Group that empowers disabled people in Milton Keynes is honoured with Queen's award

The fantastic work of the Centre for Integrated Living has been honoured with a Queens Award for Voluntary Services.

In a ceremony in the worship area of The Guildhall, volunteers received the award from Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Countess Howe.

It was received by the Centre's current chair of the Board of Trustees Ernie Boddington and the first chair and current active member Christine Checkley,

The group equivalent of an MBE, the award was first introduced in 2002 and has only been awarded

to 50 other organisations in Buckinghamshire since its creation.

Countess Howe said: “Milton Keynes Centre For Integrated Living is an exceptional volunteer-led organisation run by the disabled for the disabled, by volunteers who have first-hand experience of disability.

"Through the untiring efforts of fourteen disabled volunteers, the quality of life of over 3,000 disabled beneficiaries has been significantly improved.”

CIL’s mission is to inform and empower people with disabilities in the local area. More specifically, they provide free and confidential information and support on a variety of disability-related issues.

Volunteer Peter Dunscombe spoke on a more personal level of the impact that CIL has had on his life, saying:

“I’ve been a volunteer for an awfully long time, in excess of 10 years. In truth, CIL saved my life, because I was going through a very dark period.

It gave me a purpose, I was stuck indoors all day every day and coming out and working at CIL, meeting up with people and helping solve problems, they think that was for them but truly it was for me. They’ve helped me an awful lot, tremendously and the people are just lovely.”

MK Mayor Cllr Mohammed Khan was also in attendance at the ceremony was impressed with the work that CIL do.

He said: “It’s fantastic to be here as they’re receiving this Queens’ Award for Voluntary Service. They do excellent service for disabled people and look after them."

He added: "My brother is disabled himself, severely disabled, so I know how disabled people feel. It’s always important to look at how we can help disabled people.”

All trustees are also volunteers. The organisation has just two part time paid members of staff.

More information about CIL is available at http://www.mkcil.org.uk/.