THE Queen visited an international disaster relief charity in Truro today (Tuesday, September 2) to mark its 25th anniversary.

Queen Camilla joined volunteers, staff, and supporters of ShelterBox during a special visit to its headquarters in Charles Street to recognise its efforts helping people with emergency shelter who have been displaced by disaster, conflict, and climate crises.

The charity’s Patron saw first-hand how the charity’s work has evolved since it was founded in 2000.

Her Majesty got hands-on with some of the tools used by disaster affected communities, including shelter repair kits that families use to make their homes watertight.

Queen Camilla was especially delighted to hear about ShelterBox Book Club, which has been supported through The Queen’s Reading Room initiative.

ShelterBox Book Club has sent 125,000 books to readers eager to connect with global stories from the countries ShelterBox serves. It is the UK’s largest charity book subscription and has raised £1.5m since it started seven years ago - that money has helped deliver tents, water filters, solar lights, and mosquito nets to families in crisis.

Her Majesty met Claire Leeson who has just returned from Cameroon, which was this year named as the most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world.

ShelterBox was founded by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard. Since then, it has provided shelter to over three million people in nearly 100 countries, helping more than 300 people on average every day.

Her Majesty unveiled a commemorative plaque at the charity’s headquarters to mark her visit.

ShelterBox chief executive Sanj Srikanthan said: “It is a huge honour to welcome Her Majesty back to Cornwall to help us mark such a significant milestone in our charity’s history.

“We’re deeply humbled by the strength and resilience of the communities we support, and incredibly grateful to the volunteers, staff, Rotary members, and donors who make our work possible every day. This moment belongs to all of them.

“In an ideal world, ShelterBox wouldn’t need to exist but with over 123-million people displaced worldwide – three times more than when we were founded - our mission is more urgent than ever. And we’ll keep going for as long as we’re needed.

“Every community we support shapes how we work. We listen. And 25 years of disaster response has taught us a lot.

“As well as emergency shelter like tents and shelter repair kits, we also support people who have been displaced for longer in places like Cameroon, Somalia, and Yemen.

“Families who have been displaced for years will often need different support. That's why we're always evolving, so families can rebuild with dignity and hope whatever their situation - whether it's securing land rights in Somalia or supporting people to build stronger homes.”

Her Majesty’s connection to ShelterBox dates to 2006, when, as the Duchess of Cornwall, she and the then Prince of Wales learned of the charity’s work responding to a major earthquake during an official visit to Pakistan. Since then, Her Majesty has continued to champion ShelterBox, hosting events at Clarence House and Buckingham Palace, and visiting ShelterBox in 2017 to mark her 70th birthday.

ShelterBox began with a simple idea, which was sending essential shelter items in a box to families in crisis. The charity now stores aid around the world, teams up with partners, and tailors its response to each community depending on the disaster, climate, or local culture.

“People are sometimes still surprised we don’t send boxes anymore,” said Mr Srikanthan. “But that flexibility means we can respond more effectively and support more people - whether it’s shelter repair kits in the Philippines, mud brick homes in Somalia or flood-resistant shelters in Bangladesh. We continue to adapt to meet the rising challenges facing the people we support.”