Community investment

The issue: An airport’s responsibility extends far beyond the airport boundaries. BAA has a strong commitment to the communities around its airports and weseek to operate and grow our business by agreement where possible. Southampton Airport will continue to work closely with its neighbours in minimising the effects of its operations and to give something back to the areas surrounding the airport.

Our approach: BAA’s approach to community relations is to seek the best possible understanding of local concerns through sustained dialogue and to frame our own activities in response. At Southampton Airport we actively encourage all members of staff to get involved in community projects. Through the BAA Communities Trust, we support a wide range of initiatives in the local community including environmental projects, education partnerships, working with community groups and implementing vocational skills programmes.

The BAA Communities Trust, BAA’s own charity, continues to provide benefits to people living in airport communities. Each year, BAA contributes 0.15% of pre-tax profits to the trust. In its first 10 years the Trust has made grants totalling more than £4 million. The Trust focuses its giving into three main areas:

• Supporting local community activity around the airport
• Initiatives proposed by BAA staff
• International and national charities – supporting overseas development whilst creating development opportunities for young people in the UK, through aviation and travel.

During 2006/07, it was our aim to donate over £15,000 to local projects through the BAA Communities Trust.

Employee involvement: As well as investing in local community projects financially, we also support the volunteer work of our employees. We actively encourage staff to become involved in the local community. By giving their time and expertise to community based activities, staff can provide a personal touch which is highly valued by the organisations who benefit. It also helps employees to learn new skills and further develop their careers. All our staff have the opportunity to become involved in community projects through volunteering. We support all staff who volunteer, even if the project is outside the local airport community.

In 2004 we launched our awards scheme, I-Volunteer, open to all our staff who volunteer. I-Volunteer is funded by the BAA Communities Trust, which has donated over £300,000 to charitable causes supported by our staff over the last three years. Since the awards launched, more than 1,300 applications from staff across our UK airports have been received.

Our performance: Southampton Airport achieved the 2006/07 target by donating over £15,000 to local projects through The BAA Communities Trust. Use the link to look at all the local community projects that we've supported during 2006/07.

Our plans: We will continue to focus on supporting the initiatives that will continue to make a difference to the local communities around Southampton Airport.

During 2007 Southampton Airport aims to help many more local projects and charities, as well as donating over £15,000 from the BAA Communities Trust.