The Liberal Democrat candidate for Finchley and Golders Green

Sarah Hoyle, Liberal Democrat candidate for Finchley and Golders Green

I am Sarah, I am a Londoner and I have been working with communities in London and across the south east for the last 20 years. Communities matter to me.

In 2009 I set up Together We Create, a charity I ran for a decade. Together We Create worked with housing associations, local funders and National Organisations to bring neighbours together and build community bonds. From fish and chip nights, to guerilla gardening, a leadership programmefor young people and urban art projects – my charity also gave people starting their careers a chance to learn, develop and make a difference… and get paid for it!

In 2016 I launched We Are Ageing Better, a project for Older People in St Pancras and Somers Town. The project was co-produced by local older people and became a bedrock of community engagement thinking for the National Lottery. In 2017 I became the CEO of Kentish Town Community Centre and have led the centre through the impact of local knife crime, Covid, cost of living crisis and now navigating the trauma of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

I live in the constituency, on the borders of Barnet and Camden. I have taken my work home with me. I have organised two, maybe three street parties for my neighbours. I was the chair of trustees for Childs Hill Food Bank when it launched in 2020.

Working with communities is about listening and understanding. Communities matter to the Liberal Democrats.

You can read an overview of the contest here and statements from six of the other candidates as follows: Alex Deane – Conservative, Brendan Donnelly – Rejoin EU, Katharine Murphy – Party of Women, Steve Parsons – Green Party, Bepi Pezzulli – Reform UK and Sarah Sackman – Labour.

Barnet Post approached Independent candidate Michael Shad for a statement but we have not received one.

Note: Barnet Post approached all candidates for the borough’s seats and offered them the opportunity to make a 250-word statement. The purpose of these statements is to give voters the clearest possible understanding of the perspectives of people who are asking for their support. In doing this, we acknowledge that some views expressed my cause offence and distress and apologise if this is the case.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.