_I am standing to ensure local decision-making works for everyone — especially the most vulnerable.

Full statement

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I have lived in the Highams Park and South Chingford area for over 15 years and am deeply embedded in local community life. A teacher for more than 20 years, I have held senior leadership roles including Assistant Headteacher and SENDCo. Now an Advisory Teacher for a local authority, I am a a passionate advocate for children with additional needs and for inclusive education.
I am standing alongside Jennifer Larbie and Sarah Chaney as Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents. Our group grew out of the 2024 General Election, when the national Labour Party deselected our popular local candidate Faiza Shaheen and parachuted in a candidate with no connection to the area. Then, as now, growing frustration with both the Labour and Conservative parties has led to a total lack of genuine local representation.
Vote Independent in the local elections on Thursday 7 May and we pledge to:
Ensure the community has a say. For too long, the needs of South Chingford have been ignored, and many of us locally feel that we have no voice. We pledge to hold People’s Assemblies for South Chingford, working with local community associations and the voluntary sector to support and empower the volunteers and community groups that serve our area and bring the community together.
Develop a community plan for South Chingford. Our area is poorly served for community services and public transport, and our town centre is run down. We will work with local community groups to create a South Chingford Area Plan that reaches beyond Chingford Mount, considering the needs of everyone living here.
Hold developers to account. South Chingford needs more housing, but it also needs development that invests in the local community. We pledge to hold developers to account on delivering quality local homes, including social housing, alongside the amenities that will improve our area.
Develop a climate resilience plan. Flooding, overheating and extreme temperatures which put our homes and families at risk are associated with the climate emergency. We pledge to embed climate resilience in everything we do, protecting our green spaces like Larks Wood, developing flood resilience across South Chingford and supporting home insulation and solar panels to cut living costs.
Improve youth safety and services. Many of you have told us of your anxieties about crime and the impact on the safety of our young people. We pledge to work with youth groups, community support teams and others to create safe spaces for young people and reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour and crime.
Call out the delays in replacing Whipps Cross Hospital. Our hospital is falling apart and now won’t be replaced for at least ten more years. We will campaign for the new Whipps Cross our community so desperately needs now.