A City Hall scheme to encourage diversity is to be renamed in tribute to a Sadiq Khan aide who died from cancer aged 37.
Wayne Sullivan, who worked on London’s hosting of the Euro 2020 football tournament and the New Year fireworks, died in March from colon and liver cancer.
The mayor was among more than 100 mourners at his funeral earlier this month. A celebration of his Mr Sullivan’s life – he was described as a “force for good” - will be held at City hall on Tuesday evening.
Mr Khan has agreed to rename the media, marketing and digital communications internship as the “Wayne Sullivan Communications Internship”.
It comes after Transport for London was forced to defend a similar internship following criticism from a Tory minister that it should “not have job opportunities that are only for some racial groups”.
Neil O’Brien, a health minister and MP in Leicestershire, criticised TfL’s Stuart Ross Communications Internship, which was set up in memory of TfL’s former director of news, who died in 2016 from cancer aged 42.
Mr Ross, who was white, was an early advocate of encouraging diversity in the communications and PR industry, in which black and minority ethnic Londoners continue to be under-represented.
Mr O’Brien tweeted that “TfL and other employers should hire the best people for the job”.
But TfL hit back, saying the scheme was “compliant with the letter and spirit of the law” and vowed to retain it “for as long as it is both needed and in line with legislation”.
Mr Sullivan, from Croydon, was pivotal in setting up the City Hall internship scheme, which provides graduates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities a year’s paid work experience.
He had battled cancer for six years. The disease went into remission after a first operation. Mr Sullivan, who worked out, thought that his gym sessions were the reason for subsequent weight loss but it was sign that the cancer had returned. He was told in January that the disease was terminal.
Mr Khan said: “Wayne was a much-loved colleague who led on multiple high-profile projects that showcased the very best of our capital.
“Wayne’s commitment to his work, his passion for equality and resilience against all odds inspired many of us. His talent, positivity and strategic vision were highly valued and will be sorely missed.
“I’m proud to rename the graduate scheme he helped found in his honour and I hope his legacy will encourage many more young people from diverse communities to kick-start a career in marketing and communications.”
A crowdfunded campaign to create a film about Mr Sullivan’s life, his last wish, has raised more than £6,000 towards its £35,000 target.
