Richard Taylor, who spent the previous 24 years campaigning towards knife crime after his son Damilola Taylor was killed on the age of 10, has died, his household have introduced.
The previous Nigerian civil servant labored for years to enhance the lives of deprived youngsters after his son’s stabbing in November 2000, and arrange the Damilola Taylor Belief to marketing campaign towards knife crime.
Taylor died on Saturday, on the age of 75, after an extended sickness.
A press release issued on behalf of his household stated: “It’s with a heavy coronary heart that the household announce the loss of life of our beloved father, grandfather and uncle, Mr Richard Adeyemi Taylor OBE, who sadly handed away within the early hours of Saturday 23 March at Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich, after a protracted battle with prostate most cancers.”
Taylor all the time stated he needed his son to be remembered as a boy of hope and for his legacy to be a greater life and alternatives for underprivileged younger folks.
Damilola was left bleeding to loss of life in a stairwell in Peckham, south-east London, after he was attacked and slashed with a damaged bottle on his means house from a library.
After three crown courtroom trials, his two killers, brothers Ricky and Danny Preddie, had been put behind bars after being convicted of manslaughter.
Richard Taylor and his late spouse, Gloria, had been spurred on to arrange a charity of their son’s reminiscence within the face of the tragedy of his loss of life.
On social media, different campaigners and group members who had labored with Taylor paid their respects.
“I labored with him intently in Southwark and admired his dedication to Damilola’s legacy and to creating life higher for younger folks,” wrote the previous Labour councillor Peter John. “His ardour and advocacy might be massively missed.”
Very sorry to listen to that Richard Taylor has died. I labored with him intently in Southwark and admired his dedication to Damilola’s legacy and to creating life higher for younger folks. His ardour and advocacy might be massively missed. @DTTlondon
— Peter John (@peterjohn6) March 23, 2024
The Labour MP for Vauxhall, Florence Eshalomi, posted on X: “Very unhappy to listen to this information. Uncle Richard was a powerful man who held the legacy and lightweight for the Damilola Taylor belief.
“I’m studying by means of my final message with him the place he was reminding me concerning the work of the belief. He’s now at peace along with his beloved son and spouse.”
“Richard devoted his life to enhancing the lives of different youngsters,” wrote former Labour MP John Austin.
PR marketing consultant Ronke Lawal remembered Taylor as “a person of honour and integrity who labored tirelessly campaigning for an finish to youth violence and knife crime”.
“He saved the reminiscence of his son, Damilola alive,” Lawal wrote. “His legacy shall dwell on. We’re grateful for his life.”
Gloria died in 2008 after a coronary heart assault and Richard continued their work within the following years.
They had been supported by well-known faces together with footballer Rio Ferdinand, who grew up in Peckham and backed the household of their charity work.
Star Wars actor John Boyega was a childhood good friend of Damilola and he and his sister Grace had been among the many final folks to see the 10-year-old alive earlier than he walked house on the day he was murdered.