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A Tribute to Andy Santos
Andy SantosRegular visitors to the annual Acton Extravaganza are still coming to terms with the sudden death of its organiser Andy Santos.Andy died from suspected heart problems on April 28 at the age of 43. Her funeral was held at Breakspear Crematorium in Ruislip. She was born in Acton and attended Berrymead and Twyford schools. She recently discovered that her family's former home was once occupied by Thomas Crapper, the famous sanitary engineer who invented the flush toilet. Her parents moved to North Wales several years ago but she stayed in the area and moved to Brentford. She was a community activist for most of her working life. In the 70s she was a paid development worker for Ealing Community Relations Council, a forerunner of Ealing Racial Equality Council, and an unpaid youth leader at St. Mary's Acton Youth Club. She was a supervisor of Acton Community Services, an advice service, and in 1986 became manager of Acton Vale tenants’ hall in Beech Avenue. She later took over at Oak Tree Community Centre on the South Acton estate and served as governor of Ellen Wilkinson School for girls and was on an area action group. Andy’s involvement with Acton Extravaganza began at its birth in 1980. She agreed to set it up even though she had no previous experience of organising fun fairs and obtaining licences. It was the start of a 20-year commitment. The first event in 1981 came soon after an Acton riot and against a backdrop of an apprehensive community and poor weather. But the event helped heal the wounds and went from strength to strength. Andy also helped to organise the South Acton Carnival which ran several times. The Acton Extravaganza Committee will stage the event in her memory this year as a tribute to her tireless work. It takes place at Acton Park on Saturday, July 8, starting at 2pm. |
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