Forbes will welcome Ange Clarke, founder of Where There’s a Will and a Fred Hollows Humanitarian recipient as our Australia Day ambassador.
For 28 years, Ange has championed causes close to her heart, inspired by her son, Will Clarke, who lives with autism.
As the founder and CEO of the groundbreaking charity Where There’s a Will, Angela has empowered countless individuals by advocating for inclusion and building programs in sports, music, and the arts.
Forbes’ Australia Day events commence Saturday night, with our Citizen of the Year awards to be presented at a dinner at Town Hall.
Sunday will see the hosting of the traditional Australia Day breakfast at Lions Park on picturesque Lake Forbes from 8am to 10am.
Latest Stories
Bring your picnic chairs and blankets down to Lions Park in the evening, when there will be food vendors open from 6pm.
The night will be capped with the now established, spectacular fireworks display off Bates Bridge from 9pm.
Ms Clarke will take part in Forbes Shire Council’s official Australia Day proceedings at the Citizen of the Year Gala Dinner on Saturday and the Community Breakfast at Lions Park on Sunday as well as enjoying all that Forbes has to offer during her stay.
Ms Clarke is no stranger to Forbes, having grown up in nearby Orange. She said it was a privilege to return to Forbes in an official capacity as an Australia Day Ambassador.
“I’m very keen to share my story and passions with the Forbes community and I can’t wait to get involved in the events over the weekend to celebrate Australia Day,” she said.
“It’s an honour to be an Australia Day Ambassador. You get the privilege of meeting inspiring people who have achieved great things in their community and inspired others around them to be better.”
Determined to break the stigma around people with disabilities and be a champion for inclusion, Ms Clarke has spent the last 28 years creating opportunities and programs for people of all abilities to thrive.
Will is an avid cricket fan, so Ms Clarke created Where There’s a Will in his name – a business that re-purposes donated cricket bats into works of art and symbols for inclusion and kindness. It has been so successful some bats now appear at celebrity’s homes in Hollywood and Australia House in London.
