Queen's Birthday Honours List: Crawley resident Angela Mooney 'overwhelmed' to receive MBE for services to social care

Angela Mooney, 57, was given the prestigious award for services to social care at Hammersmith & Fulham Borough Council on Friday.

Angela is the registered manager of Rivercourt Short Breaks, which she started 21 years ago, and Options Service..

The Service is a five bed home that offers short stay residential care away from carers for adults with learning disabilities, many of whom have additional physical and mental health needs.

This allows carers to take a break from full time caring duties, while the guests themselves benefit from a change in environment and routine.

Angela also established the Options Day Opportunities Service, which provides opportunities for adults with learning disabilities, as well as autism, dementia, and other complex physical and mental health needs, to engage with local communities, access employment and develop skills.

As well as the care services that she provides out of the Rivercourt centre, Angela founded and devotes much of her free time to a local social enterprise, the Linking Hands Enterprise, which is dedicated to the improvement of the community of Hammersmith.

Angela said: “I’m just overwhelmed. But the first thing I thought was this could open the door for my social enterprise!

“I kept on thinking of all the things that the MBE could do, but I stopped and thought, no, I’ve got to think about me at the moment!

“This is a lifelong venture for me and this award will be a lifelong venture for people with disabilities and all their families.

“It’s been amazing. It’s been a fantastic journey and I feel very blessed with what I am able to do. I feel very, very lucky and very honoured.”

When asked why she thought she had been awarded an MBE, Angela added: “I’ve got commitment, but I’m sure it’s to do with what I’ve actually done.

“To be absolutely honest, I think it’s because I love what I do. I absolutely adore what I do and I’m so grateful for every opportunity that I’m given, and the people I’ve met have blown me away.

“I work with such incredible parents, residents, and I’ve got a great network of directors.

“It’s a great organisation, Hammersmith & Fulham, because it gives you lots of opportunities.

“Maybe it’s my commitment, but I get on well and I like to get things done.

“I like the idea that people can achieve more than what they usually do and can push the boat out.”

The past year has been difficult for the social care profession due to the pandemic.

But Angela praised Hammersmith & Fulham Council for all the help she and her social enterprises have received during these testing 12 months.

She said: “It has been quite tough, but at the end of the day I come from an amazing and absolutely brilliant Borough Council.

“I’m so honoured to be part of Hammersmith & Fulham Council. They certainly look after their residents, they look after their staff, and I’ve worked with them for many, many years now.

“For the institution that I work for, they’re a great crowd of people to work for.”

Angela added: “I would like to thank my sister Patricia Dejesus, who has been a brilliant support, along with my daughter Bianca.

“I would also like to thank all my colleagues in Hammersmith & Fulham Council for their hard work and dedication to services.”