Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund has allocated approximately £27,000 (US$36,000) worth of grants to 13 organizations in Cheshire and South Manchester in the UK.
The fund, which is overseen by the airport and is managed through a committee of independent trustees made up of councillors from neighboring communities, provides funding to non-profit initiatives either as a contribution to them, or to meet their costs. Applicants located within 10 miles of the airport site can ask for up to £3,000 (US$4,000) of funds for equipment or projects, with applications reviewed on a quarterly basis. The next deadline for applications is March 6.
Beneficiaries of the latest round of donations, which were agreed in January 2022, include the village of Goostrey in Cheshire, which will soon have a new community shed workshop, paid for in part by the Community Trust Fund. It has been awarded approximately £1,500 (US$2,000) to cover DIY equipment.
Cheadle Town Football Club in Stockport will receive £3,000 (US$4,000) toward a case and accessories for a new defibrillator and toilet improvements to create disabled access to its park grounds. The defibrillator will be available to members of the public in the event of an emergency. The garden allotment organization Laneshead Allotments in Urmston was also awarded a £3,000 (US$4,000) grant for the fit-out of its new meeting facility. The allotments have received Community Trust Fund grants previously for work to make them accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair-friendly toilets.
Karen Smart, managing director at Manchester Airport, said, “The Community Trust Fund was established in 1997 to benefit our neighboring communities, and to ensure they had the opportunity to share in the airport’s success. We are incredibly proud the fund has invested more than £3.5m [US$4.6m] in community-led projects over the past quarter of a century, and we remain as committed to this as we always have been, despite the challenges that the pandemic has created.”