A community centre in the heart of Islington is celebrating after winning a sizeable gift from a local hardware and decorating merchant.

Mildmay Community Centre, on Woodville Road, is planning a new mural and a garden makeover after receiving £1,000 to be spent at its local Leyland SDM store. The donation comes as part of Leyland SDM’s Give London a Lift campaign, which has been giving good causes in London £1,000 donations since June.

The DIY and decorating specialists have already handed out £8,000 through the initiative, with a further £2,000 still up for grabs for October.

Teena Phillips, manager at Mildmay Community Partnership which runs the centre, said: “We’re delighted to receive this prize from Leyland SDM. We are a community centre that has been part of the fabric of the local community since the 1970s and continue to support people in the local area throughout our diverse communities, a foodbank and drop-in community kitchen.

“Funding is always difficult – and now more so than ever as we do not have the income from hires and other regular activities. Every bit of support makes a huge difference. We will use our funding to buy the paint we need to complete a mural at the front of the building, as well as improving our community garden. It will really put a smile on people’s faces.”

The organisation will be visiting Leyland SDM Hackney, on Balls Pond Road, to make its purchases.

Leyland SDM has 23 stores in prominent locations across London, including King’s Road Chelsea, High Street Kensington, Shaftesbury Avenue, Victoria, Streatham, Notting Hill and Clapham High Street.

Paul Gerreli, marketing director at Leyland SDM, said: “We are proud that our Give London a Lift campaign continues to spread joy across the capital during these difficult times. Picking the winners is always tough, but Mildmay Community Centre stood out because of the way it has served the people of Islington for such a long time. We hope this prize will make their facilities even better than they already are.”

Give London a Lift closes at the end of this month. Organisations can apply online until October 31, detailing why they believe they would by worthy recipients of the £1,000, and winners will be chosen by a team of judges. The money can be spent on anything from paint to tools and electrical wiring to plumbing parts. Applications can be made on the Leyland SDM website – www.leylandsdm.co.uk/givelondonalift – by providing a 200-word overview of what the organisation does.

Established in 1985, Leyland SDM started trading with a single store in central London, supplying local tradesmen as a Specialist Decorators’ Merchants with paint and decorating materials. Today the business has grown to become one of the most recognisable and trusted decorating and DIY retail brands in central London.

Visit www.leylandsdm.co.uk for more information.