Manchester Airport’s Community Trust fund has released a further £30,000 to support community projects, including a number of organisations in Stockport.
In its latest round of funding, a total of £31,898.96 was pledged to 18 organisations in communities near the airport. Projects benefiting from the funding varied from sports clubs to community theatres and gardening groups.
Among those to benefit are the Agricultural and Rural Centre (ARC), based in Stockport. They were granted £534.56 towards the improvement and development of a tool storage room (pictured). The charity operates a specialist farm for the benefit of people with disabilities, mental health issues or is otherwise socially disadvantaged. The ARC’s Charlotte Robinson explained:
“This tool room will be an important focal point for the users and volunteers to have the opportunity to develop their social skills, gain friendships and to have access to building and construction materials.
“It will not only contribute to our local community by promoting and advancing social welfare, but will also give our participants the opportunity to learn new skills which could be transferred to the home or workplace.”
Four local cricket clubs in Greater Manchester were also given grants to help purchase equipment and enable them to resume their activities in a Covid secure manner, ahead of the 2021 season.
Among these were Offerton Cricket Club, awarded £2,640 for the purchase of new sight screens, replacing the club’s aged and worn existing equipment. Club Captain, Adam Davies, said:
Offerton Cricket Club is focused on offering a great facility for the local community to use and call their own.
“With the help of Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund, we have been able to secure funding to purchase new sight screens. These will replace our heavily rusted and damaged equipment with something that is easy to use for all.
“This completes another long-stated ambition by the club, enabling all age groups of our club to have full use of a vital piece of equipment.”
He added that applying for a grant was “an easy and open process that I would recommend any local organisation to investigate.”
Stockport Garrick Theatre, in the centre of the town, is a renovation project to convert a disused basement area (pictured below) into use as a flexible performance space for the local community and its Youth Theatre group of over 90 youngsters. It is envisaged that the space will accommodate theatrical and musical performances, comedy club, dance classes and local people needing a meeting area.
The theatre will receive £2,950 towards ventilating the basement area. John Baker, who is overseeing the project, said:
“We’d like to thank the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund for kindly making this donation, which will be vitally important in enabling us to fit the ventilation system that will make the area fully usable.”
Karen Smart, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said:
We are thrilled to be able to assist 18 organisations with an amazing array of community-led projects which will make a tangible, positive difference to the communities that these groups serve.
“These donations underscore our commitment to our neighbouring communities, particularly during these challenging times.
“If your organisation is based within 10 miles of our airport and you need some support with a community project, please do take the time to apply.”
The full list of organisations to have accessed this latest round of grants from the Community Trust Fund, can be found below:
- Denton Town Football Club
- Ashley Cricket Club
- Ryder Brow Community Allotment Society
- Pickering Lodge Allotment Association
- Altrincham Sale and Stretford Sea Cadets
- Independent Options North West
- Fianna Phadraig Pipe Band
- The Open Arms Youth Project
- The George Mallory Foundation
- Agricultural and Rural Centre
- Manchester Basketball Club
- Mottram Cricket Club
- Gorse Hill Studios
- Make a Space
- 306th Manchester Scouts
- Stockport Garrick Theatre
- Offerton Cricket Club
- Stretford Cricket Club
Pop-Up Uniform Shop breaks records at Merseyway 
Renew initiative celebrates four years of community impact 
Supportability launches Wish for Wheels project