Celebrating 20 Years of Inclusion in Cornwall: Highlights from the Awards Ceremony

Inclusion Cornwall held a special awards ceremony on Friday, 27th September 2024, marking 20 years of promoting inclusion across the region. The event took place at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, bringing together community organisations, local leaders, and residents to celebrate two decades of progress and collaboration.

Honouring the Winners

The ceremony recognised 12 winners for their exceptional contributions to inclusion in Cornwall. Each winner was presented with a certificate and a tree, which will be planted as part of the Forest for Cornwall initiative. These winners were drawn from a wide range of organisations, including:

• Cornwall Rural Community Charity
• Lizard Pathways
• Autistic Navigators (The Autistic Community of Cornwall CIC)
• Deaf/Club (Hearing Loss Cornwall)
• Cornwall Pride
• Trelya
• The Wave Project (Para Surfing)
• Hospital Homeless Discharge (Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust)
• Menopause Self Care
• Transformation Camborne, Pool, and Redruth
• Wadebridge Food Bank

At the end of the ceremony, attendees voted for Trelya to receive the coveted “Winner of Winners” award, highlighting the organisation’s impactful work.

A Day of Celebration

The event was hosted by Dave Meneer, formerly of Eden and Fifteen Cornwall, while Mike Thomas, Councillor and Honorary Chair of Inclusion Cornwall, introduced the day. Mike shared how this recognition allows people to “walk taller” and feel appreciated for their work.

The event also featured a special performance by local musician Ben Bowden, who wrote a brand-new song for the occasion. The song, which reflects on Inclusion Cornwall’s past and looks towards the future, carries the message that “you are not alone.”

Keynote and Future Vision

The keynote speaker, Carolyn Webster, CEO of CLEAR Emotional Trauma & Therapy Specialists, delivered an inspiring speech focusing on the future of inclusion. Carolyn urged the audience to stop reinventing the wheel and to work together for the greater cause of social justice in Cornwall. She highlighted the importance of building on the 20 years of work that Inclusion Cornwall has achieved and encouraged continued collaboration.

A Look Back at 20 Years of Inclusion

Since its establishment in 2004, Inclusion Cornwall has worked with 2,000 residents annually and partnered with over 900 organisations. The partnership has supported various projects, such as:

• Gaining Beacon status for its work on child poverty in 2007.
• Partnering with Jobcentre Plus to oversee the Flexible Support Fund.
• Supporting the Village Works Project from 2019 to 2022.
• Being a key player in the Winter Wellbeing programme, bringing £50 million into Cornwall since 2010.

Notably, Inclusion Cornwall has remained self-funded and operates independently from Cornwall Council.

For a full summary of the awards ceremony and images from the event, visit the official Inclusion Cornwall website.

Inclusion Cornwall continues its mission to challenge inequality and ensure that every resident of Cornwall feels included. Learn more about their work and achievements over the past 20 years on their homepage.