Savitri Hensman


Savitri "Savi" Hensman is an activist and writer based in the United Kingdom. She was one of the founders of London's Black Lesbian and Gay Centre.

Early life and education

Hensman was born in Sri Lanka but moved to the United Kingdom at the age of two, growing up in Hackney. She studied chemical engineering at University College London, graduating in 1982. However, was later unable to find any work in chemical engineering, so instead, joined a lab as a research assistant.

Research and career

Hensman helped to launch the London's Black Lesbian and Gay Centre in 1985. At the time, the centre was supported by the Greater London Council and housed in an annex of Tottenham Town Hall. In the late 1980s, Hensman joined the Haringey Council's Lesbian and Gay Sub-Committee and was involved with the campaign against Section 28. As well as this, Hensman was involved in the Positive Images group and Haringey Black Action. Hensman worked for many years and is currently an involvement coordinator in health research. As a member of the Christian Church, Hensman campaigns for a more inclusive community, writing on the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in religious communities. In October 2018, she wrote an LGBT briefing paper that was presented to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Hensman is a regular contributor to Ekklesia, who published her first book in 2015. She has also written for The Guardian, as well as writing poetry.
In 2016, Hensman joined King's College London as the Patient and Public Involvement Coordinator for the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care, South London. She worked with researchers, service users, carers and communities in order to accumulate research that reflected the views and priorities of local people.
In 2019, Hensman was featured in the University College London Queer Tapestry, a project which celebrated the history of UCL's LGBTQ+ community. The tapestry was created by Robert Mills, a professor of history of art who leads the LGBTQ+ network.

Books