, it’s a great thing. People can come and ask advice and try things on, it’s just a really great thing for the town.” She added: “I wish we’d had it when I was being diagnosed three months ago, it would have saved a lot of tears,” she said. Samantha Jackman has received accolades for the design of her breast prosthetics and recently secured £235,000 from Cornwall Council’s Good Growth Fund, designated for research and development. This amount was equally matched by a private investor. She commented on the move, stating: “Our main office, packing facilities and boob making was basically outside my house in the workshop that was in the garden, so this is a huge step up for us and it’s really needed,” she said. Jackman emphasized the company’s readiness for expansion: “Women need what we do and we’re ready to grow.” She noted the difficulty in finding a suitable new location: “We’d been looking for a new premises for a while and it’s been quite tricky.” She articulated the company’s philosophy regarding its operations: “We didn’t believe that the research and development that we do or the kind of work we do with women and women’s health, needed to be hidden away on an industrial unit somewhere.” She further explained the necessity for the new space: “We need that space where we can do the making, the prototyping, the manufacturing that we do, as well as having that space where women can be feeling really welcome, people can come in and have a coffee and find that support.” Follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.