Dinner With A Leader - You’re in the right room

On 12 November I went back to Homerton College, Cambridge, as the guest for its Dinner with a Leader evening.

Before dinner I sat down with the college’s Principal, Lord Woolley. We talked about what happens when the right leaders are in the right places, and found a lot of common ground. We both care about creating opportunity for young people from marginalised communities, and we both believe those who have broken barriers have a duty to keep breaking them for the people coming next.

Dr Robin Bunce invited me after I spoke on Homerton’s Changemakers panel in October, which Paula Rogers-Brown chaired brilliantly. Rocky, a Changemakers Champion I’d met in October, hosted. Around the table were students of everything from Chinese and education to finance and filmmaking. They were joined by young people from Romsey Mill, a Cambridgeshire charity supporting children, young people and families facing disadvantage.

I chose to tell the whole story. On 22 November 2018 I came off my bike in the middle of the road and thought I was dead. Lying there, I made a deal with God: if you save my life, I’ll change the world. Everything since then, through the pain, the loss, the learning and the building, has been me keeping my side of that deal.

It’s easy to share the wins and skip the journey, but the wins rarely teach anyone much. You can’t inspire people from a pedestal.

Then the floor opened, and something beautiful happened. A young person from Romsey Mill asked: “Could you recommend a way for local people to connect and build a collaboration with the university?” My answer was simple: “You’re in the right room now to make it happen.” Right there, Romsey Mill and the students started talking to each other. We watched a changemaker’s moment happen in real time.

That’s what these rooms are for. I’m back in Cambridge on 24 November, and I’m looking forward to doing much more across the university, speaking to and coaching students.

Thank youTo Michelle Darlington, for championing me and Sirlute in rooms I’m not in. To Robin for the invitation, Rocky for hosting, Mel Parkin for organising everything, and Clare Ryan for setting up my time with Simon. To Simon, for the conversation; I look forward to many more. To Paula Rogers-Brown, my first connection at Homerton; Dr Nicole Helwig, my first connection at the University of Cambridge; and the godmother, Lisa, who has backed my journey from the start and encouraged me to apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize, which I won in 2024.