BAA Communities Trust
Registered charity number: 1058617
Who we are and what we do
BAA has its own grant-making charity, The BAA Communities Trust. Funded by an annual donation from the company, the independently run Trust makes grants to support projects in the communities closest to BAA’s airports – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Southampton and Stansted.
We place a priority on funding projects linked to education, the environment and economic regeneration – areas for which local people tell us they most value Trust support. Through our grants we aim:
- To create learning opportunities for young people and so raise their aspirations
- To break down barriers to employment through skills development
- To help protect the environment
- To support airport staff active in the community.
The Trust has donated a total of nearly £7 million since it first started in 1996. During 2010, we made some 500 grants and donations to charity, worth more than £600,000. So far this year, we have made donations totalling more than £300,000.
Trustees:
- Helen Murley – Trust Chair
- Alan Coates – Ealing and Hillingdon Education Business Partnership
- Brendan Gold – Unite
- Matthew Gorman – BAA Heathrow
- Clare Harbord – BAA Heathrow
- Punam Kharbanda – Business in the Community
- David McMillan – Director General Eurocontrol
- Alastair McDermid – Planning and Development Consultant
- Steve Ronald – British Airways
Airport Community Funds
The Trust has set up new community funds for each of the airports, with locally based panels helping Trustees with grant-making decisions. The panels each meet at least four times a year to consider applications.
How to contact us
You can download a short guide for grant-seekers and an application form, or contact Trust Director Caroline Nicholls for further information and guidance:
- Email: caroline_nicholls@baa.com
- Address: The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 2QQ
Airport Community Fund
Contact: lucy_calvert@baa.com
Who can receive grants
The Trust funds a wide range of community organisations and charitable groups and charities. These include:
- National/international charities, delivering projects in or involving people from the communities local to BAA’s airports
- Locally-based charitable organisations
- Schools and local authorities delivering community projects
- Grassroots community groups and organisations
- Local grant makers
- National/international charities in support of staff fundraising activity
Support for staff
The Trust supports BAA staff with their charity activity and community volunteering - employees can apply for grants of up to £250 to match their own fundraising achievements or donations towards local community projects they are working with. For more information e-mail caroline_nicholls@baa.com.
Southampton Community Fund
Community Panel:
- Jan Halliday (Chair) – Director of Marketing & Communications, Southampton Airport
- Dawn Baxendale – Assistant Chief Executive, Southampton City Council
- Lucy Culvert – Media & Communications Executive, Southampton Airport
- Caroline Nicholls – Director, The BAA Communities Trust
- Martin Ratcliffe – Procurement Manager, Southampton Airport
- Bernie Topham – Chief Executive, Eastleigh Borough Council
Examples of recent grants awarded
Local
PUSH Ahead Challenge, South Hampshire
Southampton Airport launched a search for South Hampshire's young entrepreneurs in the 'PUSH Ahead Challenge'. The challenge was open to every school and college in South Hampshire, with teams of students designing and creating innovative products and services for use in an airport. The project was among a series of events planned throughout 2010 to mark the centenary of flying from Southampton Airport.
The Point Theatre, Eastleigh
The Trust helped fund the creation of a new community play "When The Saintz Go Marching in" as part of the airport’s centenary celebrations. The play was specially researched and written about Eastleigh. Performed at The Point theatre, the play starred over 60 local people.
National
V-inspired National Awards
These awards, run for the first time by v the national volunteer youth service, celebrated the achievements of more than 700 young volunteers, aged from 16-25. The trust awarded grants of £1,000 for each of the winners in eight categories to donate to a charity or community project of their choice.
Do-it.org
Trust funds are helping the development of a national volunteering website, run by the charity Youthnet.
Worldwide Volunteering for Young People – Boost! bursary awards
The Boost! Awards are a new youth bursary scheme designed to help and encourage young people to volunteer in their local community. The awards will help young people aged between 16 and 19 who live within 25 miles of Heathrow, Southampton or Stansted airports to undertake voluntary projects by contributing to the costs of food, accommodation and transport.
Shelterbox – in support of relief efforts in Japan
The Trust has donated £5,000 to match, pound for pound, funds donated by BAA’s staff to this appeal.
