Introducing Raj Khiroya - for Chorleywood South and Maple Cross!

Local Liberal Democrat Members have selected Raj Khiroya to standing in the forthcoming Three Rivers District Council Elections to be held on May 2nd.

He is hoping to join Cllr Martin Trevett and Cllr Phil Williams as one of the three local District councillors for the Chorleywood South & Maple Cross Ward.

Raj has lived in Chorleywood for 33 years and is married to Tanuja, who manages the Radiology Department of an important University NHS Trust. They have two adult sons who were both educated at a local school. Raj has set up and run a number of successful small businesses across the country.

Raj has experience of local government, having served as a Chorleywood Parish Councillor since 2008. He is currently Chair of the Planning Committee and was previously Chairman of Chorleywood Parish Council. He also sits on the Parish Council's Open Spaces Committee and the important Policy & Resources Committee.

Raj Khiroya also has experience as a Three Rivers District Councillor, where he has served as the District Councillor for the Penn & Mill End Ward. During his time as a District Councillor he was a member of the Planning Committee, Vice Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Licencing Committee.

An active member of the local community, Raj is a former Chair of the Chorleywood Residents Association and a governor of a local school. He works with a number of charities, including serving as a member of Chorleywood Care, works with Rickmansworth Foodbank and the Mill Café, based at the Methodist Church in Rickmansworth and he volunteers each week to provide hot meals to homeless people in central London.

Raj strongly supports local issues relating to the environment including recycling, preservation of Green Belt in our area and the need to fight overdevelopment.

Raj Khiroya has been no stranger to hardship, adversity and sacrifice.

He was born in Uganda and came to the UK in February 1969 for higher education. Unfortunately he could not return to Uganda after the family were made refugees by the Idi Amin regime. His father and brother were kidnapped in 1972 by the Ugandan Army to extract money from the family. His parents were able to reach the UK in 1972, but as a result of these losses, Raj could neither complete his education nor follow his aspiration of a career in law. Instead he gave up his dreams to start working to support his family in business. Raj very quickly learnt collective responsibility and duty in taking care of the family.

It is this that gives him his continuing drive to play his part in public affairs and in charitable work to help and support those in need.