Richard Taylor: Father of schoolboy Damilola Taylor dies aged 75

The former Nigerian civil servant set up the Damilola Taylor Trust to campaign against knife crime and support disadvantaged young people after his son was stabbed to death with a broken bottle in Peckham, south east London in November 2000.

Two brothers – who were aged 12 and 13 at the time of the killing – were convicted of manslaughter in 2006.

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Taylor died on Saturday aged 75.

His 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 23 March at Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.”

The Damilola Taylor Trust was launched in 2001 after Richard and his wife Gloria, Damilola’s mother, who died in 2008 aged 57, met then Prince Charles, with the aim “to provide a legacy of hope and opportunity for disadvantaged and under-privileged young people”.

The Trust’s mission is: “Every young person should have  the opportunity to live their lives free of fear and violence, to dream big and face the future with confidence and optimism.”

Early achievements of the Trust 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.

The Hope Collective, formed to mark the 20th  anniversary of Damilola’s death, continues to work “to establish real change that enables the UK’s most vulnerable communities to be free from poverty, violence and discrimination”.

Tributes have poured in for Taylor from across the sector following his death.

Ndidi Okezie, chief executive of UK Youth, a founding member of the Hope Collective, said: “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, December 7, each year.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to Richard’s close family, including his daughters Gbemi and Florence and son Tunde, and friends, Richard will be hugely missed.

“We commit to continuing his and Damilola’s legacy of hope and working with others to improve the lives of young people from the most vulnerable communities.”

Taylor also supported The People’s March Against Knife Crime, led by The Ben Kinsella Trust in 2008 which saw thousands of young people demonstrate in central London against knife and gun crime.

The Kinsella Trust, which works to stop crime, was founded by former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella after her 16-year-old brother Ben was stabbed to death by a gang of three young people in a street in Islington, London, in June 2008.

Brooke Kinsella said: “Richard became a close friend and confidant after Ben's murder, sharing his strength and unwavering belief in justice.

“I’ll never forget the powerful moment during the peace march in 2008 when, walking for opposite ends of London, our paths crossed in Piccadilly. We instinctively embraced, that single moment symbolised the unyielding solidarity of our movement and our shared mission to prevent violence.

“We owe it to Richard's memory to continue this fight and make our streets safer for all."

In 2009, Taylor was appointed then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown's special envoy on youth violence and knife crime, while the Damilola Taylor Trust launched the Spirit of London Awards – commonly known as the Community Youth Oscars - to celebrate the talent of achievements of young people.

Gary Trowsdale, Spirit of London Foundation executive director, said: “Having been a postman on the estate Damilola died on in the 1980s, the tragedy had a profound impact on me.

“As a father myself, I marvelled at Richard’s resilience when the killings on the streets of London became a normality, rather than the global front page news it was when Damilola was killed. Each and every killing hurt him and he told me it felt like losing Dami again every time on repeat.

“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.”

Richard was made an OBE for his efforts to tackle violent crime in the 2012 New Year Honours.

Damilola, Our Loved Boy, a film about the events surrounding Damilola’s death was aired on BBC One in 2016, going on to be named the best single drama at the BAFTAs the following year.