Janet Olufunmilayo Adegoke (1942 – 1 October 1987) was a British-Nigerian nurse and Labour Party politician. She was elected mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1987, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position of mayor of a London borough.[1] Adegoke died aged 45 of cancer a few months after becoming mayor.
Janet Adegoke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham | |
| In office May 1987 – 1 October 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Eleanor Joan Caruana |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janet Olufunmilayo Adegoke 1942 Ibadan, Nigeria |
| Died | October 1, 1987 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
Today, the Phoenix Fitness Centre and Janet Adegoke Swimming Pool in White City is named after Adegoke.
Early life
editJanet Olufunmilayo Adegoke was born in 1942 in Ibadan, a town in Nigeria.[2] Adegoke came to England in 1961 aged 19 to study nursing. After completing her studies, Adegoke became involved in community work, advocating for improved housing and living conditions.[3] As Secretary of the Emlyn Gardens Tenants' Association and co-founder of Hammersmith African Link, Adegoke campaigned to unite black and white communities in the borough.[4]
Political career
editIn the 1986 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election, Adegoke was elected to the Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council in the Starch Green Ward.[5]
In May 1987, Adegoke became mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
Personal life
editAdegoke was a single parent and brought up three children.
Death and legacy
editAdegoke died aged 45 of cervical cancer in London on 1 October 1987, only months after being elected mayor.[4]
After her death, the successor to Bloemfontein Lido, White City Pools, was renamed the Janet Adegoke Leisure Centre in 1988 until it was demolished in 2003. In 2006, a new leisure complex in White City, the Phoenix Fitness Centre and Janet Adegoke Swimming Pool, was named after Adegoke.
References
edit- ^ "Women's history trail | London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham". www.lbhf.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ webbworks333 (28 November 2023). "Today's Feature". Windrush365. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ webbworks333 (28 November 2023). "Today's Feature". Windrush365. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Aminu, Adedamola (26 April 2018). Nigerian-British Politicians in United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (1st ed.). Grosvenor House Publishing. ISBN 9781786232052.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "London Borough Council Elections 8 May 1986" (PDF). London Datastore. London Residuary Body. Retrieved 14 August 2024.