Wood Street First

All team members give their time voluntarily and receive no payment or expenses for the activities as WSF Team Members.

Chair: Graham Hodgkiss
I have lived in Walthamstow all of my adult life and have lived in Wood Street ward for over twenty years. I am passionate about rebuilding the local community. I know we can make a lot of changes for the better and I wanted to be part of the group that I know will deliver to the residents of this ward the things they need and deserve. My motto is “Together we can make it happen” and I am confident Wood Street First will.

Deputy Chair: Martin Kearney
I have always lived in Waltham Forest with the first 25 years being in Leyton, and the rest in Wood Street ward. I believe that supporting our local community is very important. Living without contact to people who live near you leads to a lonely existence. Wood Street has a diverse population so the more that can be done to make things better and get people talking to each other, the better. Wood Street First has the opportunity to make a difference albeit with limited resources, which can only help improve our community cohesion.

Treasurer: Adrian Stannard
My wife and I have lived in Waltham Forest since 1972 and have been members of the Waltham Forest Civic Society for over 40 years and campaigned to improve the street scene. I set up the Friends of Lloyd Park in 2002 and was involved in the plans for its refurbishment. I am a strong supporter of the importance of social cohesion. I have recently retired and want to get more involved in my local community and have volunteered to be the treasurer.

Secretary: Linda Brooks
I have lived in Waltham Forest all my life and the Wood Street Ward for the past 13 years. I worked in the City of London and had very little time to get to know my local area. When I retired in 2012 I set up a Neighbourhood Watch for my road. Now I sit on the Safer Neighbourhood Panel and in 2014 I took on the role of Secretary of Wood Street First I feel able to fulfil my role as part of this diverse and exciting Community.

Committee Member: Loraine Dorney
Hi, I’m Loraine & my husband is Bill, We have lived in Waltham Forest since 1978. Before retiring I use to work in SEN & Primary education. I have been a committed member of Greenway Avenue Community Garden Project since its inception i 2012/3 (https://greenwaycommunitygarden.weebly.com/). I enjoy working with others in this great community garden. After taking a volunteer role with Wood St First, for the past few years, I am now ready to step up into a more hands on role within the Management Committee. I look forward to seeing you at our events & working alongside such a fun team.

Committee Member: Anne Hexter
I have lived in the same house in the Wood Street Ward since 1987. My husband and I have brought up our five children, educating them all at home. I help with two children’s clubs at our church. I belong to a local community choir and tend an allotment behind the Town Hall. We have always found this a friendly neighbourhood and are keen to encourage a sense of community, whether it is through the local Neighbourhood Watch or the Wood Street First events. I feel by improving cohesion in our community we are building a better community.

Committee Member: Anthony J Lane
I have lived in Waltham Forest for about 20 years, moving into the Wood Street ward around the end of 2011. Since retiring from the Local Authority, I have endeavoured to work in some small way to help build local resilience and sustainability, which are two key drivers for a strong and happy community. Wood Street First is a worthwhile and hard-working grass roots organisation that offers me the opportunity to work toward that goal.

Committee Member: Valerie Marshall
Waltham Forest has been my home for most of my adult life. After retiring as an assistant headteacher, in 2017, I decided to remain firmly rooted in the borough and became involved with Wood Street First through Waltham Forest’s, London Borough of Culture initiative. When Covid-19 emerged, I stepped in once again, helping in the testing centre and supporting vulnerable residents by connecting them with the appropriate agencies. Being part of Wood Street First has deepened my commitment to the community and allowed me to contribute in meaningful ways during challenging times.

Would you like to be involved either in becoming a Member of the Management Committee or helping out at one of our events (an Event Volunteer)?
Please contact us either via email, Facebook or Twitter. If you would prefer then just come along to one of our meetings. We would love our committee to be a true representation of our community, so whoever you are, as long as you are 16 years old and over, you are welcome.

Pictures of some of our volunteers, past and present

Updated 07.09.2026

The best way to keep in touch with what Wood Street First is doing is to sign up for updates on this website. It’s easy: just head for the Home Page, then find and click the ‘Follow’ button on the right-hand side of the screen. Then simply enter your details and you will be notified every time we put up a new web post. It is a free subscription service, and you will not get any spam.

If you do need to contact us, the best way is to use the form at the bottom of this page. Or you can email us at    woodstreetfirst[at]hotmail[dot]com

When typing this email address replace [at] with @ and [dot] with . The reason we give the address in this format is to reduce the amount of spam we receive.

If you are on Facebook, you can keep up-to-date with news of Wood Street First by ‘liking’ us Facebook page or    at  @WoodSt1st

Updated 12.08.2020