Floella Benjamin is a Member of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the University of Exeter, both of which she never dreamed of when she arrived in the UK in 1960 as a part of the Windrush generation. As someone who was not met with the respect and kindness she expected and deserved, Floella knew that she would have to work a little harder to make it big for herself. A legendary actress with an unconventional yet inspiring story, most recently announced as a recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship for Exceptional Contribution to Television, Floella is now available to hire as a speaker at a range of events where she speaks on her journey and the importance of diversity and inclusion.
As most people with diverse backgrounds find, it is not easy to grow up in a country or community that is unaccepting of elements that make one different. Floella found the same happen to her and realised that “childhood lasts a lifetime”. Therefore, she strives to make the childhood of millions of children today different to hers by fighting for their rights and well-being. Floella lobbied in front of three Prime Ministers to instate a Minister for Children who looked after the best interests of Children in this country and was successful in doing so. Her book “Coming to England” incorporates her own experiences of moving to England as a child and what it is like to adapt to a new culture. Originally written in 1995, this book was even turned into a show called "Coming to England" as well and won a 2004 Royal Television Society Award. It teaches children to honour their differences at a young age so that they grow up to embrace differences rather than be afraid of them – a potent lesson for children and adults alike. Her biography “What Are you Doing Here?” is a deep dive into her life, about how she has always lived authentically and how the racism she was met with was defeated by the love she received from her parents.
Floella dreamed of being a bank manager but after she had worked there for three years, that dream started to look less plausible. So, she thought she should try her hand at something else, albeit proceeding with caution. However, when Floella got the opportunity to work on the television drama “Within These Walls” with Googie Withers, she knew she never had to ask the bank for the job she had asked them to keep for her again. Cut to, she was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 1977 and opened her TV production house ten years after that. She became a household name when she starred on "Playschool" for 12 years. She has done radio shows and voice-overs and even written and appeared in educational and entertainment content. That little girl from Trinidad received an OBE in 2001 for her contribution to television as well as a BAFTA Special Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 owing to her years of acting and producing in pieces like in Jesus Christ Superstar, Black Mikado, Tree House, and Blackjoy.
Now with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Exeter and her Damehood Medal for decades of charitable work, Floella also hosts a podcast called “From the Heart” where she talks about overcoming adversity and celebrating diversity. She is the President of Society of Women Writers in Journalism, patron of Beating Bowel Cancer and established Touching Success, an organisation that allows young people to meet their role models who achieved success in their fields. With a desire to inspire and help young people at heart of everything she does, Floella can now be hired as a speaker for a range of events. There is no better person to consider when looking for a diversity and inclusion speaker, who has years of experience and learning that she has gathered from the school of life, than Floella Benjamin. Enquire now!
