Cornish Charity to Cease Operations Ahead of Christmas

The Drop In and Share Centre (Disc), a Cornish charity that has supported thousands in Newquay with hot meals, food parcels, and clothing, is set to close due to insufficient funding. Monique Collins, who has managed Disc for seven years, expressed her distress, stating: “It’s made me ill if I am totally honest and my family have just had enough now.” She elaborated on the competitive funding landscape for smaller organizations: “Like any grassroots charity there might be one pot of money and there’ll be like 20 to 25 groups going for it, so there just isn’t enough funding around.” Ms. Collins added: “So we had to make a very sad, sad decision to call it a day and I’m actually heartbroken about it, it really has affected me because I do care, but I can’t do it anymore.” Becky Hall, a volunteer at Disc, initially sought assistance from the centre following the loss of both her parents and foster parents. She shared her experience, saying: “It gave me a family I never knew I had.” Ms. Hall also voiced concerns about the future impact of the closure: “It’s quite scary to think that come the new year we don’t really know what’s going to happen for the people that have had that support not just financially but sometimes emotionally as well,” she said. Donna Harker, another individual who first approached Disc for help, later became involved in leading its art and craft sessions. She reflected on the closure, stating: “It actually scares me… this is finished and what am I going to do, not just in the sense of the foodbank but also the joy I get out of coming here?” Earlier in the year, Monique Collins reported a 50% increase in service users over the past year, rising from 2,000 to 3,000 individuals. Disc also supplied food for breakfast clubs in Newquay schools, with requests for assistance extending to other schools in St Austell and Bodmin. Ms Collins explained the charity’s support for educational institutions: “We’ve been helping out schools the whole year with fresh fruit, with cereals and with milk, so that children can have a breakfast before they start the day.” She highlighted the broader issue of food insecurity: “There are so many families struggling whereby children go to school and they are hungry because they have not had any breakfast.” Ms. Collins further noted: “Parents are just desperate, there is just not enough money to go around, that goes back to, once again, to working families that are struggling the most,” she said. According to the Charity Commission, Disc Newquay was initially registered in 2017 with the stated objective of “prevention or relief of poverty for homeless persons in the Newquay area.” The organization is scheduled to officially cease operations on 1 January. A previous statement issued by the trustees acknowledged the charity’s work, saying: “For the last few years, the charity has had the privilege of providing food, aid, and a sense of hope to individuals and families facing unimaginable challenges.” The statement continued: “Through the generosity, dedication, and support from the local community and beyond, we’ve been able to make a lasting impact.” It concluded by expressing gratitude: “Your generosity has left an indelible mark on our community, and for that, we are eternally grateful.” For further updates, follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.