Churchfields Ward, Redbridge.

Churchfields Ward

Our Ward

Churchfields is part of Redbridge. It includes part of South Woodford, Woodford and Woodfod Green, from Chigwell Road in the East to Woodford New Road in the West. runs from the North Circular in the south to Lambourne Gardens in the north. Our green spaces include Woodford Green, Elmhurst Gardens and Broadmead Playing Fields, and our community spaces include Woodford Memorial Hall, Redbridge Drama Centre and the Orchard Estate Community Centre.

Your Candidates

Helen Watson has lived in the area for 25 years and both her children attended Churchfields and Woodbridge schools. She works for a trade union and, until national Labour removed Faiza Shaheen as its candidate in 2024, had been chair of the local branch for ten years. She sits on the board of trustees of two charities - The Friends of Redbridge Music School, which supports the music education of 11,000 children in the borough, and Show Racism the Red Card, a national charity that educates against racism in schools and workplaces. 

Jillian Ghose has lived in Churchfields for the last 20 years. Her children attended Churchfields and Woodbridge schools and her granddaughter is at Oakdale. As a nutritionist working with schools, Jill supported the health and wellbeing of families living in the community. As a former school governor, she was responsible for monitoring school food standards. Jill is passionate about doing politics differently and being part of real change. 

Rita Mahli has lived in the area for 14 years. She is a university worker and trade unionist, representing members and handling casework. Rita is standing because she believes Churchfields residents deserve better representation. She was inspired by Faiza Shaheen’s 2024 general election campaign, which demonstrated the power of progressive community-led politics. Since the last general election, Rita has been supporting local campaigns in Redbridge and working closely with independent Councillor Rosa Gomez.

Our Pledges

Vote for us in the local elections on Thursday 7 May and we pledge to:

1 Push for the repair and re-opening of Broadmead Bridge. The continued closure costs residents time and money, as well as bringing a host of problems including road rage, poor air quality and more potholes! We pledge to prioritise getting this vital local artery open again. If a Labour council, under a Labour mayor and a Labour government can’t find a way to fix it, what use are they?

2 Improve local facilities for young and old alike. Redbridge council has ignored residents when there have been opportunities to create community facilities locally, such as on the old Pavilion site in Elmhurst Gardens. We will work with local community groups to progress plans for sites like these and campaign for funding for them to become a reality.

3 Hold to account those running failing services for children and adults in Redbridge. OFSTED say the borough’s services for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities ‘need urgent reform’. The Care and Quality Commission (CQC) called adult social care provision in Redbridge ‘inadequate’. We pledge to get those running these services to answer directly to our community and push for the changes need to improve them.

4 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 pledge to campaign for the new Whipps Cross our community so desperately needs now.

5 Push for the re-opening of South Woodford Library and gym. The deadline for its re-opening has long passed with no sign of progress. We pledge to push for answers on the library & gym’s future and to advocate for their survival.