About Me

Who is Dawn?

Want to know a bit more about the person behind the proofreading? Here’s where you’ll find out more about my background, my experience and what drives my passion for accuracy and detail.

A Life Rooted in Family and Adventure

I was born on the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England, and I’m proud to still call it home. When I’m not working, you’ll often find me spending time with my family, including my eight wonderful grandchildren.

I have a passion for travel, especially in our campervan, exploring the beautiful British Isles. The Scottish Highlands and Islands are particular favourites along with the Lake District and Snowdonia National Parks.
Further afield, I love exploring other countries whilst cruising the high seas and following the England cricket team on tour.

Other interests include hiking in the mountains, tackling a variety of puzzles and listening to an eclectic mix of music, anything from Oasis and Foo Fighters to P!nk and Madonna.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve always loved books, both fiction and non-fiction. These days, I also listen to audiobooks during my morning walks along the seafront. My favourite author is Stephen King.

A Career in Criminal Justice

With over two decades of experience working for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, I’ve gained a deep understanding of the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

I began my career in the Probation Service as a receptionist and administrator, and was soon promoted to an officer role, managing offenders in the community. A few years later, I took a secondment in the local prison where I helped prisoners secure safe and suitable housing prior to their release. During this time, I studied in the evenings for an AS-level in Law and gained an NVQ in probation work.
When the prison closed, I moved into a court-based role where I remained for 11 years, providing a service in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. My responsibilities included preparing reports to assist in the sentencing process and presenting these to the judiciary in open court.

This experience taught me just how important every tiny detail can be. A misplaced word or comma can change the meaning of a sentence, spark a legal challenge, waste valuable court time or, in the worst cases, contribute to a miscarriage of justice.
While preparing for court, I often found myself proofreading the documents written by colleagues. I was the one standing in court to present their work, so I wanted every report to be clear, concise and professionally written.

Why Proofreading?

The time was right for me to follow a different path and chase my dream. I’ve always loved words and puzzles, and I’m one of those people who can’t help but notice incorrectly used apostrophes in shop windows, spelling mistakes on menus and poor punctuation on advertising flyers. To me, proofreading is like solving a puzzle: it’s about detecting and correcting errors, and I just love it!

I studied with the College of Media and Publishing and earned a Proofreading and Editing Diploma at QLS Level 4 (with distinction). That marked the beginning of my professional journey in this field.

When I discovered the world of transcript proofreading for American court reporters, I realised I could combine my love of language with my extensive criminal justice experience. I completed a comprehensive training programme in transcript proofreading, which included:
– 60 lessons across 13 modules
– 50 practice transcripts, including hearings, depositions, trials and examinations under oath
– Two hand-graded exams.
This not only refined my skills in US English but also deepened my understanding of the American legal system.
Shortly after, an opportunity arose in audio transcription, listening to recordings of British court cases, transcribing them and proofreading the finished documents. It was right up my street, and I enjoy every minute of it.

I’m so happy to have found a second career that combines my love of the English language with my long-standing interest in criminal justice.