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In these difficult financial times people are feeling the squeeze across our country and they鈥檙e feeling the impact in particular of the energy price spikes that are being caused by Putin鈥檚 war in Ukraine, and of course it鈥檚 right that the Government is doing everything that we can to help, and we鈥檙e putting 拢1200 into the pockets of the 8 million most vulnerable households and 拢400 for everybody to help with the cost of energy 鈥� 拢300 for pensioners, 拢150 off council tax 鈥� and the money will keep coming in throughout the Autumn 鈥� more coming in September and October.

And of course as some of you may have picked up, this is going to be one of my last events in the garden in Downing Street and there will be a new Prime Minister very shortly, I can tell you for certain will be either a man or a woman. Whoever he or she may be, I鈥檓 absolutely certain they will be wanting to make some more announcements in September/ October about what we鈥檙e going to do further to help people in the next period in December/ January and I just want you to know that I鈥檓 absolutely confident that we will have the fiscal firepower and the headroom to continue to look after people as we鈥檝e done throughout.

And it鈥檚 absolutely vital in tough times, that the Government should recognise that there are also people who are doing fantastic things to help the vulnerable across our country and who need proper recognition and respect.

And I want to pay tribute to all of you Points of Light. I want to pay tribute to centenarians, like Dabirul Choudhury, who鈥檚 walked round his communal garden 100 times and has raised prodigious sums. I want to pay tribute to artists like Lucy Kent whose works are on display also raising money. The Spitfires have been flying overhead and proclaiming our gratitude to the NHS.

I want to think about particularly somebody I鈥檝e met before 鈥� Tony Hudgell. Tony is seven years old and thank you for coming. It鈥檚 fantastic to see you. Tony has already raised 拢1 million for the hospital that helped to save your life, and you鈥檝e also instituted Tony鈥檚 Law to make sure that people do not suffer the kind of abuse that you suffered so tragically, and thank you Tony for coming.

I鈥檓 going to give an award shortly to Steven Carr. Steven is one of the many thousands and thousands of people across this country who have been helping to look after people who have fled Ukraine in the last few months and I want to thank you Steven for everything that you鈥檝e done to find homes for Ukrainian children.

I can鈥檛 mention all of the wonderful things that you鈥檝e done but I do want you to know that so far in Number 10, and I say this careering towards the climax of my time in No10, I鈥檝e done 736 Points of Light letters. That鈥檚 more than any other previous Prime Minister.

And I think you do wonderful, wonderful things. And every time I sign those letters and I read the things that you have done, I have a lump in my throat because I think you embody the spirit of service to other people, the spirit of community and I think the spirit that will get our country through the tough times and beyond in ever better shape. And if you, the 736 Points of Light that I鈥檝e done, were a constellation, which of course you are, I think that you would represent the spirit of hope. And I think that you are the very best of Britain.

Thank you very much for everything.