A Message From Our Founder, Aubrey
- Dec 31, 2025
- 4 min read
As we step into 2026, I’ve been thinking a lot about everything we’ve shared, built, laughed over, struggled through, and celebrated together this past year, and I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
2025 Was a defining year for WLQP. We celebrated our fifth anniversary, surpassed 10k followers on Instagram, and we hosted over 200 events in West London, more than ever before, reflecting our ongoing commitment to creating a wide variety of spaces for people to connect, try new things, get moving, get creative, and hopefully make new friends.
One of our biggest achievements this year was securing a five-year grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, a milestone we had been working toward for a long time. This funding provides us with much-needed stability, strengthens our foundations, and allows us to continue, expand and improve the work that we do.
A particularly proud moment for us was receiving the award for Best Charity / Social Enterprise at the West London Chambers of Commerce Awards. The recognition wasn’t about the accolade itself, but about what it represented: the collective impact and strength of our community.
2025 Was also another memorable year for the West London Warriors, as our growing touch rugby community celebrated the club’s third birthday with an inclusive tournament bringing together over 100 players and supporters.
On the pitch, we were proud to be crowned Division 2 Southern League Champions at the IGR Touch Tournament in August, and we look forward to taking that momentum into Division 1 in 2026.
Community remained at our core. In October, we returned to Madrid for Pride in Touch for the third time, marking milestones on the pitch and strengthening our connection to the global LGBTQI+ touch rugby family.
With over 90 training sessions, including weekly open sessions welcoming many brand-new players, the Warriors continued to be a place for fitness, friendship and belonging, where everyone can show up as their authentic self.
Inside the organisation, we also took a significant step forward by welcoming Hannah O’Donnell as our new Head of Funding & Partnerships. Her leadership has already brought greater focus, structure, and momentum to our partnerships and fundraising work, strengthening an area that is vital to our long-term sustainability.
Some of our most meaningful work this year happened quietly and far from the spotlight. We supported six asylum seekers with their applications, offering practical guidance, emotional support, and a sense of safety during an incredibly stressful and uncertain time.
And of course, 2025 brought serious challenges for LGBTQ+ communities across the UK, especially for the transgender community, who faced relentless political pressure, misinformation, and attacks on their rights and dignity. It was heavy, it was painful, and it made the need for community-led advocacy more urgent than ever.
In response, WLQP strengthened our work with the MET Police and local authorities, pushing for better transparency, improved handling of hate crime, and more inclusive services. We advocated for clearer data, safer reporting pathways, and meaningful engagement with LGBTQ+ residents.
Much of this work happened behind the scenes, but it was essential, ensuring that our community’s experiences and needs were heard and acted on, at every level.
Before we fully turn the page, I have one small but important ask, if you can, please take our year end survey. It’s quick, it matters, and your voice genuinely helps shape what we do next. Thank you for showing up for that too. Link below.
Now, looking forward to 2026.
Next year is already shaping up to be iconic. Our Festival of Football has 33 teams signed up, which is honestly incredible. And we’re also excited to be hosting the IGR (International Gay Rugby League) too.
Plus! A major football announcement we’ve been working toward for the last two years is almost ready to share. It’s been a long process shaped by our belief in the power of sport to build connection, wellbeing, and community. It’s big, it’s joyful, and we can’t wait to tell you more soon.
Advocacy will be one of our key priorities next year, especially uplifting and standing shoulder to shoulder with our trans and non binary siblings. We will keep creating joy, but we will also keep speaking up and pushing forward where it counts.
One of my biggest wishes for 2026 is simple, that more women, non binary people, and people of colour take part in our events, in whatever way feels good to them, whether that’s on stage, on the pitch, behind the scenes, or just in the room.
We’re already having real conversations with members and community groups about how we encourage that, what needs to shift, and how we make it happen together. It’s not about perfection, it’s about intention, action, and doing the work as a community, and we’re fully in that mindset as we go into the new year.
On a personal note, some of you may know, I’ve spent the last three months in South Africa with my family, a very long-overdue homecoming after four years of focussing solely on WLQP.
The journey has been intense, emotional, anxiety-filled, exciting, and deeply rewarding, however, any personal sacrifices have been small compared to what we have created together.
The greatest achievement of WLQP has always been the people, the friendships, the care, the joy, and the community that became a home for so many.
Thank you for believing in this vision, for showing up for each other, and for building something so meaningful together.
Wishing all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
With love, Aubrey
Photography by Jonathan Phang
Comments