Janet Adegoke
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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 |
| Died | October 1, 1987 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Party | Labour |
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.
Today, the Phoenix Fitness Centre and Janet Adegoke Swimming Pool in White City is named after Adegoke.
Janet 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.[2] 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.[3]
Political career
In 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.[4]
In May 1987, Adegoke became mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.