Sylvia Marguerite Roberts

Sylvia Marguerite Roberts (1934 – 2024) was born in Peterborough to Birdie and James Weekes, the eldest sister to James and Vic.  Sylvia grew up in London after her parents returned there, when Sylvia was two years old.

After leaving school at 15, Sylvia trained as a nurse and qualified in 1955.  From nursing, Sylvia became an Education Welfare Officer in Inner London before moving into probation work.  Sylvia then became a Psychiatric Social Worker in a local authority Child Guidance Clinic.  Promoted to Senior Practitioner, she initiated and developed a clinic-based Family Therapy Team and set up and ran six-week Parent Training Groups on ‘How To Talk So Kids Will Listen, How to Listen So Kids Will Talk’. Her final post was as a Systemic Family Therapist in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.  To support her career, Sylvia gained further qualifications: a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work in 1978, a Systemic Psychotherapist in 1992, registering as a Member of the UK Council of Psychotherapy.

From her enrolment at the Open University, Sylvia developed an interest in politics and supported the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), joining the Greenham Common Peace Camp.  She was a member of the Labour Party.

Sylvia was an avid reader and enjoyed visiting galleries and museum and experimental and alternative theatre.  Travelling was also a passion; she visited Antarctica and particularly liked Vietnam.

Sylvia was married to Al and they had four children, Ian, Jenn, Neil and Mark.  She was a grandmother to Amy, Kathryn and Kyle.