Truro College staff and social workers had an unexpected sleepover at the Eden Project when heavy snowfall brought a professional development forum to an early end.

The REACH Cornwall team, from the college, hosted their first forum meeting jointly with social care group CASHC Learning Partnership on Thursday.

Jenny Gramnes, from REACH Cornwall, said: "Getting off site involved a half hour hike across the ice where the team finally escaped thanks to a local farmer who gave us a lift in his old Landrover."

Despite bringing the forum to an earlier end than planned, the sheer amount of snow which fell in a very short space of time created slippery conditions and all exits soon became impassable to vehicles, with many forced to abandon their cars on the roads leading off site.

Staff at the Eden Project reopened the Visitor Centre and supplied event attendees, the REACH Cornwall and CAHSC Learning Partnership teams and visitors to the site with free food and hot drinks.

They gritted the best exit route, kept an eye on conditions and ensured that those who felt confident to do so were escorted back to their cars when a brief window of opportunity presented itself after the snow stopped falling and before temperatures dropped so low that ice formed.

Emergency on-site accommodation was arranged through the YHA Eden Project for those with further to travel, including three members of the REACH Cornwall team and two staff from CAHSC.

The following morning, after several rounds of toast, conditions had still not improved sufficiently to leave by car.

REACH Cornwall, a new initiative for the social care and health sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is working closely with CAHSC, an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation committed to developing the adult health and social care workforce in the county.

CAHSC are holding their annual Care Conference Cornwall on Thursday 21 February 2019 at Tregenna Castle Resort, St Ives.

Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.01326 567163.