A TRANS rights defender has been nominated for a prestigious award in recognition of her work promoting positive attitudes to diversity.

Ellie Lowther has been shortlisted for the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT at the National Diversity Awards (NDA).

In 2012 Ellie came out as a binary trans woman and, after realising there was a lack of inclusive services for the trans community, decided to dedicate herself to providing that support network.

She shortly set up Cleveland Transgender Association and in 2017 founded the charity Trans Aware - the first trans-specific registered charity in the North-East which has now helped over 300 people.

Ellie currently holds many positions in local and national schemes aimed at spreading diversity and was the creator of Our House Project in the Teesside area which provides a safe living space for those who identify as trans.

She helps write policies such as the trans inclusion framework - used by schools in the Stockton-on-Tees area and for Cleveland Police to aid those coming out as trans within the force.

The social rights promoter also creates and delivers workshops for organisations throughout the UK and travels the country delivering programmes to young people via National Citizen Service.

Ellie will be attending the NDA awards night, held at Liverpool's cathedral, in September, and said she was blown away when she received the nomination.

She said: "When I heard about the shortlist I was shocked.

"Just to realise my work is being recognised and counts for something, it's amazing. I'm really pleased to be on the shortlist.

"I know everyone that has been shortlisted and they're all amazing people who have done amazing things so it's fantastic company to be in.

"I'm very much looking forward to it."

Ellie's main line of work consists of raising awareness of trans rights amongst young people, increasing diversity in community organisations, and promoting the global trans movement online.

She has now started her own company, Essential Learning Curve Ltd, which to give a voice to community champions.

She said she wants to continue promoting awareness to help enable people to feel comfortable in themselves.

She added: "I have always been a community type of person but this is my work.

"I'm out there doing it every day and I love what I do because I'm able to spread that awareness.

"I want to help create a world that allows people to be who they are.

"It's all about empowering people to be themselves because that's when they are at their best and that's when they can achieve what they set out to do."