Baroness grants WI a private audience

Saturday 13 May 2023

Fresh from carrying the King's sceptre at his Coronation, Floella Benjamin is in Guernsey this weekend, speaking to members of the Women's Institute.

The former children's television presenter had a prominent role in the historic event last weekend, due to her links with the King through their charity work.

Today is the WI's Annual General Meeting in Guernsey with the organisation's 300 members invited to attend.

There are ten independent WI groups in Guernsey, all with the core aim of enabling women to develop new skills, giving them opportunities to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities, and to provide a wide-range of activities.

Pictured: Today's AGM is being held at the Professor Shaw Centre, the home of the St Martin's WI.

Baroness Benjamin had been invited to Guernsey to speak at today's AGM prior to her involvement in the coronation being made public.

The author and peer was chosen to take part in the historic proceedings in recognition of her work for the Windrush generation and her wider charitable and community work. Baroness Benjamin herself is a member of the Windrush generation, having moved to the UK from Trinidad aged 10. 

She carried the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove, which represents spirituality, equity and mercy. Baroness Benjamin was quoted in the national media earlier this week as saying her inclusion demonstrated that the King "embraces diversity".

Corrina Walker, Joint Chair of WI Guernsey said today's talk promises to be very interesting.

“We are delighted to welcome Floella to Guernsey," she said, "and we look forward to hearing her speak about her life and career as a female of colour working in historically male dominated sectors.

"We also hope to hear details about the Coronation from someone with first-hand knowledge.”

Pictured: Baroness Floella Benjamin was on Play School but has done a lot of other presenting, acting, and campaign work since then.

Whatever Baroness Benjamin has to say will be for the WI members alone to hear as she has declined any interviews with local media while she's in the island.

She is understood to have found the media attention surrounding the coronation to be so overwhelming that she has requested no local reporters attend today's talk.

Baroness Benjamin rose to fame through her work presenting the children’s TV programme Play School in the 1970s and 1980s.

She moved into politics and now sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham. In 2004 she received a Bafta Special Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to television, before being chosen that same year to run the Olympic torch through Peckham.