Amazing Work of Angela Mooney Recognised
MBE for manager of the Rivercourt Project Short Break service
Angela Mooney (pictured second from left) with the Linking Hands Community Choir at Hammersmith Town Hall
Angela Mooney, who runs the Rivercourt Project Short Break Service in Hammersmith has been made an MBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The citation for the honour – which Angela says has “overwhelmed” her – recognises her results for residents, her collaborative approach and how she’s dealt with the extra challenges of the pandemic.
Angela set the service up 21 years ago. This five-bed centre with an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission gives families and carers a break while offering adults with learning disabilities therapeutic group activities at home and in the community.
She also manages the Options Day service for adults with autism, dementia and other complex physical and mental health needs in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
Angela ensures residents get to enjoy a stream of stimulating activities not offered by many centres outside H&F – even sky-diving trips!
Angela Mooney MBE
“If you put your mind to it, you can achieve any goals,” she says, “You can turn people’s lives around.”
Her approach led the Care Quality Commission to invite her two years ago to be one of their specialist advisers to broaden the activities offered at centres around the country.
Cllr Ben Coleman, H&F Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said, “Angela’s verve, imagination and ceaseless ambition to give our Disabled residents every sort of opportunity are legend. This award is thunderingly well deserved.”
Born and schooled in the area, Angela’s first job was at Charing Cross Hospital, and she has spent most of her career working in social care in the borough. All four of her siblings also worked for the council.
“The past 15 months have been so awful, especially for people that have lost loved ones,” says Angela. “This honour is for all of them and for those people who have felt vulnerable, alone or in need of support. H&F Council were right there to lend a hand, and I’m so proud to tell people who I work for.”
She insists that being made an MBE is not about her, but recognises the achievements of her colleagues, the residents and their devoted families.
“They are all top of the list,” she says.
She hopes the honour will help open doors to allow her – and her team – to achieve even more in future.
The MBE also recognises Angela’s work in setting up the Linking Hands Enterprise, which she helps to run in her spare time. The social enterprise gives Disabled residents and their families and carers new opportunities, interaction and connections with others.
While the Linking Hands Community Choir she set up took 10 Disabled residents and family and carers to Africa in 2018 to build a house as part of a project to tackle poverty.
“It’s important to me that everyone is a valuable member of our community, and we can all help give a voice to our residents and their families”, she says, “I’m lucky to work with such a dedicated, committed and caring bunch of people.”
Angela has also given her own time to organise foodbanks, Christmas parties and after-school and breakfast clubs. A recent project has been arranging barista training to widen young Disabled people’s employment opportunities.
She is now looking forward to her day out at Buckingham Palace, and only wishes she could take all her staff at Rivercourt and Options with her.
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July 2, 2021