A Cornish charity which has helped thousands of people in need has closed its doors for good. Newquay DISC, a drop-in centre and food bank service at the Sandy Lodge Hotel, has closed just before Christmas after more than a decade.
It comes after Monique Collins, who took over the running of the charity seven years ago, announced in October that she had made the sad decision to step down from her role. She said the last year has been “the hardest of my life” and feels it is time for her to take a step back to focus on her health and family.
Monique’s last day at DISC was yesterday (Monday, December 23) and while the charity said it will officially close its doors on January 1, she said it will stop running once she has left. She wanted to stay on as manager until Christmas in an effort to make it the “best one yet”.
The charity, which received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service earlier this year, had hoped it would be able to find someone else to become the new manager but its search has been unsuccessful. In addition, Monique said the lack of funding and increased demand for its services has made DISC “nearly impossible” to run.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Monique described the closure of DISC as being the “end of an era”. She thanked the businesses and businesses which have supported the charity over the last seven years and said she feels “emotional” that it has all come to an end.
The post said: “Here’s the post that everyone has waited for, it’s with heartfelt emotions I can’t describe as it’s an end of an era. I am writing this as me as I want to thank all of the volunteers over the years – cooking over 1.5 million meals. We helped thousands into homes, gave out tents and sleeping bags when that was all we could do. We helped with school uniforms, gas, electric, tinned and fresh fruit and vegetables, moral support, referrals to DV [domestic violence] and the list goes on.
“I want to thank the businesses and businesses that have supported me to be able to do so much for our community. There are many as you can see on our Facebook page. This week has been very emotional seeing so many people we helped and giving me hugs and thanks for housing them, feeding them and handing out Christmas presents.”
Monique previously told CornwallLive she is heartbroken that DISC now has to close but she feels it is necessary as she can no longer continue in her role. Ahead of its closure, the charity has been handing out Christmas presents to local children in need, as well as handing out food parcels to families, schools, and care homes.
The post on Facebook continued: “The last year has been tougher than most because of politics, very nasty people and funding however I need to highlight three phenomenal people who have had my back every single day, during DISC d
