Bugle Library of Things wins the King’s top honour for volunteers

It began in one Clay Country village, with local people who saw things that needed to change and decided to act. This year their work has earned the highest honour a voluntary group in the UK can receive.

Bugle Library of Things (BLOT) has been given The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2026, which is the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups.

The award recognises the time, commitment and local knowledge of BLOT’s volunteers. Together they have turned a grassroots community project into an organisation that supported more than 1,600 people over the last 12 months.

From a green hub in Bugle to a village hall on wheels

BLOT’s bright green Community Hub sits at 48A Fore Street, in the heart of the village. People can call in for food and everyday essentials, digital and practical support, community activities and help finding their way through services.

Working alongside local partners, BLOT connects people with the advice, resources and opportunities they need. It also works to tackle poverty, isolation and the barriers that stop people getting support.

More and more, that help is heading out on the road. BLOT’s Mobile Hub is a purpose-built “village hall on wheels”, which lets BLOT and partner organisations reach people in places where transport, isolation and a lack of local services can make support hard to access.

Both hubs work on one simple idea: bringing useful resources, opportunities, organisations and people together in the places where they can make the biggest difference.

The numbers behind the award

• More than 1,600 people supported in the last 12 months
• More than 2,600 volunteer hours given over the last year
• The Bugle Hub opens around 200 days a year
• Around 150 Mobile Hub sessions delivered every year
• Food equivalent to more than 107,000 meals distributed since 2020

The award arrives at an important point for the organisation. BLOT is staying firmly rooted in Bugle and Cornwall’s Clay Country, but it is strengthening its partnerships and expanding the Mobile Hub programme, so community, voluntary, health and other services can reach people who might otherwise struggle to get to them.

“This award belongs to our volunteers”

Jo Rusbridge, Founder and Co-CEO of BLOT, said the credit goes to the people who give their time.

“BLOT exists because local people saw things that needed to change and decided to do something about them,” she said. “What started in Bugle has grown enormously, but that same community spirit still sits at the heart of everything we do.

“Our volunteers have given thousands of hours, whether that has meant collecting and sorting food, keeping our Hub running, supporting people who walk through the door, helping at community events or taking our services out on the road. They have helped us build something that people know they can turn to and trust.”

Jo also paid tribute to Susan Birchall, one of BLOT’s longest-standing supporters, who died earlier this year.

“Susan was part of the story that brought us here, and it feels right that we remember her as we celebrate this recognition.”

A crystal award and a trip to the Palace

BLOT is one of 250 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups across the UK receiving the award this year.

In the coming months, representatives will be presented with a crystal award and a certificate signed by His Majesty The King. Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, will hand them over. Two team members will also be invited to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2027, alongside other groups receiving the award.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and has continued since the accession of His Majesty The King. It recognises outstanding work by volunteer-led groups in their local communities, and it is awarded for life.

You can find out more about BLOT, its services and ways to get involved at blotcic.org.

For Jo, the honour is a reason to keep going. “We have ambitious plans for the years ahead: reaching more communities, creating stronger partnerships and making it easier for people to access practical support and opportunities close to home. We couldn’t have reached this point without our volunteers, and we are enormously proud of every one of them.”