Charity leader receives honorary degree from University of Bristol

Alex Ardalan-Raikes studied Social Policy at the University of Bristol and now leads a human rights charity

A charity leader who has dedicated her life to ending inequality received an honorary degree from her old university.

Alex Ardalan-Raikes MBE is the director of Stand Against Racism & Inequality, a charity she joined after graduating from the University of Bristol 32 years ago.

She told students: "This university empowered me beyond recognition.

"At Bristol University, for the first time, I felt like I belonged."

Growing up in Hampshire, Ms Ardalan-Raikes said there were hardly any ethnic minority families in her village or school.

Racism was an "everyday part of life".

"School was one big battle," she recalled. "I would be called the 'P' word, be told that I shouldn't be in this country, that I should go home to where I'm from.

"It was an almost daily occurrence, but instead of fighting back or giving up, I used to debate with those people and end up having long discussions about racism and our heritage."

Ms Ardalan-Raikes told students: "Without human rights and a healthy environment, what good is a great career?"

She told students: "Without human rights and a healthy environment, what good is a great career?

"Don't be overwhelmed by this imperfect world - just do small things along the way that make the world a better place and work collaboratively to make a difference."

'I felt like I belonged'

Ms Ardalan-Raikes eventually earned a place at the University of Bristol studying Social Policy.

"It was an inspirational course, with a really diverse group of students, many of whom had lived experience of difficult lives," she said.

She later met Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) leader Batook Pandya.

"SARI was very different back then," Ms Ardalan-Raikes said. "We were like a little detective agency, going out in a van together trying to catch racists."

Today, SARI helps around 900 victims of hate crimes each year.

It also provides training, young offender reduction programmes, restorative justice and consultancy on equality and anti-racism.

At the degree ceremony, University of Bristol Professor of Law, Devyani Prabhat, told the crowd that Ms Ardalan-Raikes had "immense experience in tackling racism and inequality".

Ms Ardalan-Raikes said she was "overjoyed" to receive the honorary degree, adding: "This university is such a big part of who I am today and what I'm doing.

"It empowered me beyond recognition. At Bristol University, for the first time, I felt like I belonged."