My colleague Sally-Ann Ephson, who has died aged 49 after suffering from sickle cell disease, dedicated her life to the Labour party, her community, her family, her church and the Sickle Cell Society. She was described by a fellow member of Battersea Labour party as a “brave, dignified and civically minded comrade”.
Sally-Ann was born in Hackney, east London, to Jacob Ephson, a mechanic, and Alberta Mensah, a nurse. At the age of 10, the family moved to Battersea, south-west London, the area that Sally-Ann would grow up to represent on Wandsworth council, and was enrolled in Falconbrook primary school.
Her love of politics and her deep Christian faith came from her father. They would stay up into the small hours watching election results and then days of debate would follow. Later, Sally-Ann became a minister at her local Methodist church and was ordained as a deaconess.
In 2014, she was elected a Labour councillor for the ward of Queenstown in north Battersea. In so doing, she accomplished something that no Labour candidate had done in 28 years. It was testimony to her roots within the community and the hard work she put in to winning a seat that had been viewed by many as unwinnable.
Shortly after her victory, Sally-Ann’s health deteriorated and she spent long spells in hospital. However, ill-health did not prevent her from hitting the campaign trail again for the 2015 general election and the London mayoral elections in May this year, which her friend Sadiq Khan won.
Khan described Sally-Ann as a “ray of sunshine” who “never stopped smiling”. He said: “As someone who always had time for anyone who needed it, she had a natural calling to become a councillor and represent the community she spent so much time and energy working to improve.”
Sally-Ann was passionate about her community. She understood the importance of inclusion and of fighting inequality, especially for people with disabilities or from black or ethnic backgrounds.
As a council colleague, she was a great “encourager” of others – always proud of what her fellow Labour members had achieved.
Sally-Ann also served on the board of the Sickle Cell Society, and was a strong advocate for better quality of care for people with the disease.
She is survived by a son, Donovan.
