To mark International Children's Cancer Day, five-star award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group and leading housing association L&Q were joined by charity ambassador Livi Deane, a contestant in the latest BBC One Traitors series, to abseil down the side of a new 17-storey building at Kew Bridge Rise, in support  of cancer care charity, Maggie's, which has a centre in West London.

On 14th February 2025, more than 35 people, including people with cancer as well as family and friends supported by Maggie's, descended the building, joined by colleagues from joint venture partners Hill and L&Q and Billy the Bear – Hill's much-loved mascot. The event was designed to raise money and awareness, taking place the day before International Children's Cancer Day on 15th February. Over £13,000 was raised for Maggie's by Hill, L&Q and Just Giving donations from supporters of the willing volunteers.  The Leader of Hounslow Council Cllr Shantanu Rajawat also attended to pledge his support for the event.

Participants abseiled down the side of the 61-metre-tall Skylark building at Kew Bridge Rise in West London, home to 441 apartments, 50% of which are designated affordable. Participants conquered their fears, taking in the views across London from the building's rooftop, before making the descent.

Rebecca Littler, Group Sales and Marketing Director at The Hill Group, comments: “We are thrilled to have created this opportunity to raise vital funds and awareness for such an important cause, which goes above and beyond for local families. It's been a special experience for us to see Kew Bridge Rise from such a different perspective – one which I don't think any of our brave abseilers will forget in a hurry!”

Claire Brenlund, Sales and Marketing Director at L&Q, comments: “This was an exciting event with an incredibly important cause at its heart. Kew Bridge Rise is already becoming a huge part of the local neighbourhood, and so it's important to us that, in turn, we give back to the community here. We are so pleased to support Maggie's, allowing them to continue providing expert cancer care to families in west London.”

Dame Laura Lee, Chief Executive at Maggie's, comments: “We are incredibly grateful to Hill and L&Q for their generous donation and for raising funds and awareness in such a thrilling way.  We rely almost entirely on voluntary donations so that we can provide the best possible cancer care and continue to build more centres across the UK, to support as many people as possible living with cancer.”

Livi Deane, contestant from The Traitors shared her thoughts after bravely taking on the 17-storey drop: “That was terrifying and unbelievably exciting in equal measures!  It has been such a brilliant experience, and I have had the best day at Kew Bridge Rise with the amazing teams from Maggie's, Hill and L&Q.  What a fun way to spend Valentine's Day!  When I was just 12, I was diagnosed with cancer in my eye, and it was incredibly frightening. That's why I feel like I am able to take on challenges like this today.  I just wish I had had Maggie's support back then, they do such incredible work in making life easier for families going through cancer treatment.”

Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of the London Borough of Hounslow, was delighted to attend the Kew Bridge Rise event and watch the brave participants abseil down the building. He said: “It's a privilege to be here today and witness these courageous men and women take on this challenge for such a worthy cause.  Cancer affects all of us in some way, and I fully support Maggie's and the incredible work they do.  I also want to commend Hill and L&Q for their vision in organising this event to raise vital funds for such an important cause.”

To make a donation to the dedicated Just Giving page to support Maggie's please click here.

Apartments at Kew Bridge Rise are available for private sale through The Hill Group and through Shared Ownership and Affordable Rent with L&Q. Prices start from £485,000 for an apartment, or from £107,500 for a 25% share of a one-bedroom Shared Ownership apartment (full market value £430,000).

For more information, please visit www.hill.co.uk/all-developments/london/kew-bridge-rise, call 020 3906 1952 or email hello@kewbridgerise.co.uk  

For further media information contact The Oracle Group PR Agency:

020 8394 2821 or email: freya@oraclepr.co.uk

-ENDS-

About The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder* and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise.

In its 25th year, this family-owned and operated company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities. 

Employing over 950 staff, the company operates from six strategically located regional offices including Bristol and Abingdon to help facilitate growth in the South West and the Midlands, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex. 

Hill completed 2,886 homes in the last financial year and has a controlled development pipeline of over 8,800 homes. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients. 

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed title of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2023. Most recently in 2024, Millside Grange in Croxley Green also won The Standard's Homes & Property Award for Best Commuter Home.

In addition, Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past seven years. With a score of 4.8 out of 5, Hill is also ranked as the number one housebuilder on Trustpilot.

Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @HillGroupUK

For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

The Hill Group was listed within the top 10 of the Top 150 UK Contractors and Housebuilders published by Building.co.uk in December 2024.

About L&Q Homes

1. L&Q is one of the UK's leading housing associations and developers.
2. Social purpose is at the heart of everything we do. All the money we make is reinvested into new and existing homes, creating successful communities and providing excellent services.
3. The safety of residents is our top priority. We are an early adopter of the government's building safety proposals and have committed £250 million to implementing the recommendations from Dame Judith Hackitt's review of building safety.
4. We own and manage more than 110,000 homes nationwide, and we are actively involved in the communities we help build, staying locally based and responsive.  We listen to our customers and make sure they have a strong and influential voice throughout every part of the business.
5. We hope to build aspiration, opportunity and confidence among residents through our community foundation and skills academy. Last year, the Foundation awarded £5.7 million in grants to good causes, including grassroots initiatives to tackle social issues like gang violence and homelessness.
6. L&Q Living provides care and support services to people with a wide range of needs, including older people, people with learning difficulties and mental health needs, and people dealing with homelessness.