The Estate We're In: £200,000 backing for project

The rollout of our landmark project to raise up estates across London received a major boost today with news that a property company and a law firm have backed us with donations of £100,000 each.

The £200,000 windfall comes from property developer Mount Anvil and global law firm Linklaters and it takes the total raised for the rollout to £800,000.

It will allow us to fund community improvement grants of between £2,000 and £20,000 on scores of estates across the capital.

The initial £600,000 was raised from Citi banking group and the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund and is in addition to the £250,000 ring-fenced for the Angell Town estate in Brixton.

Linklaters senior partner Robert Elliott said: “This project is the first of its kind to highlight the needs of parts of London which otherwise go unnoticed.

“At Linklaters we have a commitment to support areas local to our offices, but this campaign gives us the chance to extend our assistance. It will give our people an increased awareness of tremendous initiatives on their doorstep and encourage many to volunteer.

“We look forward to new collaborations arising from the work this campaign inspires. The Standard has identified an area in which a difference can be made and we are pleased to play our part in strengthening estates across London.”

Killian Hurley, co-founder and chief executive of Mount Anvil, said: “London is the world-class city and we have been fortunate to play a part in and benefit from its success, but London will only retain its status if everyone is able to share in its prosperity, not just the few. We have been developing homes in London for 24 years and our approach is centred on our core values — to deliver excellence, work collaboratively and do the right thing by people and communities.

“We are delighted to support this fantastic initiative and make a difference to the lives of Londoners.”