Sarah Dimmelow, Managing Director of Core Assets Children’s Services, has been named in the prestigious OUTstanding role model list. Published in the Financial Times each year, the OUTstanding Leading LGBT+ and Ally Executives lists are global and celebrate the work being done by LGBT+ and ally leaders across the world, in both public and private sectors.
Appearing at number 33 in the 100 LGBT+ Executives 2018 list, Sarah was praised for her work co-convening the Core Assets LGBT+ staff network, Rainbow Assets, and in leading its company-wide LGBT+ strategy. This included an overhaul of employment policies to ensure the Group was LGBT+ inclusive.
To ensure that LGBT+ clients are offered a welcoming and inclusive service by staff, Sarah has run a number of initiatives at Core Assets Group. She introduced a ‘Be Authentic’ campaign where individual staff were asked to blog about their personal identity and how it impacted upon them as employees, and on their work supporting children and families.
She was also recognised for supporting Adopters for Adoption, an adoption agency also part of the Core Assets Group, in targeting LGBT+ individuals as potential adopters and in making equality and diversity their main brand differentiator.
Sarah commented:
“Being welcoming, open and inclusive to people who are different and who may have been marginalised is vital, both within the LGBT+ community and in society more broadly, so I am absolutely delighted to have received such an accolade. I am relentless in my desire to ensure consistent equality and fairness, not just to the Core Assets family, but to the wider community, and featuring in the OUTstanding top 100 list is confirmation that what I am doing is working.
“At Core Assets, we work with such a vast array of people from all walks of life, all of whom bring invaluable knowledge, passion and experience, whether they be a young person, adopter, foster carer, looked after child or employee.
“Equality is firmly rooted in our DNA, and this commendation is not mine alone, it’s reflective of the diverse and inclusive company that together, we have created.”
Outside of her role as MD, Sarah has provided pro-bono business development advice for an organisation providing equality training around trans issues, offers mentoring to young care leavers and has supported lesbian mothers as a member of a local support network for LGBT+ parents. Serving previously as the Chair of Manchester’s LGBT+ Choir, she engaged many times with civic leaders to promote awareness and equality in Manchester.
Mark Costello, CEO of Core Assets Group, concluded:
“Sarah absolutely deserves such global acclaim. Diversity and inclusion has never been more important and thanks to the incredible efforts, vision and commitment from her, we’ve been able to truly put this at the core of our service.
“We are looking forward to the future of Core Assets Children’s Services and the wider group under her inimitable leadership and guidance.”
