LGBTQ+ advocate winner of prestigious Dorset Council award

Dawn Henderson, who works for Dorset Council's Children's Services, won the silver award in the Social Justice Advocate category at the prestigious Social Worker of the Year Awards. 

The category award was open to social workers who demonstrate a commitment to challenging injustice, seek to equalize the position of different social groups and challenge discriminatory systems.

She was recognised for her work advocating for LGBTQ+ rights amongst young people. One of her achievements was establishing Chesil’s Youth Pride event which took place earlier this year.

The event was a celebration of diversity with more than 130 young people participating in the parade.

READ MORE: Celebrating Dorset’s LGBTQ+ youth at Chesil Youth Pride

Dawn said: "I was actually stunned to have my name called out as a winner and I'm keen that attention doesn't focus too much on me. I was the one who started this but it would not have happened without everyone else, particularly our young people.

Celebrating Dorset’s LGBTQ+ youth community at Chesil Youth Pride (Image: Dorset Council) "It is great that the judges recognised what we did as a team and the big win is how they recognised the importance of real co-design, working right alongside our young people, listening to them all the time and truly being led by them, including going at their pace." 

Her career journey began in retail management, however Dawn's passion for social care and education led to her retraining as a social worker. 

Since then, Dawn has been involved in developing training programmes for social workers, ensuring that they are equipped to support LGBTQ+ young people effectively.

Councillor Clare Sutton, cabinet member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, added: “Dawn’s work has made a profound impact on our community. Her dedication to promoting LGBTQ+ rights and challenging discrimination is truly inspiring.

"She has created a safe and inclusive environment where young people can thrive. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and this well-deserved recognition.”

Paul Dempsey, executive director for Children’s Services, said: “It’s a great achievement for one of our colleagues to win at these national awards.

"These awards represent everything we do as social workers and I think it’s really great that Dawn has been recognised for the hard work she has put into Chesil Youth Pride and so many other pieces of work she has been part of.

“Dawn believes passionately in putting children and young people at the centre of our work and being truly led by them so it is great to see her recognised for this.”