Grace Mecaley, 74, who was struck by a 212 bus on 15th December, was an executive member of the Waltham Forest Race Equality Council for over three decades, reports Marco Marcelline
A 74-year-old woman who was fatally struck by a bus at Walthamstow Bus Station in December last year was a retired nurse who had been active in charity work for decades.
Transport for London (TfL) revealed her name for the first time in a letter to residents this week stating that the bus station would be shut for six weeks in response to safety recommendations made following Grace Mecaley’s death on 15th December 2023.
The Echo can additionally reveal that Grace had taken up several positions in local civil society groups including the Waltham Forest Race Equality Council (WSREC), where she was an executive member from the 1980s until her death.
In the mid- 2000s, she became the charity’s first Black woman chair. She additionally used to run her own charity called the Waltham Forest Cameroonian and Friends Association.
Tasneem Sarwar Ali, a current WSREC trustee who worked with Grace from 2000, told the Echo: “Grace was very passionate about working with the local people, building community relations; she enjoyed helping people of all backgrounds.
“Grace was very warm, and family oriented. She was very charitable and would often send computers and lots of useful resources back to family and friends in her native Cameroon.”
Tasneem continued: “WFREC will always remember Grace for her long standing contributions to the community, and for the charity work she did for many decades. We very much miss her calm and friendly presence and her dedication to helping others.”
Through her WFREC role, Grace became a trustee at the Walthamstow and Chingford Almshouse, a social housing charity providing self-contained accommodation for elderly people.
She held the trustee role from 2014 until she stepped down at the end of a four-year term in 2018.
Liz Abbott, clerk to the CEO of the Almshouse charity, described Grace as a “conscientious and reliable trustee who diligently attended all the meetings”, adding that Almshouse was grateful for her contributions to the board.
In a November 2006 Waltham Forest Guardian article about a citizenship ceremony held at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Mecaley is described as a principal guest due to her senior WFREC role.
A pre-inquest review hearing into her death took place on 7th October, while a full inquest will not begin at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court until 14th April 2025.
The Echo understands the delay is due to the Metropolitan Police still investigating the incident.
Rosie Trew, TfL’s Head of Bus Service Delivery, said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Grace Mecaley. Every death on the transport network is devastating and we’re determined to end the trauma caused by loss of life and injury on the transport network.”
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