Local Events & Schemes
Stay connected with the Queen's Park community. Here, you'll find the latest exciting free local events or fundraisers, and important updates that impact our neighbourhood. We also highlight local schemes designed to benefit residents. Be part of our vibrant community! These are regularly updated!
Top Tips & Schemes for Living in the Queen's Park Ward
If you live in one of the Victorian terraced houses in the Avenues area of Queen's Park, consult with Queen's Park Community Council (QPCC) before spending any money making changes to your building especially extensions or changing the windows, as QPCC are a statutory consultee which reviews planning applications in Queen’s Park, Westminster, including proposals to extend or alter private properties.
Queen’s Park is incredibly well-connected, making it easy to ditch the car and avoid local congestion. The Queen's Park Station puts you on the Bakerloo line for direct access to Central London (under 20 minutes to Oxford Circus), while the Overground connects you to Euston in about 12 minutes.
The ward’s namesake Queen's Park is the crown jewel of the neighbourhood. It features a band stand, nature walk area, pitch-and-putt course, tennis courts, a large playground area, a cafe, a petanque pitch, and even a small free animal section.
The Queen's Park Farmers' Market runs every Sunday on the grounds of Salusbury Primary School and is the go-to spot for artisanal goods and fresh, local produce.
Catch a movie at The Lexi Cinema, a unique, community-focused independent theatre where all profits go to charity.
Look out for local gatherings like the Queen's Park Day, Queen's Park Summer Festival, Queen's Park Winter Festival and the Queen's Park Book Festival, which bring a strong neighbourhood spirit to the area.
The streets around Salusbury Road and Chamberlayne Road are bustling with independent boutiques, high-street stores, and convenient grocery shops. Harrow is great for household goods, groceries and takeaways. For an exciting shopping experience, Portobello Market is a short walk away.
Whether you're a foodie or a lover of nightlife, Queens Park has a plethora of options from cozy cafes and trendy restaurants to chic bars and traditional pubs especially along Salusbury Roador hidden in the streets of neighbouring Maida Vale.
Community Groups & Schemes of Queen's Park
Queen's Park Trust
(QPT)
That's us! Free membership open to all locals, governed by a committee of local residents.
Run by: Lydia Abou-Jaib
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
Queen's Park Neighbourhood Watch (NHW)
This group is a department of Queen's Park Trust Join online for free and be part of a local crime reducing community.
Run by: Lydia Abou-Jaib
Queen's Park Community Council
(QPCC)
QPCC is a Parish Council and holds many powers to make and carry out decisions without Westminster Council.
Run by Shuwanna Aaron
Resident Associations & Schemes
Queen's Park RA - Chair Lydia Abou-Jaib
Mozart RA - Chair Sarah
Bravington Road RA - Chair Noshin Ali
Queen's Park Area RA - Chair Alastair Balfour
Kensal Triangle RA - Chair Rotates
Kensal Rise RA - Chair Fiona Mulaisho
Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel Scheme
A Ward Panel is a community-led group where local residents meet regularly with the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).
Every three months.
Run by: Chair John McArdle
Co-Vice Chair: Roger Diamond
Co-Vice Chair/Secretary: Ray Lancashire
Friends of Queen’s Park Gardens Scheme
The gardeners of FQPG are local residents who come together as a group of unpaid volunteers to share the pleasure of gardening.
Gardening sessions on Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 12 noon.
Run by: Member Collective
Community Champions Scheme
The Queen's Park Community Champions are a dedicated network of local volunteers who work to improve health, wellbeing, and community cohesion offering free events.
Run by: Paddington Development Trust and Westminster City Council
Climate Champions Scheme
The Climate Champions launched in 2024 and are a group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who are working to improve the area and environment. They provide training and ongoing peer-support to local and community leaders.
Run by: Lola May
Maternity Champions Scheme
The program is a peer-to-peer support network for expectant parents and with babies up to one year old. Run by trained volunteers, the program provides informal advice, breastfeeding support, and activities to reduce isolation.
Run by: Rosana Ordoubadi
Paddington Development Trust Scheme
(PDT)
PDT focus on local employment and skills training, health and wellbeing support, environmental climate initiatives, and cultural events.
Run by: Graham Collins
Healthy Community Gardens Association Scheme (HCGA)
Volunteers meet every Thursday from 10:00 to 12:30 in Queen's Park Gardens to care for the rose beds and planters. They also offer many different gardening courses and tours at different locations.
Run by: Cathy Maund
Queen's Park Mums Scheme
A highly active, localized Facebook community group where local parents share advice, organize playdates, and coordinate local meetups. You do need to have a Facebook account to join and there are other Facebook groups based in Queen's Park.
Run by: Mohit Midha
Portobello Business Centre
Canalot Studios
222 Kensal Road
London W10 5BN
+44 (0)20 7460 5050
Portobello Business Centre
Portobello Business Centre (PBC) offers free services to budding entrepreneur with an idea or someone with a hustle already going in need of fresh inspiration to level up.
They are a not-for-profit social enterprise based in the heart of West London at Canalot Studios
PBC offers fully funded, free one-on-one business advice and initial consultations for residents and businesses in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). They also offer free specialized programs, such as the e-business support for eligible businesses across nearby London boroughs. However, not all services are entirely free. While the basic RBKC program provides up to £2,000 worth of free 1-to-1 advice, PBC also charges for certain premium services
The Pepper Pot Centre
1A Thorpe Cl, London W10 5XL
A day care centre supporting elders of the Caribbean and African community since 1981.
Over the years, the Centre has hosted a variety of memorable moments:
- Live music events bringing people together
- Volunteer-led refurbishments improving shared spaces
- Seasonal celebrations and cultural gatherings
- Partnerships with well-known organisations
It’s a space where everyone is welcomed as they are — no fuss, no barriers. Over the years, it’s grown into a trusted part of the local community, offering a relaxed environment where people can meet, share stories, and feel genuinely included. It’s not just about services — it’s about creating a place that feels familiar and comfortable.
Nta's Preloved Swap Shop
Nta's Preloved Swap Shop distributes important information for families across Westminster to exchange outgrown or unwanted items like clothes, shoes, toys, books, and baby equipment. Led by environmental award-winner Nta Glover and supported by local community groups, the swap shop provides a sustainable way to refresh children's items and reduce waste.
- Mondays (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM): Held at Emmanuel Church (Harrow Road, London W9 3NA). Note: This session is specifically restricted to ages 0–2 years.
- Thursdays (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM): Held at the Happy Hub (Brunel Estate, 23 Third Ave, London W10 4RS). This session is open to all ages.
- Cost: The event is completely free to attend.
- Exchange System: You can bring gently used children's clothing, toys, and equipment to donate, or simply browse the rails to take items your children need for free.
- Community Environment: Sessions often feature sewing/mending workshops to help learn repair skills, alongside coffee and tea to connect with other local parents
Church Street Share, Repair, and Recycle
Triangle Studios, 66 Church Street, London NW8 8ET
The Church Street Repair Café is a local community group that fixes items for free or by donation, operating every first Saturday of the month from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Triangle Studios in London.
Services Offered
- Electronics: Fixing items like lamps and laptops
- Testing: PAT testing for electrical safety
- Exchange: Swapping small home items, toys, and shoes
- Community Help: Connecting local menders and mechanics with people who need repair
They repair and facilitate exchange of electronic items from lamps to laptops. They also strive to facilitate the exchange of home based non-electronic items like toys and shoes. We also do PAT testing.
Acorns Exchange
A free community exchange where families can donate or pick up maternity wear, children’s clothes, books and toys.
Donations can be dropped off at Westbourne Park Family Centre, Westbourne Park Baptist Church, Porchester Road, London W2 5DX.
Items can be collected during Acorns playgroups, which run from 10am to 12pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays during term time.
Please email suna@wpfc.uk to arrange.
Not Free but Still Community Schemes
Westway Transportation
A non-profit social enterprise tackling isolation and creating community in West London.
Annual membership is £12
As a member of Westway CT you can enjoy accessible and subsidised transport.
Shopper Bus is free to use with membership, but volunteer car services have an additional cost of use, based on a mileage rate.
Fed up of buying stuff you don’t really need? Us too.
Consumerism isn’t working for our communities, our pockets or the planet.
Library of Things
Kensington Leisure Centre
Rent useful household items from your local high street. Learn DIY & repair skills to complete projects yourself.
Join & get inspired
Sign up for instant access to the tools, project ideas and online guides you need to start your project today.
Reserve & collect
Reserve the Thing you need online. Pick it up from a handy self-service locker near you.
Rent, return, relax
Return your Thing clean and ready for your neighbours to use. Enjoy the feeling of saving money, reducing waste and ticking off your tasks.
Westminster Reusable Nappy Scheme
Types of reusable nappies
Reusable nappies can make an important contribution to waste reduction in the borough.
There are two basic types of reusable nappy:
- two-part nappies which consist of a nappy part and a waterproof wrap
- all-in-one nappies in which the inner nappy and the outer waterproof are combined
Vouchers for real nappies
If you are an expectant parent, a parent or a foster carer living in the City of Westminster with a baby under 18 months or under the age of 5 with a disability requiring nappies, you are eligible to apply for a £70 nappy voucher. You can use the voucher to buy nappies from participating businesses across London or get started with a real nappy laundry service. Apply following the link below or apply using a paper form – call Real Nappies for London on 020 3150 2023 to request one.
Advantages of reusable nappies
There are lots of advantages of using real nappies:
- real cotton nappies are easy to use, soft on the skin and don’t contain absorbent gels
- your local laundry service can collect dirty nappies and deliver clean ones to your home
- real nappies are cheaper than disposable ones and could save you around £500 per baby if you wash your own
- better for the environment, 8 million nappies are thrown away every day in the UK and they take hundreds of years to disintegrate