Lady Edwina Grosvenor becomes honorary doctor of law at Solent University

Awarded on Thursday 10 July, during Solent’s 2025 graduation ceremonies, Lady Edwina’s Honorary Doctorate recognises the vital role she has played in reforming the criminal justice system in England.

With more than 20 years of experience in the sector, Lady Edwina has used her expertise as a criminologist to influence systemic change within the justice system. Among the many essential initiatives which Lady Grosvenor has been at the forefront of, is One Small Thing.

One Small Thing is a charity which aims to redesign the justice system for women and their children; this has led to them opening a residential community called Hope Street in Southampton.

An influential philanthropist, Lady Edwina was the founding investor – and ambassador – of The Clink Charity, which supports prisoners by giving them sought-after skills and training in catering. This initiative serves dual purposes: supporting prisoners to gain meaningful employment upon their release, while also enabling the hospitality industry to benefit from talented individuals during a national skills shortage.

An expert on reform in the justice system, Lady Edwina sits on the advisory board to the Centre for Criminology in the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford and is a member of the Women’s Justice Board. Locally, Lady Edwina is a Deputy Lieutenant for Hampshire. On becoming an honorary Doctor of Law at Solent, she says:

"I am incredibly honoured to receive this award from Southampton Solent University. As a former student of Solent University, receiving this honorary Doctorate of Law is all the more meaningful. My time studying for my master's in Criminology and Crime Scene Management here was incredibly inspiring and has provided my work in criminal justice reform with invaluable academic rigor.

“I am a huge believer in the power of education to create great action and impact for society, and Solent University is playing a great part in providing this foundation and motivation for their students."

As a University dedicated to training law professionals of the future, Solent is delighted to welcome Lady Grosvenor to its community as an honorary Doctor of Law.