My colleague and mentor Myra Garrett, who has died aged 92, was a pioneering development worker, philanthropist, and advocate for peace and social justice.
After leaving the US for the UK in 1970, she became a transformative figure in east London, co-founding organisations such as the Limehouse Project, in 1984; the Tower Hamlets Health Strategy Group, in 1986, which gained charity status in 1994 and was rebranded as Social Action for Health in 2000; and the Bangladeshi Mental Health Forum, in 1999. These initiatives addressed critical issues such as mental health, housing, education and women’s empowerment, profoundly affecting marginalised communities.
A trailblazer in public health, Myra introduced innovative programmes such as the health bus, which took essential services to underserved areas, and the continence project (1992), which earned the Commonwealth award for excellence in women’s health in 1997. Her Giving Up Smoking During Ramadan campaign, launched in the late 80s, evolved into the widely adopted Smoke-Free Ramadan initiative, showcasing her ability to turn cultural insights into effective health interventions.
She was also a fearless advocate for peace, serving as a director for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (2009-11). She was arrested in 2000 for protesting at Naval Base Clyde, Faslane. Refusing to pay a fine on principle, she was spared imprisonment when an anonymous benefactor settled it.
Her frugality and dedication to social housing were emblematic of her values. She declined to buy her Tower Hamlets council flat under the right-to-buy scheme, returning it to the local authority after nearly five decades to ensure it remained available for those in need. She moved into supported-living accommodation in Bow in 2022.
Myra loved reading and trying different types of cuisines, enjoying iftar – the meal eaten at sunset to break the daily fast during Ramadan – with her Muslim colleagues in the office.
Born in California during the Great Depression, Myra was one of the four children of Minnie (nee Potts) and Daniel Garrett, an insurance salesman. Myra’s early experiences of hardship shaped her lifelong commitment to social equity. She had separated from her husband before leaving the US, where she had been a social worker for the Salvation Army. Myra remained in east London for the rest of her life.
Tributes have poured in from colleagues and community members, including Jahanara Loqueman, a grassroots activist and health campaigner, and lifelong comrade of Myra’s, who describes her as “a monumental figure whose compassion and tireless work will continue to inspire”.
Myra donated her body to science. She leaves behind a legacy of empowerment and justice, reflected in the countless lives and institutions she transformed.
Myra is survived by three nephews, Michael, Jeffrey and Smith, and a niece, Maria.
