Her Majesty joins volunteers and supporters
Her Majesty The Queen recently joined volunteers, staff and supporters of ShelterBox during a special visit to recognise the charity following its’ 25 years of helping others.
The team’s been critical for providing emergency shelters and assisting people who’ve been displaced by disaster, conflict and climate crises.
As Patron of the international disaster relief charity, Her Majesty visited ShelterBox’s Truro headquarters to meet the people behind its global mission – and to see first-hand how the charity’s work has evolved since it was founded in 2000.
‘It is a huge honour to welcome Her Majesty back to Cornwall to help us mark such a significant milestone in our charity’s history,’ says Chief Executive Sanj Srikanthan.
‘We’re deeply humbled by the strength and resilience of the communities we support, and incredibly grateful to the volunteers, staff, Rotary members, and donors who make our work possible every day. This moment belongs to all of them.’
Her Majesty’s connection to ShelterBox dates to 2006 when she held the title of the Duchess of Cornwall. Both Her Majesty and the then Prince of Wales learned of the charity’s work responding to a major earthquake during an official visit to Pakistan.
Since then, Her Majesty has continued to champion ShelterBox, hosting events at Clarence House and Buckingham Palace, and visiting ShelterBox in 2017 to mark her 70th birthday.
‘We continue to adapt to meet the rising challenges’
The charity itself began with a simple idea: sending essential shelter items in a box to families in crisis. Today, the charity stores aid around the world and teams up with partners to tailor its response to each community – depending on the situation.
‘People are sometimes still surprised we don’t send boxes anymore,’ explains Sanj.
‘But that flexibility means we can respond more effectively and support more people – whether it’s shelter repair kits in the Philippines, mud brick homes in Somalia or flood-resistant shelters in Bangladesh.’
‘We continue to adapt to meet the rising challenges facing the people we support.’
Her Majesty got hands-on with some of the tools used by disaster affected communities, including shelter repair kits that families use to make their homes watertight.
Her Majesty with ShelterBox’s Chief Executive Sanj Srikanthan. Image: ShelterBox.
Her Majesty met Claire Leeson who has just returned from Cameroon, which was this year named as the most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world.
‘Every community we support shapes how we work. We listen. And 25 years of disaster response has taught us a lot,’ explains Claire.
‘As well as emergency shelter like tents and shelter repair kits, we also support people who have been displaced for longer in places like Cameroon, Somalia, and Yemen. Families who have been displaced for years will often need different support.’
‘That’s why we’re always evolving, so families can rebuild with dignity and hope whatever their situation – whether it’s securing land rights in Somalia or supporting people to build stronger homes.’
ShelterBox Book Club: the UK’s largest charity book subscription
Her Majesty was especially delighted to hear about ShelterBox Book Club, which has been supported through The Queen’s Reading Room initiative.
ShelterBox Book Club has sent 125,000 books to readers eager to connect with global stories from the countries ShelterBox serves.
It’s the UK’s largest charity book subscription and has raised £1.5m since it started seven years ago – that money has helped deliver tents, water filters, solar lights, and mosquito nets to families in crisis.
ShelterBox was founded by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard. Since then, it has provided shelter to over three million people in nearly 100 countries, helping more than 300 people on average every day.
‘In an ideal world, ShelterBox wouldn’t need to exist,’ says Sanj. ‘But with over 123 million people displaced worldwide – three times more than when we were founded – our mission is more urgent than ever. And we’ll keep going for as long as we’re needed.’
To mark the occasion, Her Majesty unveiled a commemorative plaque at the charity’s headquarters.
Breaktime News recently reported on ShelterBox’s emergency response following recent flooding in Pakistan.
