DISC Newquay presented King's Award

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00:00 We're here at the beginning of the year with a real celebration,

00:03 and a real celebration of Discs who have done such a fantastic job for so very long.

00:10 The last couple of years we have seen I think the nation come together, we've seen an outpouring

00:18 of emotion and of community spirit with the death of her late Majesty the Queen and with the

00:25 coronation of our new King. And this community spirit that we have seen such evidence of over

00:32 that time is a really precious thing. It helps people, it gives them support, it gives them

00:42 comfort, it gives them friendship and it draws people together for the greater good of all.

00:50 So this community spirit which I taught is really important and yet I think it's in quite short

00:56 supply actually. We're all incredibly busy, with tremendous pressures on all our lives

01:02 and I think perhaps too that the media, social media and the digital

01:08 universe in which we live also serve in some ways to not help our community spirit. So we really

01:16 need to celebrate it and encourage it and we need to celebrate and encourage great examples of that

01:22 community spirit and that's what we're doing today. Because be in no doubt, Disc is all about

01:28 community, it's all about helping people, it's all about helping people who are less fortunate

01:34 and in crisis. And in doing that, Discs have done fantastic jobs which have helped to save

01:40 and to preserve and lengthen people's lives. And because of that brilliant job, they are one of

01:48 just 262 voluntary organisations in the country last year that were given the first King's Award

01:55 for Voluntary Services. Some of you may remember there was a reception in County Hall back in

02:03 September for five groups in Cornwall that had all been nominated for the award. Sadly only two of

02:09 them actually got the award but the great news is that Disc was one of them along with Pegasus

02:15 Men's Health and Wellbeing Centre being the other. And over the last 20 years just 46 organisations

02:23 in Cornwall have had this award but they demonstrate a fantastic range in my view of

02:29 life in Cornwall. You've got community centres and support groups, you've got rowing and surf

02:35 life-saving groups, bands and male voice choirs, theatre groups, even a boxing club and many other

02:42 brilliant organisations that are united in that they are run and organised by volunteers

02:48 and that they provide outstanding help and outstanding support to those that really need it.

02:55 So many congratulations to you all and to everyone else in this room even if you're not

03:01 specifically involved in this because I know that you are doing fantastic things to help in all areas

03:06 of Cornish life. I do think that with so many pressures on services now it's more important

03:13 than ever that we all work together. So the work that Disc does and I know does in collaboration

03:20 with lots of other people because it involves Cornwall Council, it involves lots of other

03:24 voluntary groups, it involves business and all of those lot are doing a fantastic job but we could

03:30 do even better if we collaborate more, listen to each other more and work together more. So that's

03:37 a point I'd just like to bring across because then we can make the really best use of limited

03:41 resources to provide even greater help to those in need. But thank you all involved in Disc and

03:47 all the rest of the people in this room for the work you have done to date. Before I hand over

03:52 the award I'd like to invite Jordan Rouse, Vice-Chair of Cornwall Council to read out a little bit of

03:57 why you got it. Thank you Edward, good afternoon everyone it's a pleasure to be here today as

04:02 Vice-Chairman of Cornwall Council and to be able to present Disc with the King's Award for

04:07 Voluntary Service and it's my job today to read the official citation.

04:12 What started as a soup kitchen more than 10 years ago has now grown into an indispensable centre

04:20 for struggling and hungry residents in the Newquay area. Led by volunteers the drop-in and share

04:27 centre known as Disc, tackles some of the many issues affecting those living in one of the most

04:32 deprived areas of Cornwall. Volunteers provide hot meals and food for thousands of residents

04:38 in the local area, helping to distribute them to some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach.

04:43 Amongst many other things the centre offers companionship and has introduced drop-in

04:49 sessions for health advice, haircuts, information about housing, second-hand school uniform and

04:56 financial advice. Families, individuals and the vulnerable all benefit from the essential aid

05:02 and support on offer. The close-knit community of volunteers, many of whom have used the service,

05:09 is critical to the success of the work of Disc in Newquay. So a huge congratulations to you all

05:15 at Disc. I'll now pass back over to the Lord Lieutenant to present you with your award.

05:19 [Applause]

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