Meet the Weston Ark Team
Weston Ark is a new Christian charity dedicated to bringing God's love to life through practical support for the Weston-super-Mare community. Our team, including trustees, staff and volunteers rooted in local church life, combines diverse expertise to lead with faith and compassion. Get to know us and explore ways to join in the journey!
Trustees
Clive Bodley (Chair)
Clive is an active member of a local church and has particularly enjoyed working on
community regeneration projects across the country. His background is in business
management, planning, housing and economic development. Clive has held
leadership roles with charities, community enterprises and commercial companies at
local and national level. Within North Somerset his roles have included Chief Executive
of the Alliance Homes Group for ten years, member of the North Somerset Partnership
and chairing Weston-super-Mare Foodbank for six years.
Clive's vision for Weston Ark centres on the Hughenden Centre becoming a vibrant community hub. He sees initiatives like Café Hug providing safe social spaces, while practical programs such as budget cooking sessions and debt advice help people move toward self-sufficiency. Clive recognizes that the charity has known God's blessing in giving them the capacity to purchase the historic Hughenden Road building, establishing a permanent base for community ministry.
His approach emphasizes Spirit-led growth that builds genuine connections while maintaining financial sustainability. Clive believes strongly in identifying people whom God is calling to be part of this work, emphasizing that involvement should come from divine prompting rather than human pressure. His leadership ensures the charity's work remains both compassionate and sustainable, always seeking God's guidance for each step forward.
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Mary Jeremey
Mary was appointed to the board on 30 May 2024, bringing years of community service experience from her involvement with Weston-super-Mare Foodbank, where she has been a respected member for seven years. Her collaborative spirit and organizational skills, developed through various committee roles, have proven invaluable in developing the charity's work.
Mary inspired the charity's name "Weston Ark." Initially envisioning Noah's Ark as people being saved from overwhelming pressures, her understanding deepened during a day of prayer in February '25 when she and Clive shared a revelation about the Ark of the Covenant. This transformed their vision: through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, Weston Ark carries God's presence into the community, offering people direct access to transforming power and freedom.
Through her years of service with Weston Foodbank, Mary developed a heart for additional community support programs such as cooking classes and signposting to debt advice, budgeting support, and local support agencies. She was instrumental in the charity's formation as a complementary initiative to expand community outreach opportunities. Working collaboratively with fellow trustees, she supported the acquisition of the historic Hughenden Road building, trusting in God's timing despite the lengthy process.
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Mary is leading the pathway for food hygiene training to ensure Café Hug can get underway, developing the food hygiene and registration plans necessary for safe food service. She's also involved in interior design considerations to establish the café as a welcoming space. Mary envisions Café Hug as a place of warmth and safety where Christ's love is shared naturally, beginning with a gentle approach of coffee, tea, and biscuits before expanding into fuller community meals. Her focus on creating environments where people can experience God's presence and find practical support reflects the charity's deeper calling to spiritual and practical transformation.
Paul Salmons
Paul joined the board in May 2024, bringing essential financial expertise as a Chartered Management Accountant with 13 years of experience managing a Christian charity. His service as Honorary Treasurer at Milton Baptist Church and trustee roles with organizations including the Sunrise Foundation CIO and West of England Baptist Network demonstrate his commitment to faithful stewardship.
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Paul's expertise extends beyond financial oversight to include volunteer coordination and compliance matters, where he leads efforts on DBS checks and other regulatory requirements. His passion for mission and evangelism aligns perfectly with the charity's vision, ensuring that financial planning supports sustainable expansion of community initiatives.
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Working alongside Clive, Paul helps ensure that practical support programs - from budget management advice to food initiatives - reach those who need them most while maintaining the financial integrity that enables long-term ministry impact.
Emma Wotton
Emma joined the board on 21 June 2025, bringing fresh perspectives from her work as a school teacher. Her professional insights into education, child welfare, and family support enhance the team's ability to serve low-income households with children effectively.
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Emma's educational background complements the existing community programs, particularly in developing initiatives that could support families and children. Her active participation in Milton Baptist Church activities alongside fellow trustees strengthens the collaborative approach that characterizes the entire team.
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As the charity continues developing community-focused projects at the Hughenden Centre, Emma's commitment to Spirit-guided action helps ensure initiatives provide genuine hope, connection, and empowerment for the families served.
Diana Thomas
Diana joined the board in August 2025, bringing a unique blend of creativity,
compassion and decades of experience in community outreach. A gifted artist with a calling to use her skills in ministry, Diana has been involved in a wide variety of projects serving people of all ages and backgrounds, from young children and teenagers to those experiencing homelessness.​
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Her professional background includes tutoring art and history to students who had been excluded from mainstream education, where her patient and relational approach helped young people rediscover their confidence and potential.​​​​​​
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Over the years she has been involved with various church-based outreach projects, some of which she has initiated and led, including youth drop-ins, Messy Church and community events designed to bring people together and share the hope of the gospel in accessible and creative ways.​
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Diana's faith is central to her life and work, inspiring her to seek Christ in each person she meets and to affirm their true worth and value. She sees her involvement with Weston Ark as the culmination of many threads in her Christian journey, a place where her heart for the marginalised, her artistic gifts and her commitment to Spirit-led service come together in one mission.
Part-Time Centre Manager
Matt Luft
Matt Luft serves as the Centre Manager for the Hughenden Centre, appointed in June 2025, bringing experience in practical maintenance, problem-solving, and hospitality to Weston Ark. His caring approach aligns with the charity’s goals of aiding those on low incomes and enabling Christian witness.
Matt’s vision includes hosting community gatherings, partnering with local groups, developing a community café, and supporting volunteers to expand services like affordable meals and workshops.
His leadership ensures the Hughenden Centre operates as a welcoming hub, promoting connection and self-sufficiency while reflecting Weston Ark’s faith-driven mission to provide practical support and hope to the community.
Volunteers
George Bradley (Technology & Systems Lead)
George joined Weston Ark in March 2025 to help build the charity’s operational foundations. He set up Microsoft 365 for secure @westonark.org.uk email, onboarded trustees and staff, and administers the Hallmaster booking platform.
He supports governance through clear policies and documentation, and oversees the charity’s public presence including the logo, website, signage and ID badges. With a degree in Applied Computing and experience in church tech and music ministry, George serves to help the Hughenden Centre operate securely, professionally and for the long term.