Wiltshire Charities Recognized with King’s Award for Voluntary Service

The efforts of two Wiltshire-based charities, which deliver essential services to their local communities, have been acknowledged with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Big Breakfast Plus (BBP), located in Swindon, and Chalke Valley Stores (CVS), situated in Broad Chalke, are the recipients of this accolade. Both organizations are slated to receive an invitation to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the upcoming summer. BBP provides hundreds of complimentary breakfasts weekly to individuals requiring assistance, while CVS operates a versatile community hub that functions as a village shop, a cafe, and a Post Office. Charlotte Mannion, who serves as the chair of trustees for Big Breakfast Plus, stated, “Our volunteers are all amazing, committed, and work brilliantly in their teams and I am so proud that they have won this prestigious award.” She further commented, “The way our volunteers, in teams of 8-10 each day, work together would be the envy of many organisations. They show off all the aspects of ‘high performing’ teams all in a two-and-a-half-hour window day in and day out.” Tony Patel, the general manager at CVS, remarked, “We are incredibly lucky and grateful to have a dedicated group of volunteers – each person brings their own set of skills and they all make a difference and add to the sense of community spirit that is so unique to the HUB.” CVS was established within a chapel structure following the closure of the local village shop. In the decade since its inception, it has evolved into a central community hub for the village, offering both retail and postal services. Big Breakfast Plus relies almost exclusively on volunteers for its operations, functioning from the Pilgrim Centre in Swindon town centre daily, from 07:30 to 09:00. These services are accessible to any individual in the town who is experiencing homelessness or hunger, with no application process required. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service holds a status comparable to an MBE, and its recipients are publicly declared annually on the King’s birthday. For updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.