A PORLOCK woman who has championed the village and worked tirelessly to put it on the national map for the past 15 years has been publicly commended for her efforts.

Denise Sage received the High Sheriff of Somerset Award - given in recognition of exceptional or outstanding contributions to local life - at a presentation in the village last Friday.

In one of her final civic duties before handing over to her successor, High Sheriff Sylvana Chandler presented the prestigious accolade to Denise before villagers honoured her achievements with a full-blown party.

Denise has been at the heart of her local community since she became a part-time member of staff at Porlock Visitor Centre in 1997, taking over the role of manager in 1999.

But it was when foot and mouth disease struck the country in 2001 that her organisational skills and ability to get people 'on side' came to the fore.

Desperate to remove the impression that Exmoor was effectively 'closed' to visitors, Denise set about galvanising local efforts to promote the village and save its economy, attracting national media coverage for her high profile efforts.

She launched an 'open gardens' event, now an annual highlight on the village calendar, which raises hundreds of pounds for charities.

The following year she was one of the prime organisers of the first Porlock Arts Festival, which has just celebrated its tenth year.

She also helped reinstate the Porlock Summer Fair in 2000, which now attracts visitors from across the country, some of whom even plan their holidays around the event.

Over the years Denise has been the instigator of many events which are now firm favourites, not just in Porlock but across Exmoor.

These include the Exmoor Food Festival and Quality Exmoor, as well as the Exmoor brochure exchange for tourism providers, Exmoor rutting weekends, annual beach cleans, the Porlock wassail and the Porlock 'Big Breakfast.'

Many of the events - some of which were originally launched to offset the devastating impact of the foot and mouth outbreak - have now been taken over by other willing volunteers, committees or organisations, giving Denise time to plan the next Porlock promotional venture.

But although she may have stepped back from the frontline organisation of some of the initiatives, she continues to be involved in some way.

Friend and work colleague Jenny Carter said Denise always worked hard to keep Porlock's name in the media through the local press, radio and television.

She made sure that former BBC Points West weatherman Richard Angwin put Porlock on his weather map and mentioned local events during his broadcasts.

"And a recent phone call from the BBC's Country File production team about a proposed programme on coastal flooding in the area immediately set Denise into action to get local residents involved," said Jenny.

"This helped produce not only a memorable programme but put Porlock Bay on the map."

In addition to her work for the village, Denise also attends meetings with the Exmoor National Park Authority, Exmoor Tourist Association and West Somerset Council, giving her "very down to earth" views on local tourism and offering support for local events, such as the Exmoor Dark Skies initiative.

"As manager of the visitor centre she always ensure new traders to the High Street are sent a 'welcome card' and are encouraged in their early days of trading," said Jenny.

"And although always busy, she finds time to listen to people's problems and lend a hand when she is able."