Social Entrepreneur in Residence appointed

You may well remember Alexander McLean as the inspirational speaker at last year’s Speech Day. Forced by circumstance to deliver his address online, Mr McLean talked about the groundbreaking work being done by the charity he founded, Justice Defenders, which works to provide legal education and training in 37 prisons in Uganda and Kenya.

We are pleased to announce that Mr McLean has been appointed as ‘Social Entrepreneur in Residence’ for the rest of this academic year. His role will be to assist the Head Master in identifying ways in which the School can create lasting change in its understanding of the issues faced by staff and pupils of colour and in so doing help Worth to develop improved policies and practices, including our anti-racism strategy.

Having trained as a barrister and magistrate, Mr McLean went on to found Justice Defenders. He is a Senior TED Fellow, Ashoka Fellow and UK Young Philanthropist of the Year. He appears in TIME’s 30 Under 30 Changing the World and ‘The Power List’, featuring .Britain's most influential people of African and African-Caribbean heritage.

Mr McLean said: “Worth has been a place of peace and refreshment for me and many of the friends I’ve brought here. I’m moved by the Benedictine values of this community, embodied by the monks and so many others here. The Head Master’s commitment to establishing a community which is anti-racist and which allows pupils of all backgrounds to flourish is compelling. My first-hand experience tells me that gifts, talent and potential are spread throughout society and are often found in unexpected places. I’m looking forward to learning from and with you all in the months to come.”

If you would like to re-visit Mr McLean’s Speech Day message, you can find it here.