By Paul Macdonald

Local charity Cornerstone, based in the central car park Warminster, opened by Princess Anne in 1990, has recorded more than 3,500 ‘episodes of assistance’ to reach an average of 50. From around 200 in their first year, it now averages 15 each month.

“We operate under Christian values to help relieve poverty and distress, irrespective of race, religion, gender, disability, politics,” said Trustees chairman  Denis Tones.

“We came together as the result of a local church home group discussion. We saw a real need for people to have somewhere to go and seek confidential help and support – the idea of Cornerstone soon became the project.”

They opened in June 2014 after a seed-corn grant from the town council. A ‘barking mad dog show’ in Upton Scudamore sponsored by The RACS Group gave them the boost to register as a charity.

“Cornerstone is staffed entirely by volunteers drawn from the local community who have a heart for helping others. The charity, after the one-off help from the council, is funded entirely from donations and supported by unpaid volunteers who give up their own time to help others,” Denis added.

He is one of eight trustees in a team of 20 volunteers. They are operating a telephone and e-mail service throughout the pandemic and hope to re-open their doors during the first week in September.

Under more normal times they would also be out and about in the community helping with everything from benefit-related claims and assessments, to the homeless. Some claim forms are complex, 36 pages long, and need to be printed off, or can only be accessed online.

Cornerstone can help at their home base or by taking the technology to those with disabilities or who are isolated, Denis stressed.

“We are a local charity who love to help people to help themselves.”

01985  220657
E-mail info@cornerstone-warminster.org