Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund pledges £22,700 to good causes

Four organisations in Stockport are among the latest 16 beneficiaries of £22,700 worth of grants awarded by the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund.

The grants of up to £3,000 were agreed at the Trust Fund’s latest quarterly meeting earlier this month, taking the total amount granted in 2023 past the £80,000 mark. Organisations awarded funding in the latest round of grants include a South Manchester food club (pictured), sports clubs and youth groups, and allotments and community spaces.

Four groups in Stockport were among the beneficiaries, including and a support group for new and expectant mums. Coffee, Chill & Spill, in Stockport, was given £1,000 towards toys and equipment for use in its sessions.  The charity supports mothers in the pre- and post-natal period who may be experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, or just feel that they need more support.

Gillian Simpson-Lomas, a volunteer with the group, said:

“We are very appreciative of this support. We run weekly sessions which offer a warm, supportive environment where mums can be honest and open, without judgment.  These sessions help to provide and promote positive connections and help mums to build a supportive peer community.”

Elsewhere in the borough, WBC Neighbours secured £1,434 for a community noticeboard, Adswood Community Centre was awarded £821.54 for kitchen appliances, and St Albans Church received £1,000 for equipment for its ‘Praise & Play’ and ‘Messy Church’ sessions.

The Community Trust Fund was set up in 1997 to give the airport a way of giving back to the community. It is managed by a committee of trustees from the area, alongside representatives from the airport.

Manchester Airport pays £100,000 per year into the fund, with additional funding provided by other partners including airlines. Groups from the city of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport, Cheshire East and Cheshire West are able to bid for up to £3,000 for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, said:

“We are thrilled to be able to support such a diverse range of applicants with their projects this summer.

“There is so much fantastic work being done by hard-working volunteers and not-for-profit groups in the communities surrounding the airport and we will continue to support as many of them as we can through the Community Trust Fund.”

Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here. The deadline for applications to be considered at the next meeting is Monday 4^th September.

Photo: Rachel Akili (left), a trustee from Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund, with Rodger Cairns and Caroline Hesford, volunteers at Brookfield Quids In which received a £1,116 grant.