Tributes have been paid following the death of Richard Taylor, founder of the Damilola Taylor Trust and anti-knife crime campaigner.
Taylor, who set up the charity in 2001 after his son Damilola was killed the year before, passed away on 23 March aged 75 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He was made an OBE in 2011 for campaigning against violent crime and was described as “an incredible man who made a real difference to so many young people’s lives”.
Damilola Taylor Trust
The Damilola Taylor Trust was launched in 2001 after Richard and his wife Gloria, Damilola’s mother, met the then Prince Charles, with the aim “to provide a legacy of hope and opportunity for disadvantaged and under-privileged young people”.
The charity’s early work included a partnership with King’s College London, which saw the opening of the Damilola Taylor Room, a study room for medical students from deprived areas of London, at the university.
In 2014, the charity was saved from closure after struggling for funding in the previous three years.
In 2020, a partnership with other organisations including UK Youth and the Spirit of London Foundation called the Hope Collective was formed to mark the 20th anniversary of Damilola’s death and work to end poverty and discrimination in vulnerable communities.
Taylor’s family said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that the family announce the death of our beloved father, grandfather and uncle, Mr Richard Adeyemi Taylor OBE, who sadly passed away in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.”
‘A national treasure’
Ndidi Okezie, UK Youth chief executive, said: “Everyone at UK Youth is truly saddened to learn of the passing of Richard.
“He was an incredible man who made a real difference to so many young people’s lives.
“Richard was a dear friend to me and UK Youth.
“We were thrilled to work alongside Richard with the Hope Collective, working to establish real change and reduce poverty, violence and discrimination among the UK’s most vulnerable communities and celebrating young people’s hopes for the future on the Day of Hope, on Damilola’s birthday, 7 December, each year.”
Gary Trowsdale, Spirit of London Foundation executive director, said: “One of the most wonderful things about Richard was the way he always made himself available to other parents who suffered as his family had.
“He did this on the quiet and without publicity, reaching out through police and victim support channels
“He became a national treasure and he will be sadly missed. I will miss him greatly and his legacy will now sit alongside Damilola’s as one of resilience and hope.”
Former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, who founded the Ben Kinsella Trust after her 16-year-old brother was stabbed to death in 2008, said: “Richard’s courage in the face of unimaginable grief was an inspiration to me.
“After the horrific loss of his son Damilola, he chose to channel his pain into a fight for a safer future. He turned tragedy into a relentless determination to keep other families from experiencing the same heartbreak.
“Richard became a close friend and confidant after Ben’s murder, sharing his strength and unwavering belief in justice.”
