My friend Oyeronke Martins-Taylor, who has died aged 57 of cancer, was a leader in youth and probation services in London. Known to everyone as Ronke, she was divisional director of children’s services at the London borough of Tower Hamlets, having previously held a number of senior positions at other London boroughs in the field of probation and youth justice services.
Ronke was committed to helping young people, and was relentless in her advocacy for them. Possessed of a fearless intellect, she was a leader who nurtured her teams through encouragement, sometimes quietly nudging, sometimes using less subtle tactics. She had a wonderful smile and was always positive.
Born in Wandsworth, south-west London, Ronke was the third of four children of a Nigerian couple, Pauline (nee Taiwo), an information technology officer, and her husband, Rufus Martins, a civil engineer. After receiving her primary schooling in London, she moved to Nigeria for her secondary education, at Queen Amina college in Kaduna state. Later she took A levels in the US, at the Community College of Rhode Island, and returned to London at the age of 20.
In 1983 Ronke got a job as a catering assistant with London Transport. Studying in her spare time, she gained qualifications in computer programming and information technology, and graduated in sociology from the University of East London (1990).
This enabled her to join Berkshire probation services as a research and information officer. While there she applied to join a postgraduate course in probation studies at the University of Durham, gaining a master’s in applied social studies and a diploma in social work (1993).
Ronke then became a probation officer in Kent, moving in 1994 to the Inner London probation service, where in 1999 she was promoted to senior probation officer. Four years later she became a manager with the Waltham Forest youth offending team in east London, and went on to lead the youth justice, family support and youth services department at the London borough of Camden.
After fulfilling a similar role at the London borough of Redbridge, in 2016 she was appointed to her directorial role in Tower Hamlets, where she was responsible for youth services and commissioning.
In 2010 the two of us set up the London Youth Offending Services Leadership Network to provide professional and personal support to youth offending services managers across London. She chaired the network from 2010 to 2016.
We met through work in 2006, and in 2011 started running or walking together with other friends every Saturday morning, right up to a couple of months before her death. Ronke was the motivating force of the group and would text us every Friday morning with an encouraging reminder to meet the next day.
With her husband, Martin Taylor, whom she met in 2004 and married in 2007, Ronke enjoyed travelling and fine dining. She also loved gadgets.
She is survived by Martin, three siblings, two nieces and four nephews.
