Kate Brown nominated for Yorkshire Women of Achievement Award

We’re very proud that our Chair of Trustees Dr Kate Brown, lecturer and researcher at The University of York’s Dep. of Social Policy and Social Work has been nominated for the Yorkshire Women of Achievement Awards.  She has been nominated in the category of Community Award – based on her longstanding dedication to the cause of girls at risk of sexual exploitation and women that are sex working across Yorkshire, mainly through her involvement with Basis Yorkshire, operating in Leeds for over 25 years.

The nomination also notes her previous work supporting other causes, such as domestic violence provision and services for young people affected by drug use, along with her research work, which has been extremely useful to Basis and has contributed to policy developments which have had wider national impact.

Kate is passionate, dedicated and professional in all the aspects of her work supporting women and girls in Yorkshire; as Trustee, Chair, outreach volunteer, researcher and teacher, as well as in all the other ways she supports and advocates for women and girls in Yorkshire. As a fundraiser she has helped raise over £4000 for Basis through taking part in the Great North Swim.  Without Kate’s long term contribution Basis Yorkshire would have struggled to sustain its high level of achievements, reputation and support in the community, and women and young girls would not have had the support they currently have to keep them safer and free from violence and abuse.

Rosie Campbell OBE, a national expert and lead campaigner for sex worker rights who worked closely with Kate in her time as CEO of Basis Yorkshire was one of the supporters in her nomination, she stated “Kate is an inspirational role model for other women showing how women can take a leading role in the community and charitable sector at a governance level and make a real difference in some of the most challenging, under-resourced and politically sensitive sectors of community work.”

Kate said of the nomination “In the ten years I have been with Basis I have seen it go from strength to strength. The organisation continues to be a vibrant hub of dedicated staff, volunteers and trustees who make a real difference advocating for stronger rights and protections for women and girls in Yorkshire, and it is a privilege to contribute to this work”. 

 Leeds, 11^th May 2016