The Chiswick Calendar CRAP awards 2026

Chiswick Calendar editor Bridget Osborne introducing the 2026 CRAP awards in the Boston Room at George IV; photograph Anna Kunst

Celebrating the people who have done something that makes Chiswick a better or more interesting place to live

The Chiswick Calendar presented the 2026 CRAP awards (Chiswick Residents Active Participation) at our annual party on Wednesday 7 January. We make the awards to people who have done something that makes Chiswick a better or more interesting place to live, and over the years we’ve been doing it, awards have gone to people in the arts and community groups as well as to individuals who have made a difference.

READ ALSO: The Chiswick Calendar party 2026

The CRAP awards were so-called initially because all you got was a lousy certificate, (though they are beautifully printed and framed courtesy of John Fitzgerald at Snappy Snaps, Chiswick), but now we have a sponsor for them – Sirocco luxury travel, run by Alice Burns, based in Chiswick, who generously provided a bottle of very nice South African wine for each winner.

Andy Slaughter MP presented them. Two awards were nominated by community groups, the rest by The Chiswick Calendar.

Chiswick RNLI Station Manager Andy Mayo with Andy Slaughter MP; photograph Anna Kunst

Andy Mayo – RNLI

David Rust, who manages Chiswick Pier for Chiswick Pier Trust, nominated Andy Mayo, the station manager at Chiswick RNLI. He was a volunteer with the RNLI crew for many years before becoming station manager and has been a mainstay of the organisation in Chiswick, which is moving to a new, custom built base in Battersea later this year, after 24 years here.

Chiswick RNLI and the other three Thames lifeboat stations were set up in the aftermath of the Marchioness disaster, in which 51 people drowned, and Chiswick’s Lifeboat station at Chiswick Pier, Corney Reach, is the second busiest lifeboat station in the whole of the UK and Ireland, the busiest being the one at Tower Bridge.

READ ALSO: Chiswick RNLI volunteer awarded for bravery

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Karen Liebreich, Director of  Abundance London; Cllr John Todd; photographs Anna Kunst

John Todd – councillor

Karen Liebreich, director of Abundance London, nominated Cllr John Todd, retiring this year as a councillor on Hounslow Council representing Homefields ward. A Conservative councillor, he is liked and respected by politicians on both sides of the political divide on the Council and is well-known for his unerring civility and willingness to help people. For years he has topped list of councillors for doing the most casework.

Cllr John Todd with Andy Slaughter MP & Alice Burns, Sirocco luxury travel; photograph Anna Kunst

Though the Conservatives are in opposition and are a small minority in the Labour council, he has a reputation for working collaboratively, one of the reasons why former Leader of Hounslow Council Steve Curran entrusted him with taking the lead in the building of the award-winning footbridge underneath Barnes Railway Bridge.

READ ALSO: Cllr John Todd, Chiswick’s favourite Tory

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READ ALSO: New walkway underneath Barnes Railway Bridge opened

Cllr Amy Croft, Mayor of Hounslow and Chiswick Riverside councillor, with Andy Slaughter MP; photograph Anna Kunst

Amy Croft – councillor

The first of my nominations was Cllr Amy Croft, who has represented Chiswick Riverside ward since the last local elections in 2022. She was not expected to win and was shocked to be told after she had stayed up all night at the election count and had left to go to work, that she would be representing Chiswick Riverside on the Council – the only Labour councillor to do so for decades.

Like most of our councillors she does not live in Chiswick herself but spends a great deal of time here. I gave her the award for her ‘can-do’ attitude – when people were sick of trudging through piles of rotting leaves this winter, waiting for Hounslow Highways to come and pick them up, she was out in Chiswick Riverside with a shovel and bags and a team of volunteers clearing the roads.

She has one of the best records for casework, and has followed John’s example of collaborative working  and a positive outlook. As Mayor of Hounslow this year she has been very visible in her red robes and gold chains (worn stylishly with flipflops in the summer months).

READ ALSO: Amy Croft “surprised to have been elected” as Chiswick’s first Labour councillor in 30 years

READ ALSO: Hogarth Youth & Community Centre “delighted” to be Mayor’s chosen charity

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Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith & Chiswick; Ruth Cadbury, MP for Brentford & Isleworth

Ann Lantorp

Several of my nominations are for residents who keep an eye on planning developments.

While Nimbyism is unattractive and you have to be careful what you wish for – local residents opposed the development at Empire House in Chiswick High Road and for years buildings have remained empty through ‘planning blight’ as the development stalled – raising awareness of what is being considered and the impact it might have on local residents can curb the worst ideas or at least encourage the Council to modify them.

Ann Lantorp was not able to be at the party because she was away with family, but she worked hard to raise awareness of a planning application by a developer to put a tall building at the back of flats off Devonshire Rd which would have been totally out of keeping with the area.

The Council’s planning department turned it down, as they thought it unsuitable, but Ann did a lot of research about it and made everyone around that area aware of what it would be like if it was built.

READ ALSO: Chiswick residents win their case to block “ridiculously tall” development off Devonshire Road

Marie Rabouhans with Andy Slaughter MP; photograh Anna Kunst

Marie Rabouhans – Chair of West Chiswick & Gunnersbury Society

Marie Rabouhans, Chair of the West Chiswick & Gunnersbury Society residents association, has lived near Gunnersbury tube station for more than 30 years and been involved in trying to get it upgraded for almost that long.

She has been a member of the Society since it was set up 25 years ago and has made it her business to find out the details of developments at the western end of Chiswick and east Brentford – Chiswick Business Park; successive proposals put forward for the site at Chiswick Roundabout and to replace B&Q; the Brentford Stadium and surrounding homes; Capital Interchange Way and plans for further developments along the so-called Golden Mile of the M4 corridor.

Each development has had, or would have a significant impact on the number of passengers using the station and it now becomes dangerously overcrowded, to the point where London Underground staff have to stop access to the platform for periods – a point endorsed by councillors on the Planning Committee when the development of Chiswick Tower was discussed recently.

Maire has doggedly researched each development in the area and been at planning meetings and public inquiries representing local residents for years.

READ ALSO: Residents push for urgent upgrades to Gunnersbury Station as part of Chiswick Tower redevelopment

READ ALSO: Chiswick Curve turned down

READ ALSO: Chiswick roundabout, gateway to London

Ann Collins with Andy Slaughter MP; photograph Anna Kunst

Ann Collins – Chair of Strand on the Green Association

Ann Collins is also the chair of a residents’ association – the Strand on the Green Association (SOGA). Since taking over as chair she has been talking regularly to Hounslow Council and Hounslow Highways and attending meetings about the state of the river wall, which is in urgent need of repair.

She is also dogged and persistent, in the nicest possible way, and in between organising street parties and photography competitions with the rest of the SOGA committee she has kept the Council’s toes to the fire.

READ ALSO: Is the river wall at Strand on the Green in danger of collapsing?

READ ALSO: Hounslow Council commits to funding repair of river wall at Strand on the Green

READ ALSO: Emergency work starts on repairing the river wall at Strand on the Green

Andy Slaughter MP with Michael Gallagher of DKMS UK; photograph Anna Kunst

DKMS UK

DKMS is a Chiswick based charity which saves lives, fighting blood cancer by matching stem cell donors to people who need transplants.

Only approximately 30% of patients find a matching donor within their family. If there are no matching siblings, then a search for an unrelated donor is necessary by checking stem cell donor registries around the world. They hold regular registration events so people can find out whether they might be a potential match for someone needing treatment.

Michael Gallagher was there to receive the award on behalf of the charity.

READ ALSO: Join DKMS UK in Chiswick and help save lives with a simple stem cell registration

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Andy Slaughter MP with Tony Speakman of West London Chorus – photograph Anna Kunst

Tony Speakman – West London Chorus

We have celebrated the arts in these awards many times before – the Chiswick Book Festival; Theatre at the Tabard – 2025 winners of the London Pub Theatre of the Year – Chiswick Cinema; Artists At Home, Headliners comedy club; St Michael’s Players; Ballet4Life; the Arts Society Chiswick …

We have a strong and flourishing arts scene in Chiswick, including at least six choirs, several of which have been in existence for decades. West London Chorus is celebrating 50 years this year and the choir goes from strength to strength.

Their chairman Tony Speakman was at the party to receive an award for that remarkable achievement.

READ ALSO: West London Chorus celebrates 50 years

READ ALSO: Choirs of Chiswick are recruiting, which one should you join?

READ ALSO: Chiswick Choir changes name to make professional recording

Ana Žigić and Matt Christie with Andy Slaughter MP ;photograph Anna Kunst

Ana Žigić and Matt Christie – transatlantic rowers

Our final award this year went to Ana Žigić and Matt Christie, Chiswick residents who are taking part in the Toughest Rowing Race later this year. The couple will be making the 2,550 mile crossing from the Canary Islands to the West Indies powered entirely by their own muscles – no engine, no sail – with another couple who are friends they have met through rowing.

Ana has done the race before. She took part with three other women as ‘There She Rows’, breaking the female British record for the fastest self-sustained 5,000km row across the Atlantic Ocean in 2023.

She and Matt are now looking for sponsorship for this year’s race, and they are hoping to be able to raise £50,000 for the Laureus sports charity as well.

READ ALSO: Couple from Chiswick take part in the world’s toughest rowing race

Thanks to all who came to the party to support us and hear about our plans for the coming year.

READ ALSO: Picture gallery from the 2026 Chiswick Calendar party

John Todd listening to Karen singing his praises

The Chiswick Calendar is now the news website in Chiswick with the biggest reach. We have on average 1,600 people using the website each day, and on a good day that goes up to 10,000 people.

Thank you for reading!

Photographs – Anna Kunst

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