Baroness Howells of St David, OBE was the first black woman to sit on the GLC’s Training Board; the first female member of the Court of Governors of the University of Greenwich and was the Vice Chair at the London Voluntary Services Council.
She had an impressive career in grassroot organsiations before making her mark at the Greenwich Council for Racial Equality.
She has worked tirelessly in the area of race relations and community services. It was during this time that she was able to use her influence on behalf of the New Cross Fire victims, Roland Adams and the Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign.
It was her contribution to the development of racial equality policies in Britain, and her personal involvement in community projects to enhance opportunities for Black people, that led to her being given the ordinary officer status of the Civil Division of Her Majesty’s most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in December 1993.
In 1999, Baroness Howells was appointed by Prime Minister Tony Blair, as one of 22 new Labour Life Peers.
Among the many accolades given to her was “Ros Howells … brings a velvet glove approach to the cause of enriching and expanding black involvement in the wider community. She tells them “this is something you should get involved in..””