Simon Woolley, Baron Woolley of Woodford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Woolley of Woodford
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 14 October 2019 Life Peerage |
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| Principal of Homerton College, Cambridge | |
| Assumed office 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Geoff Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 December 1961 Leicester |
| Alma mater | Middlesex University Queen Mary University of London |
| Known for | Political activism Operation Black Vote (OBV) founder |
Simon Andrew Woolley, Baron Woolley of Woodford (born 24 December 1961), is a well-known British politician and activist. He is famous for starting and leading Operation Black Vote (OBV). This group helps people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds get involved in politics. He is also a leader at Homerton College, Cambridge, a part of the famous University of Cambridge.
Since 2019, Lord Woolley has been a member of the House of Lords. This is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. He sits as a crossbencher, which means he doesn't belong to any political party. He works to make sure everyone has a fair chance in society.
Early Life and Learning
Simon Woolley was born in Leicester on December 24, 1961. He was raised by his adoptive parents, Phillis and Dan Fox. He grew up in a working-class area called St Matthew's. He remembered it as a place where people worked hard. His parents also fostered many other children. Simon's adoptive father, Dan Fox, passed away when Simon was fourteen.
Simon left school without advanced qualifications. He started his career as a car mechanic. At 19, he moved to London and worked in advertising for four years. Later, he decided to study Spanish and Politics at Middlesex University. During his studies, he spent time in Costa Rica and Colombia. He then earned a Master's degree in Hispanic literature from the University of London in 1994.
His Career and Activism
Simon Woolley became very interested in British politics. He joined a campaign group called Charter 88. He began to research how the votes of black people could change election results. These findings led him to create Operation Black Vote (OBV) in 1996.
Operation Black Vote has done many important things:
- They run campaigns to encourage people to register and vote.
- They created an app to help black and minority ethnic (BME) people learn about politics.
- They worked with a big advertising company, Saatchi & Saatchi, on free campaigns.
Simon Woolley also worked to help communities grow stronger. He pushed for better political education in schools. His efforts have encouraged millions of people to vote. He has focused on helping BME individuals develop their political skills. In 2016, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, praised his work. She noted that a record number of BME Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected.
Simon Woolley also served as a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In 2008, he wrote a report on how to get more BME people into politics. He was appointed to the Equalities Commission in 2009. He has led government investigations, like the REACH program. This program aimed to help black youth who felt left out. He also worked with Harriet Harman on getting more BME women into politics. He has worked with famous activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. They highlighted problems with racial discrimination.
In 2017, Operation Black Vote, The Guardian newspaper, and Green Park Ltd launched The Colour of Power. This study looked at the racial makeup of top jobs in Britain. It showed that very few people in powerful positions were from black and minority ethnic groups. This highlighted a big problem with inequality.
In 2019, Simon Woolley called for local councillors to be more diverse. He found that many local councils had very few or no BME councillors. This was true even in areas with many BME residents.
Simon Woolley helped create the UK government's Race Disparity Unit. He was an important advisor for this group. He also helped secure £90 million in funding. This money helps disadvantaged young people find work. When Operation Black Vote started, there were only four black or minority ethnic MPs. By 2019, there were over 50. Simon Woolley has also written articles for major newspapers.
On March 30, 2021, Simon Woolley was chosen to be the next leader, or principal, of Homerton College, Cambridge. He started this role on October 1, 2021. He is the first black man to lead an Oxbridge college. Oxbridge refers to the famous universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
In 2022, Simon Woolley published his life story, called Soar: My Journey from Council Estate to House of Lords.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Simon Woolley has received many awards for his work.
- Since 2012, he has been on the Powerlist. This list features the 100 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the UK.
- He was named one of the Evening Standard's Most Influential People in 2010.
- In 2010 and 2011, The Daily Telegraph also listed him as one of the 100 Most Influential People.
In 2012, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Westminster. This was for his work on equality. In 2022, he became an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Simon Woolley was made a Knight Bachelor in 2019. This means he became Sir Simon Woolley. He thought carefully about accepting the award. He knew that many black people wonder if they should accept honors from the British system. He decided to accept it because it was not linked to the old empire.
In 2019, he was nominated for a life peerage by Prime Minister Theresa May. This meant he would become a member of the House of Lords for life. On October 14, 2019, he became Baron Woolley of Woodford. He served on the Lords Youth Unemployment Committee from 2021 to 2021.
