Stansted Airport Community Fund Injects £33,000 into Local Charities and Groups - Travel And Tour World

Source: Travel And Tour World

The Stansted Airport Community Fund (SACF) is set to distribute £33,000 among eight charities and community organizations across East Herts, Uttlesford, and Harlow. This funding initiative aims to support projects focused on enhancing community well-being, environmental conservation, and the quality of life within a 10-mile radius of the airport. Grants of up to £5,000 are available, with decisions on allocations made by an independent committee comprising local authority representatives and airport stakeholders who convene quarterly.

"Congratulations to all the successful applicants in the latest round of Community Fund donations. Since we relaunched the fund in 2023, the SACF has been privileged to award more than £350,000 worth of grants to 60 local charities and not-for-profit organisations. One of the great things about SACF is how often local organisations can apply for funding. We have already opened the next phase of our community award funding for 2024. We have made the application process as simple as possible but we're happy to offer help to any groups who may be interested in applying. We know that organisations continue to face huge challenges and grant funding like this is more important than ever."

The Little Canfield Community Gardens and Allotment Association received £1,380 to buy outdoor play equipment, including a mud kitchen and gardening tools. The organisation's Community Liaison Manager, Lucy Dowsett, said:

"We are so grateful for the SACF's funding, which will enable us to purchase new play equipment for children, including a mud kitchen and small gardening tools, which we hope to have in place for the Easter holiday. This new equipment will provide the children with a safe and secure place to play and learn outdoors. It will also provide an opportunity for the children to explore their creativity and practice their social and communication skills. We are very excited to be able to provide this opportunity for the children in the village. Our gardens and allotments have brought so many community members together, and we are looking forward to extending the facility and arranging more events and activities for the village."

Following the approval of a planning application allowing the airport to accommodate up to 43 million passengers annually, the SACF was rebooted in January 2023 to offer additional assistance to the surrounding community.

Over the coming ten years, the airport has pledged to donate £1.5 million to the fund, which will also be augmented by fines collected from airlines that breach noise restrictions. Furthermore, the fund annually grants a special flagship award of up to £50,000.