BCLP Pro Bono Work Aids Win at UK’s Build to Rent Awards

BCLP client Way of Life won the Community Initiative of the Year award at the inaugural Build to Rent Awards in the UK. The Build to Rent Talent Recognition Awards, sponsored by the UK Apartment Association, aimed to celebrate and recognize the people who make up the Build to Rent (BTR) sector. This year, the industry particularly sought to celebrate the individuals, teams and companies that supported resident communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Way of Life is a London-based real estate company specializing in rental property management and customized services. Way of Life’s “protecting our key workers and safeguarding our residents” scheme centered around its initiative to offer National Health Service (NHS) workers rent-free accommodation during the pandemic.

BCLP Lawyers Jess Parry, Anna Iceton, Janany Kathirgamanathan, Clare Searle and Olivia Turner worked together to produce a template agreement on a pro bono basis that allowed Way of Life to roll out the scheme quickly.

The judges said: “The winning entry from Way of Life ‘protecting our key workers and safeguarding our residents’ stood out for a number of reasons. Lots of schemes offered accommodation to NHS workers. Way of Life are rolling this out as a permanent form. Lots of BTR companies talk about Health & Wellbeing – Way of Life delivered on this through their partnership with Mind, delivering Pause boxes to residents each month to help them focus on and improve personal wellbeing. They are making a tangible and permanent difference.”