The community-spirited founder of a Burnham-On-Sea based mental health charity has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours.
Angie Clarke, 62, the chair and founder of Somewhere House Somerset, has been announced as the recepient of the BEM medal for her services to mental health and sufferers of substance misuse.
She has dedicated over 34 years to helping others in the Somerset community and has been vocal and actively involved in changing things for the better in areas of mental health and wellbeing in both adults and children, substance misuse and victims of abuse.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Angie says: “I’m hugely honoured to be receiving this award, and very shocked!”
“It’s lovely recognition for the charity and all the work that’s done here. There’s lots of hidden work that goes on through the year.”
Angie founded Somewhere House Somerset, which exists to support people struggling with mental health and provide one-to-one counselling on a donation-only basis to those in need, rather than only those who can afford.
The charity says it currently sees 70 people a week and delivers educational talks to around 2,000 children a year in local schools and colleges.
It adds that nearly 10,000 hours of support have been given and lives have been saved because of Angie’s tenacity and care.
She has also offered employment opportunities to former clients, who often would have been unable to gain re-employment in the community.
She initially identified local issues and voluntarily set up a women’s group in Burnham-On-Sea to support women who were victims of sexual abuse.
Pictured: Somewhere House founder Angie Clarke holding a previous award
