Volunteers with a Kinross-shire charity that helped tackle the impact of poverty throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been honoured by the Queen.
Broke Not Broken received its Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service at a special ceremony on Tuesday evening.
The monarch’s representative in the region Lord Lieutenant Stephen Leckie was on hand to present the accolade at Loch Leven Community Campus.
Founded in 2015, Broke Not Broken is 100 per cent volunteer-run and relies solely on charitable donations to support local people in need.
Six years later the team continues to be the cornerstone of local charitable support, providing much needed food bank services, advice and support to Kinross-shire.
During the first weeks of the pandemic in 2020, demand for the food bank increased by 1000 per cent as lockdown restrictions hit, with Broke Not Broken responding incredibly to the rise.
The group is only the third in Perth and Kinross to have received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities and has been described as an “MBE for community groups”.
The lord-lieutenant presented the group with a certificate, personally signed by Her Majesty the Queen, and a large, heavy commemorative crystal. Broke not Broken is now entitled to use the Queen’s Award emblem.
Chair of the charity Annie McCormack said the group was “humbled” to receive the award.
She added: “From humble but ambitious beginnings we have over six years evolved and developed a range of projects around our food bank, based on working with service users, including: counselling service, advice hub, sports club funding, family away days, winter coat schemes, cookery classes, healthy eating initiatives, school uniform bank, funding for addiction intervention, gardening and growing produce, as well as hardship and fuel poverty funding.
“In these initiatives, we work closely with many other community groups, such as The Men’s Shed, Kinross Rotary Club, SSAFA –The Armed Forces Charity, Kinross Day Centre, local schools and churches, to raise awareness, fundraise and provide speaking event opportunities.
“We are honoured to have received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary service particularly after such a challenging time. As a charity run 100 per cent by volunteers, it is fantastic for everyone to get this recognition. Everyone has worked so hard, coming together to help those most vulnerable and in need in Kinross-shire.
"It is particularly good to receive the award and it gives us the energy and drive we will need going forward, expecting an increase in demand linked to the end of furlough, increased fuel prices and expected removal of the £20 weekly Universal Credit uplift. These will all unfortunately affect those already feeling the effects of poverty in our community.”
Perth and Kinross Lord-Lieutenant Stephen Leckie said: “I am delighted for the Broke Not Broken - Kinross team, and I offer my very sincere congratulations and very warm thanks for all they do. This is truly a wonderful day for the team.”
Provost Dennis Melloy also congratulated the charity, saying: “I am delighted to see this fantastic group receive this well-deserved award in recognition of all their hard work, even throughout the difficult times we’ve all experienced during the pandemic.
“The difference they continue to make in the lives of people in need and to tackle the effects of poverty is commendable. Well done and congratulations to everyone involved in running this fantastic voluntary service.”
