The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) is greatly saddened to announce the death of our dear colleague and friend Cheryl Conner on 30 May 2024.
Cheryl, was CASE Administrator from 2010 to 2019, returning to the role in September 2022. She was a much loved member of the team, who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Cheryl graduated from the LSE with a BSc in Social Policy in 2010 at the age of 30. She was incredibly proud of her achievement, having gone to university as a mature student. She followed this degree with a Masters in Social Policy and Planning in 2013. Cheryl worked alongside her part-time studies, first joining CASE in 2010 as John Hills’ Personal Assistant. She stayed at CASE for nine years, only leaving following a move to the Midlands in 2019 and a desire to work more directly with people experiencing disadvantage. She had several different roles following her departure from CASE, including as a Community Support Worker for North Warwickshire Borough Council during the COVID-19 pandemic, playing an important keyworker role ensuring older people were kept safe in their own homes. But she never stopping missing LSE (and we never stopped missing her). It seemed fortuitous that when the incumbent CASE administrator left in 2022, Cheryl was also ready to return and immediately applied for the role of Centre Administrator. She was without doubt the most qualified and most enthusiastic applicant to be interviewed for the role bringing a wealth of experience and lots of new ideas. We were thrilled to welcome her back to the team and she picked up the role like she’d never left, making an immediate positive impact on the Centre and the CASE / STICERD admin office.
The work of CASE and of the LSE generally is not possible without the huge effort put in by its professional services staff, and Cheryl was at the core of CASE’s academic and social life. Cheryl was often the first person someone would meet in CASE, and she made everyone feel welcome and part of our community.
Cheryl was a key part of the joint CASE-STICERD admin teams that share an office in the Sir Arthur Lewis building, always on hand to offer support, advice, charm the printer, and do the literal heavy lifting. She was always up for a cup of tea and chat about the commute or share pictures and stories of her beloved pets. Cheryl was highly organised, creative, with a special interest in graphic design, and always kind and generous; a combination that endeared her to academics, researchers, professional services staff, and students alike. Cheryl was also very clever and astute, and able to share valuable takes and insights on CASE’s research. She created a huge following on CASE’s social media and was responsible for ensuring that CASE’s seminars and special events were well attended, as well as looking after speakers and ensuring the technology ran smoothly (no mean feat!).
Outside of work, Cheryl loved spending time with close friends and family, including her parents and brother, was a devoted aunty to her young nephew, and would delight in sharing stories about the adventures of her rescue cat, Tommy. She was a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ organisations and social justice causes. She enjoyed caravanning, playing with old cars and working out how to keep them running, art, trips to the seaside, being a quarter Danish, and European pop.
Cheryl took such pride in being part of CASE and the LSE, and we feel hugely privileged to have had her as both a colleague and a friend. She will be deeply missed.