West London Queer Project’s Aubrey Crawley to stand for Labour in Chiswick Gunnersbury

Aubrey Crawley at a Buckingham Palace garden party earlier this year

“It’s really uplifting being in a room full of people who are trying to improve things”

Aubrey Crawley, who founded the West London Queer Project, is to stand for Labour in next year’s local council elections.

Aubrey is standing in Chiswick Gunnersbury ward alongside Maria Saroya and former Hounslow Cabinet Member Hanif Khan. Labour’s NEC has decided the current Labour councillor Ranjit Gill will stand in Osterley & Spring Grove ward.

READ ALSO: Cllr Ranjit Gill not standing in Chiswick next elections

Aubrey, who moved to London from South Africa in 1998 and lives in the part of Chiswick included in Chiswick Gunnersbury ward, joined the Labour party three years ago.

While he does not agree with all that the current government is doing, he has been “inspired by the party members locally”, he told The Chiswick Calendar.

“It’s really uplifting being in a room full of people who are trying to improve things”, he told me.

“I’ve lived in Chiswick for such a long time – longer than I’ve lived in South Africa – I feel very passionate about it, and I enjoy bringing people together”.

Aubrey at a WLQP social night in Chiswick

Building a social network for the LGBT community and combatting loneliness

West London Queer Project (WLQP) celebrated its fifth birthday in August with a street party in Old Market Place in Chiswick High Road. Aubrey set it up during the Pandemic because he realised how isolated LGBT people were and how lonely it could be without a social life.

From its first beginnings of regular social evenings in the Hole in the Wall pub and drag nights at George IV, the organisation branched out into film nights at Chiswick Cinema, walks and sports events, meet-ups for gay parents and charity fundraising.

WLQP was given funding from Hounslow Council’s Thriving Communities Revenue funding in 2022 and expanded its services to other west London boroughs the following year, with money from the National Lottery Fund.

READ ALSO: LB Hounslow award £270,000 to local community groups

READ ALSO: West London Queer Project expands services to other London boroughs

The primary goal was to improve and enrich the lives of west London’s LGBTQ+ community by providing social, networking and sporting opportunities.

Aubrey Crawley

Working for a more inclusive and tolerant society

WLQP has had a place in the London Pride march the last few years, and Aubrey told The Chiswick Calendar in 2023 that, fun though it was, there was also a serious message:

“Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in homophobia and transphobia and on a personal level, I’ve experienced more homophobia in the last month than I have in my entire life.

“The significance of Pride in London and Pride celebrations around the world is more important than ever”.

Earlier this year Aubrey was invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party in recognition of his work with WLQP.

READ ALSO: WLQP founder Aubrey Crawley invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party

Business … Policing … and Traffic

I asked Aubrey what his priorities would be if he were elected and he told me:

“I will campaign for local businesses. The turnover of businesses on the High Road is incredible.

“I would like to improve night life in Chiswick, for people of all ages.

“We need more policing.

“And traffic is a big issue – it is so often at a standstill in the High Road.

“I am also a big supporter of the markets.

“I enjoy bringing people together, and if we can’t bring our own local suburbs together, what hope do we have?”

If you do not see him campaigning in Chiswick before Christmas, that will be because he is currently in South Africa visiting family until January.

“I am at a bit of a disadvantage, as I will have to campaign online and social media only until January, but I haven’t been home and I haven’t had a holiday for four years, and my parents aren’t getting any younger, so I wanted to spend some quality time with them.

“But I have a big following in Chiswick, and a lot of people know me”.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar