Queen hails emergency relief charity's 25th birthday

Queen Camilla is given a tour by the ShelterBox chief executive Sanj Srikanthan (far left) during a visit to the charity's headquarters

The Queen has told staff and volunteers celebrating a Cornwall charity's 25th anniversary that "unfortunately you're going to be needed more and more".

She was first introduced to ShelterBox, based in Truro, on a visit to Pakistan in 2006 and said: "I saw these good-looking Cornishmen after the earthquake there and I couldn't believe my eyes what they were doing there with a mule and a box on top".

She became the charity's president in 2007 and patron in May 2021 and met volunteers and staff involved since its beginnings in a Helston warehouse.

During her visit, she saw shelter repair kits, shelters and aid items, which the charity delivers to areas hit by disasters and conflict.

The Queen has been involved with the charity since 2007

ShelterBox was founded in 2000 by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard.

It has since supported more than three million people in about 100 countries.

The Queen also met members of ShelterBox Book Club, which has raised more than £1.5m to support the charity's work.

Paul Knight, who was the president of Helston Rotary Club when the charity started and was chair of the trustees, met the Queen.

Paul Knight said the founders at the Rotary club thought they could help refugees

He said: "It really started from watching news programmes about refugees coming out of Kosovo."

Member Tom Henderson said there must be something they could do to help.

They raised £1,200 in a few hours in Helston and "it exploded from that really," Mr Knight said.

Thomas gave the Queen a clay snail

During her visit, the Queen met Thomas, 13, who makes clay snails, and has raised more than £2,000 for ShelterBox because he wants to help people in Ukraine.

He knew about the charity because his grandmother lives in Cornwall.

"I just love that they're helping people," he said.

"It was pretty depressing and I wanted to help in any way I could."

The Queen named the new air ambulance

The Queen also formally named a helicopter - bought after an appeal to raise £2.85m for Cornwall Air Ambulance's second aircraft - when she visited the air ambulance's Newquay headquarters.

The aircraft went into service in August.

The Queen also visited projects supported by the Cornwall Community Foundation, which has awarded more than £22m in grants to small organisations.

She visited Wave House Church in East Street, Newquay, to meet residents supported by the organisation's Turnaround Project, which provides housing and mentoring to get vulnerable and at-risk young people into work.

She was greeted outside the church by 11-year-old Eliana, with the Queen telling the youngster she was "very impressed" after being handed a set of three homemade candles.

She said Eliana, who runs a small candle business from home, was "enterprising".