Lord Woolley installed as Principal of Homerton

By Laura Kenworthy 1min read

Lord Woolley of Woodford was officially installed as Principal of Homerton College yesterday, Friday 1 October. In a ceremony shared in person with Fellows, staff and student representatives, and via livestream with the student and alumni communities, he made the following declaration: 

"I, Simon, Lord Woolley of Woodford, accept the office of the Principal of Homerton College, and promise that I will fulfill the duties of that office to the best of my ability; and that I will loyally observe the statutes and ordinances and good customs of the College; and that I will in all things endeavour to promote the peace, honour and wellbeing of the College."

He then spoke movingly of his intention that the College should be "a beacon" for young men and women of all backgrounds to aspire to, and a place where everyone should feel a sense of belonging. Acknowledging the significance of the fact that he became the first Black man to lead a Cambridge or Oxford college, on the first day of Black History Month, he echoed the words of Dr Martin Luther King, stating that Homerton has both "a dream, and a plan" to support its students to do "great things."

Watch the installation ceremony in full here