Croydon Conservatives are pleased to announce an excellent slate of candidates standing in the five upcoming Croydon Council by-elections:
- Lara Fish, New Addington North
- Ola Kolade, Kenley
- Jade Appleton, Park Hill and Whitgift
- Sonia Marinello, South Norwood
- Michelle Kazi, Woodside
Taking place following the recent resignations of sitting Councillors, these five candidates have been chosen by the Croydon Conservative Party to fight the elections taking place on 6th May.
Lara Fish is a true community champion. She has lived in New Addington for over 15 years, helps run the New Addington Branch of the Royal British Legion and was one of the founding members of the New Addington Residents’ Association. Ask anyone locally, and they’ll tell you that Lara has devoted herself over many years campaigning to make New Addington a better place for her friends and neighbours. If you want a truly local candidate, one that listens and cares deeply about the future of their community, then Lara is the person for you.
Ola Kolade is a Kenley local that has an impressive reputation as a leader in our community. He’s spent much of his career working with young people in the third sector, particularly focusing on championing their rights. When it comes to supporting community groups and the civic institutions of Kenley, you’ll find nobody with a stronger track record than Ola.
Jade Appleton has lived in the Park Hill and Whitgift area for over a decade. A regular face at the many diverse community events that take place throughout the year, she is a keen supporter of passionate local groups including Park Hill Residents’ Association, and the Friends’ Groups of both Park Hill Park and Lloyd Park. Jade’s day job involves negotiating between all 32 London boroughs to deliver the best possible services for local people. If you want a Councillor with experience, commitment to the community and a passion for defending your community then Jade is the perfect candidate for you.
Sonia Marinello has a clear track record as a South Norwood supporter. Helping to lead the charge against the deeply unpopular Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, Sonia has demonstrated time and time again her ability to work with anyone in the community to fight for their best interests. An investigative lawyer by day, it’s Sonia’s ability to get to grips with the detail of any issue that will make her an invaluable advocate for everyone in South Norwood.
Michelle Kazi has a real passion for championing the diversity of our wonderful borough. Throwing herself into community projects, Michelle has demonstrated a boundless energy for making Croydon a better place for everyone to live. When not rolling up her sleeves and working for her neighbourhood, Michelle can be found pursuing her other passion: education. Working as both a tutor and teaching assistant, she is never happier than when helping young people to reach their goals. Croydon Council could do with more people like Michelle – working to fight for a good quality of life for everyone, young and old alike.
Lynne Hale, Chairman of the Croydon Conservative Federation, commented:
On behalf of the Croydon Conservative Federation I’m delighted to introduce Ola, Lara, Jade, Sonia and Michelle as our by-election candidates for Kenley, New Addington North, Park Hill & Whitgift, South Norwood and Woodside.
Labour have bankrupted our town, accumulating £15,000 of debt every single hour since 2014. In order to try and balance the books, they are having to slash services which will hit the most vulnerable the hardest. If that weren’t bad enough, they’ve decided to raise your council tax by record levels – so Labour are making you pay for their bankruptcy.
If you want local Councillors who will listen to you, work hard for your community, hold Labour to account for their litany of failures and who will always put your interests first, then you have the power to make it happen on 6th May. Vote Conservative to get Ola, Lara, Jade, Sonia and Michelle working for you!
Lara Fish, Conservative Candidate for New Addington North:
I am proud to have called New Addington my home for the last 15 years. My husband has been here for 40 and his family since the new estate was built. I love the sense of community here. This is our own little town and I’m really proud of it. When I’m on my way back from my shifts I get that sense of being ‘home’, not when I get inside my door but when I step off the tram.
I have been a part of the wider New Addington community for many years now. I am a committee member for the New Addington Royal British Legion and more recently was one of the founding members of the much-needed New Addington Residents’ Association.
I am all about our community. Someone once told me ‘You have ADDO at heart’. I am passionate about New Addington and believe that the people of New Addington North deserve to be heard.
Ola Kolade, Conservative Candidate for Kenley:
I live in Kenley with my wife Fiona and our two-year-old daughter Chloe. We love Kenley and have chosen to make it our home for our young family.
I’ve been a committed community activist for my entire working life. I’m proud to have spent a large amount of my career leading with lots of different groups to promote community cohesion, particularly among young people. For me, nothing is more important than building a strong, passionate community. If I’m lucky enough to be elected as the next Councillor for Kenley, that’s what you’ll get from me 24 hours a day.
That’s what I think Kenley needs. We’re full of so many incredible local groups run by committed local people. I want to work with you all to ensure you get the support that you need from Croydon Council.
Jade Appleton, Conservative Candidate for Park Hill & Whitgift:
I love walking around the Park Hill and Whitfgift area. It’s a place that’s truly unique in Croydon, and it’s that special quality that I want to protect if I’m lucky enough to be elected your next Councillor.
Whether it’s working with the Safer Neighbourhood Team to crack down on crime, or supporting the many diverse events like Holi in Park Hill Park, I’m proud to be a local resident and will do my utmost to preserve our local area for generations to come.
That will involve working with our wonderful Park Hill Residents’ Association and the Whitgift Estate Residents’ Association to fight inappropriate planning applications. And it will involve helping the passionate Friends’ Groups of both Park Hill Park and Lloyd Park. Our area deserves nothing but the best, and I hope to be the Councillor to deliver that if you vote for me.
Sonia Marinello, Conservative Candidate for South Norwood:
I’ve lived in Croydon for 20 years and know the real potential that it has to be an amazing place to live and work. I’ve seen first-hand the passion of the South Norwood community through working on our campaign to fight the terrible Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. As someone who lived on Albert Road I know the huge impact it’s having locally.
South Norwood has been taken for granted by Labour for too long. They’ve ignored us on the LTNs, they’ve ignored us on the appalling state of the flats on Regina Road, and they’ve ignored our pleas to save our precious South Norwood Library.
South Norwood deserves better. With my passion for justice, I’ll work night and day to make sure you get the representation you deserve on Croydon Council.
Michelle Kazi, Conservative candidate for Woodside:
It’s far too easy to forget to plan for the long-term future of our local area. That’s why I am seeking the chance to be our local Councillor, to fight not only to improve what's going on right now but to make sure we always consider our impact on future generations.
After all, hasn’t that been missing these last seven years with Labour running our town? They’ve bankrupted our borough, saddling us and future generations with unimaginable debt. They’ve concreted over our precious green spaces, destroying them forever. And perhaps worst of all, they ignored the warnings from our community. Residents of Woodside and right across Croydon saw it coming and have been trying to tell them for years – but Labour didn’t listen.
As a local teaching assistant, I’m passionate about the power of education to improve the life chances of everyone in Croydon. The key to that is to listen, and to respond to what you hear. If you lend me your vote, I’ll constantly work with you and for you, and I’ll never ignore what you have to say.
