Shropshire’s Lord-Lieutenant praises work of Qube charity
The Oswestry-based well-being charity, Qube, recently marked its 30th anniversary at an evening reception attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner.
Over 70 guests comprising volunteers, staff and delivery partners, past and present, celebrated the special anniversary which was held at Oswestry cricket club on November 30.
The Lord-Lieutenant spent time chatting with guests about their association with the charity, later reflecting on the importance of volunteers to Qube’s on-going success in her speech of thanks to the packed room.
She said: “As His Majesty’s representative in Shropshire, I am delighted to give thanks for and recognise the wonderful work of Qube. The service provided is vital to so many in such a large area of Shropshire and improves the quality of life for so many vulnerable people. You are a shining beacon offering a high standard of care and support.
“My thanks go to the whole team, the trustees and employees for their commitment, and the volunteers for the huge dedication to making lives better. Every volunteer is important, whatever time they give, helping people and enriching lives. I encourage you to carry on doing a great job.”
Qube’s Chief Officer, Laurel Roberts, who has headed the charity for 18 years, said: “Qube has been a trailblazer for innovation, creativity and care in the community in its truest sense.
“We provided the first dial a ride in Shropshire, the first purpose-built art gallery, and for many years the only volunteer centre in Shropshire.
“The sense of belonging that people have as soon as they come in, the warm and non-judgmental welcome is why our fabulous volunteers stay with us for so long. Importantly it is also why our members in the community trust us to help and support them and it's what keeps them coming back.”
Heather Noble, head of trustees, spoke of her hopes for Qube’s continued growth and success. She said: “Our partnership relationships along with our wonderful volunteers, staff and supporters will continue to see Qube grow as an asset for Oswestry, North Shropshire and Wales and to continue to support our members.
“Whether it’s encouraging local agencies to engage with our work, donating time as a volunteer, registering to take part in one of our short courses or making a purchase from our gallery, we will always be immensely grateful.”
The reception concluded with the cutting of a Qube-shaped celebration cake by the Lord-Lieutenant and Oswestry town mayor, Jay Moore, who also attended.
On display was a time-line tracing the charity’s evolution from a good neighbour scheme to community hub and art gallery offering transport, health, volunteering, befriending, social prescribing and well-being support for people in North Shropshire and beyond. This highlighted milestones such as the celebrated 2012 peg dolly exhibition featuring hundreds of donated, home-made dollies which helped seal the Qube gallery’s reputation for progressive art.
More recently the charity has broadened its offer with mental health outreach, community health support, and social prescribing which has seen the launch of an online community directory of local health and well-being support produced with Shropshire Council.
Qube is also partnering with the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund on Cancer Champions, a county-wide initiative to raise awareness of early cancer symptoms among minority and isolated communities.
