My colleague and friend Mel Doyle, who has died aged 73 from a progressively degenerative illness, was deputy general secretary of the Workers’ Educational Association, which is dedicated to bringing adult education into the heart of communities, especially to people with disadvantages in life, from 1993 until his retirement in 2004.
Mel joined the WEA as a research assistant in 1974. His skill and commitment meant that his portfolio of responsibilities widened as his managerial role grew. His contribution to trade union education stands as one of his major professional achievements. He shepherded the WEA’s partnership with the TUC from the 1970s onwards, lending its support to the growth in the provision of courses.
In the early 1990s, Mel was asked by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva to take on management responsibility for the ILO’s global workers’ education programme at their training centre in Turin, Italy. This he did successfully from 1991 to 1993, on secondment from the WEA, after which he orchestrated its expansion into new international trade union education activities in Europe and beyond.
Mel was a driving force behind the creation of EURO-WEA which, for a period, acted as the European regional arm of the global International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations.
He became WEA deputy general secretary in 1993 and coordinated activities celebrating its centenary in 2003, culminating in a reception at the European parliament hosted by Neil Kinnock (an ex-WEA tutor-organiser and vice-president of the European commission).
Born in the East End of London, he was the son of Winifred (nee Geerkens) and George Doyle, who both worked at John Tanns, a safe-makers temporarily diverted to tank-making during the second world war; in peacetime Winifred worked as a cleaner and dinner-lady. Mel’s roots gave him an awareness of social injustice.
He went to Thomas Gamuel school in Walthamstow, then Leyton county high school for boys. He gained a degree in modern history, politics and economics at Southampton University, where he edited the student newspaper, which was followed by a master’s in labour history at Queen’s University Belfast.
His first post-university employment was teaching A-level history and politics at Watford boys’ grammar school. Soon after Mel obtained the post of research assistant at the WEA in London.
A trainspotter in his youth, he also worked as a teenager at Walthamstow dog track. Mel remained passionate about trains and dogs. His childhood stamp collecting developed into a serious pastime, and for a while he was a member of the Royal Philatelic Society. He was a lifelong supporter of Leyton Orient FC, and an avid follower of the Essex and England cricket teams.
Mel met Sue Crane, a WEA activist and tutor, in 1984, and they were married in 1991. Mel is survived by a daughter, Melinda, and son, Tom, from his first marriage, which ended in divorce; by Sue’s daughters, Rachel and Sophie; and by his and Sue’s combined eight grandchildren, Alex, Jessica, Max, Lily, Poppy, Daisy, Bella and Hugo.
