Campaigner Leila Roy. Photo: Linda Grove

• LEILA was just Leila, (Tributes after former councillor Leila Roy passes away, February 27).

You didn’t have to say her surname, everyone knew who you were talking about, just Leila.

I first met Leila 12 years ago on the corner of Haverstock Hill and Prince of Wales Road. Once met never forgotten.

There she was with little Anton, her son, joining the march with the Belsize parents to Brecknock school where Camden expected our four-year-old children to walk to school. This was the start of the Abacus campaign.

Leila was always ready to campaign for what she felt strongly about and helped an awful lot of folk out in bad situations. Her capacity to network was second to none – and to chat to anyone in the street.

I can remember going to the Royal Courts of Justice where she needed to hand in a legal document. With all the tight security she just smiled at the guards and marched straight through, with me in tow behind.

We worked on the “No to the Co-op” campaign together where she found out who was the landlord of the site, researched his address in central London and marched to his front door and delivered the campaign letter straight into his hand.

Anton, her son, was the love of her life, and although money was short she enabled him to visit NASA as he wants to be an astronaut. And there was visiting Ed Balls in parliament to ask for a school place.

My family are extremely grateful to Leila for supporting us during my husband’s illness and we will all miss her, her energy, and her big heart.

LINDA GROVE, NW3