Speaker Profile: Helen Stevens

Helen Stevens is the Chief Executive Officer of STARS Dorset, a specialist charity supporting anyone affected by sexual violence across Dorset. The organisation provides specialist counselling and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) services, alongside targeted support for children and young people.

Helen’s leadership has been shaped by navigating complexity, uncertainty and sustained challenge. During 2019, she also led a full organisational rebrand, strengthening the charity’s identity, visibility and confidence at a moment when clarity and trust were critical.

She then guided STARS Dorset through the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining and adapting frontline services during a period of heightened demand and limited resources, while supporting both survivors and staff through unprecedented pressure.

Driven by a belief that resilience must be matched with action, Helen has overseen significant growth in the charity’s reach and impact. This includes opening a second centre in Dorchester to improve access to specialist support across the county, and launching Interstellar Dorset Ltd, STARS Dorset’s specialist training arm, created to share trauma-informed expertise and influence practice beyond the organisation itself.

Helen works closely with statutory and community partners, including schools, colleges and the police, to improve prevention, awareness and early intervention. A committed advocate for trauma-informed leadership, she brings compassion, determination and purpose to her work, focused on building resilient services, resilient teams and safer communities.