AT full council last week, councillors heard that Cornwall Council’s budget calculations are being revised after the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement confirmed Cornwall will receive around £13-million less than originally expected from Westminster.

The shortfall follows changes to the government’s review of local authority funding, which had initially raised expectations that rural areas like Cornwall would see long-standing funding imbalances begin to be addressed.

In total, Cornwall will now have to make around £67-million of cuts in 2026/27, and more than £155-million over the next three years. Saltash councillor Hilary Frank, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Schools, said the financial challenges underline the need to change how children’s services are delivered.

She said: “We’re having to make difficult savings, but we are also investing in doing things differently. That includes plans for Cornwall Council to buy and run its own children’s homes, so more children can be cared for within Cornwall, in stable settings with less reliance on costly external placements.”

The final budget, along with council tax levels and fees and charges for the year ahead, will be debated at Cornwall Council’s full council meeting in February.

Finally, I want to share that Rob Nolan, chair of Cornwall Council, has announced Cornwall Mind as his chosen charity. That choice resonates with me personally. Like many people, I have needed support with my mental health at different points in my life, and organisations like Cornwall Mind can make a real difference when you’re struggling and not sure where to turn.

Some illnesses and disabilities are obvious. Cllr Steve Webb has been a wheelchair user since he was 19, but he has told me that he has had periods of severe depression and now finds that allowing time for meditation helps him cope with his busy life as Liberal Democrat councillor for Truro.

Recently the council hosted an event about suicide awareness where a memory quilt was displayed in memory of all those who have died by suicide. I was moved that one councillor personally knew a young lad who was remembered by one square on the quilt.

Another councillor confided in me that he had lost one of his partners to suicide earlier in his life. Many of us are affected by these issues, so the responsibility falls within the brief of Cllr Jim McKenna, cabinet member for adult health and social care, as well as Thalia Marrington, who has responsibility for community safety and public health.

The Speak Their Name Cornwall initiative is a powerful symbol of the devastation caused by suicide and raises awareness and breaks down stigma. Cornwall Public Health would like to invite as many people as possible across Cornwall to join and be aware of the orange button community scheme. Suicide prevention really is everybody’s business, and we can all take part within our communities. A conversation can save lives.

As we talk about budgets, pressures and difficult decisions, it is worth remembering the quiet, everyday importance of services that support people’s wellbeing. They matter more than we sometimes realise.