Floella Benjamin Keynote Speaker

Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE DL is a Trinidad-born broadcaster, author, and parliamentarian. After enchanting generations on BBC’s Play School and Play Away, she entered the House of Lords in 2010, where she champions child welfare, creative education, and inclusive opportunity.

An unflinching advocate for representation, Floella chaired the Windrush Commemoration Committee (2018–2022), overseeing the National Windrush Monument unveiled at London Waterloo—now a lasting tribute to Caribbean pioneers and Britain’s shared future. Her memoir Coming to England is a classroom staple and touring musical, sparking honest dialogue on identity and belonging. As Chancellor of the University of Exeter (2006–2016), she famously greeted every graduate with a hug, embodying her belief in the power of affirmation.

Floella’s lifelong service has been recognised with a DBE, the BAFTA Fellowship, and the nation’s coveted Order of Merit. In 2023, she carried the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove at the Coronation—symbolising trust, heritage, and hope.

On stage, Floella blends vivid storytelling, political acumen, and infectious optimism. Audiences leave equipped to embed inclusion, nurture young talent, and turn adversity into opportunity—proof that when you “see it, you can be it.”