First cohort of Londoners named for new youth estate regeneration panel

Firdaous Idris, an 18-year-old from Wandsworth who is one of the founding members of Future London Makers, said she is “excited” to make her mark.

“As young people looking into the future, sooner or later we’ll be living in these homes and on these estates, so we have the right to say what we think they should look like,” she said.

“Young people are very good at saying what they want and what they don’t want and deserve to be heard. The biggest impact will come from being there in person to ask questions and push for change.”

The other panellists are Elijah Slaw from Wandsworth, Jayden Kemal from Tower Hamlets, Mariam Bavi, Khylene Sam and Rahelyn Asewando from Southwark, Christy (Chan Wing Yau) and Joseph Chibley from Westminster, Neha Maisha Islam from Brent and Khamil Foster from Lambeth.

Run by Mount Anvil and the Greater London Authority (GLA), the programme aims to address the “significant” opportunity for more impactful engagement with young people to inform better housing design and delivery in the capital.

At the same time, it will provide the participants with a unique opportunity for hands-on experience, to kickstart their potential careers in housing.

Mentoring and professional skills development in leadership, communication and estate design are embedded throughout the programme.

The appointments follow the launch of the initiative last November, and applicants were selected based on their passion for improving communities and interest in housing. 

The Future London Makers will be paid the equivalent of London Living Wage for their time. Tom Copley, deputy mayor for housing, branded it a “fantastic new initiative”.

He added: “At a time when we know there is increasing pressure on affordable housing delivery, Future London Makers will equip the next generation with experience and knowledge to pursue career opportunities in the sector and contribute towards better housing design and delivery in the capital.”

Lisa Ravenscroft, chief growth officer at Mount Anvil, said: “They are a hugely passionate group ready to make real impact in their communities, and we are proud to give them a seat at the table to do just that.”

The programme takes inspiration from Mount Anvil’s Independent Resident Advisory Panel, which sees a panel of external experts canvas feedback from estate residents, which is then shared with senior leadership.

The panel is the latest programme within Makers & Mentors, Mount Anvil’s GLA-backed mentoring and careers initiative which aims to help attract and retain diverse talent in the housing sector.