Funeral of Haringey’s first Black female Mayor Erline Prescott

Former Labour councillor Erline Prescott died in November and was laid to rest following a service at St-Peter-in-Chains Catholic Church in Stroud Green.

At the time of her death, she was commemorated with a minutes silence at a full Haringey Council meeting.

A staunch advocate for children and young people in the borough, she was elected ward councillor for West Green, serving from 1990-98, and 2002-06.

Erline Prescott became Haringey’s first Black female mayor in 1995. (Image: Haringey Council) After serving as Deputy Mayor from 1993-1994 she booked her place in Haringey’s history books a year later by becoming the borough’s first Black female Mayor – a role she repeated from 2003-2004 when she pledged at her Mayor Making to “make this borough a better place to live and work.”

A council spokesman sent sincere condolences to her family and friends and said she would be remembered as a “warm and wonderful woman who left her mark on the borough”.

On their website, Haringey-based charity Action For Kids said they were “deeply saddened” to hear of Erline’s death, and were grateful that her family were collecting donations for AFK at her funeral.

Erline Prescott’s funeral was held at St-Peter-in-Chains Catholic Church in Stroud Green. (Image: Haringey Council)

They added: “She was a passionate advocate for the community and a true supporter of our cause. During her tenure as Mayor in 2003, she selected Action For Kids as her charity of the year, raising over £10,000 to support disabled children and young people to live more independent lives.

“Beyond her incredible fundraising efforts, Erline helped to shine a light on the vital work we do, increasing awareness of the challenges faced by children and young people with disabilities. Her dedication and kindness left a lasting impact.”