Claire Austin has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the community of Exmouth during the COVID crisis

We had a huge number of people nominating this year’s community contribution winner. She set up Exmouth Friends in Need – an online Facebook page that supports local families who need a bit of help which they’re not getting in other ways.

Claire Austin, who set up the Exmouth Friends in Need Facebook group, has won the Community Contribution award for her work supporting local families.
“It is now at the point where it’s become a formal voluntary organisation and Claire has had to give up her job to run it,” judges were told.

An Exmouth woman was nominated for recognition at a well-attended ceremony in Exeter to mark International Women’s Day.

When Claire Austin set up a Facebook page to collect food and clothing for people who had suddenly found themselves in financial hardship, she never imagined how much it would change peoples’ lives, including her own.

Your help will ensure that no child or individual goes unfed who are living in poverty in the Exmouth area. Your help will clothe people appropriately. Your help means that people won't have to choose to heat or eat in our local community.

A homeless man who now has a roof over his head and a job thanks to the kindness of the Exmouth community has expressed his gratitude to those who have helped him.
His plight drew the attention of more kind-hearted members of the Exmouth community who provided him with food and coffee.