We were thrilled to start 2026 with the news that our amazing Trauma Ambassador, Valerie, has been awarded an MBE, an honour awarded to individuals for their significant contribution to various fields such as charitable work, in the New Years Honours.
Valerie joined the Trauma Ambassador Group in 2023, keen to use her own lived experience of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to support and inform others in our communities, saying
“I am passionate about helping people overcome their trauma as I suffered in shame and loneliness for so long and I didn’t know who to talk to or where to go. I want to be able to support and lend my voice to implement change.”
Sharing her story in a recent podcast, she had also founded her own charity, Women of Grace, specifically to offer support to survivors of FGM throughout the country. Valerie has worked tirelessly alongside volunteers, hosting peer support groups, facilitating counselling for women for counselling, educating families and speaking in schools about the dangers of FGM.
FGM is a far more prolific issue within the UK than many would realise, with the NHS England paper ‘Female Genital Mutilation, Annual Report – April 2023 to March 2024’ stating that ‘from April 2015 to March 2024, 37,615 individual women and girls had a total of 102,155 attendances where FGM was identified.’
Valerie was also invited to be a UN Women UK delegate for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2024, where she gave a speech about FGM at the United Nations (UN) Conference at the Armenian Cultural Centre in New York. In addition to this, she has also given oral evidence in the House of Commons, spoken at the European Parliament in both Switzerland and Brussels, and sits on the East of England Crown Prosecution Service board representing Violence Against Women & Girls and underrepresented individuals.
Valerie told me, “I’m honoured to share that I have been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the prevention of violence against women and girls. This recognition reflects years of survivor-led advocacy, partnership working, and collective effort across communities, statutory services, and voluntary organisations. It belongs to every voice that has contributed to safeguarding, prevention, and meaningful change. I remain committed to collaboration, accountability, and impact as we continue working together to create safer environments for women and girls. Thank you for the trust, partnership, and shared commitment to this work.”
“Female genital mutilation is a violation of dignity, health, and freedom. Its scars both visible and invisible last a lifetime. I stand in continuous solidarity with survivors, committed to amplifying their voices, supporting their healing, and working toward a world where every girl grows up safe, whole, and free.”
Valerie added, “I am incredibly proud to be working with Healthwatch Essex as a Trauma Ambassador and look forward to continuing to raise awareness and provide support to survivors as part of this role.”
If you would like to access support around any of the issues mentioned in this blog, share your own lived experience or find out more about the Trauma Ambassador Group, give the Healthwatch Essex Information & Guidance Service a call on 0300 500 1895, email [email protected] or text/WhatsApp on 07712 395398.
Sharon Westfield de Cortez
Information & Guidance Manager