26/09/2026
CORNWALL’S VOICE AROUND THE TABLE
Harbour Housing was pleased to be represented by our Operations Director , Malcolm Putko, at a meeting in St Austell with Megan Greene, an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee.
The meeting brought together representatives from across Cornwall’s voluntary and community sector, including Cornwall Community Foundation, Young People Cornwall, Cornwall Mind, STAK and Wadebridge Foodbank, alongside Harbour Housing and colleagues from the Bank of England.
Different organisations, different areas of expertise and different communities but many shared challenges.
For Harbour, the discussion reflected much of what we see every day: increasing housing pressures, rising costs, greater complexity of need and growing pressure on organisations supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
And there is a bigger point.
Cornwall’s voluntary and community sector is a significant part of the social infrastructure of our county.
Collectively, organisations like those represented around the table work alongside Cornwall Council, the NHS and other public services every day. We provide housing, homelessness support, mental health services, food, advice, youth services and community support, often reaching people statutory services cannot reach alone.
That makes this conversation particularly timely as discussions about greater devolution for Cornwall develop.
Whatever the eventual shape of devolution, moving decisions closer to Cornwall should also mean listening to the organisations and communities closest to the issues.
Our sector shouldn’t simply be consulted after decisions have been made. Its knowledge and experience can help shape the conversation.
A huge thank you to Tamas Haydu, CEO Cornwall Community Foundation, for organising and chairing the meeting and, importantly, bringing people together.
For Harbour Housing, being part of conversations like this matters. So does building stronger relationships and alliances across Cornwall’s voluntary and community sector.
Because none of us can tackle Cornwall’s challenges alone — but together, we can make sure Cornwall’s communities have a strong voice where decisions are being made.
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