Bournemouth, Charity | Posted on January 8th, 2026 | return to news

Bournemouth disability champion awarded MBE

The CEO of SAMEE, Samantha Everard, was listed in the King’s New Year Honours List for her services to people with disabilities.

The founder of a Bournemouth-based disability charity was recognised in the New Year Honours List with an MBE for services to people with disabilities.

Samantha Everard is the CEO and founder of SAMEE (Support and Mentoring Enabling Entrepreneurship), which she set up in 2015. It supports disabled people to build employability skills and explore self-employment opportunities through initiatives including a self-employment internship programme, which provides mentorship to young adults with complex needs and helps them gain qualifications.

Reflecting on receiving the honour, Everard said: “What a way to round off an incredible year for the SAMEE charity! I’m still in shock that I’m receiving an MBE. And this recognition is not just for me. It’s for all those disabled people out there working hard in their own businesses and challenging the status quo every day.” She added: “2026 is the charity’s 10th birthday, and this MBE is the best gift to share with my incredible team.”

In the past year, the charity has gained national and international recognition, including being named a Zero Project 2025 Awardee at the United Nations in Vienna — one of only two UK organisations selected from 522 nominations across 90 countries. Everard was invited to speak in the Austrian parliament about her work.

SAMEE also became the first charity in Dorset to achieve Disability Confident Leader Level 3, the highest accreditation available. In September 2025, the charity opened ‘The SAMEE House’ in Bournemouth, providing a permanent, inclusive environment tailored to its interns’ needs.

The MBE also recognises Everard’s work beyond SAMEE. She chairs the South West Regional Stakeholder Network, representing disabled people across Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Devon and Bristol. In this voluntary role, she works with government to ensure disabled voices shape national policy.

She is also a Registered Career Development Professional and a postgraduate researcher at Bournemouth University’s Centre for Seldom Heard Voices, completing a PhD on self-employment support for neurodivergent people.

In 2025, Everard was named in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100. Living with the debilitating condition of ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), she was celebrated as one of the 100 most influential disabled individuals in the UK and a leader in her field.

To find out more about the charity and its services, visit samee.co.uk.