In 2007 Southampton Airport invested more than £15,000 in local projects through The BAA Communities Trust.  Some of these projects included: 

VSO Global Xchange - Nine students from around the UK, joined nine students from the Philippines to complete more than 6,000 hours volunteering in Southampton and Eastleigh over work months. The group then travelled to the Philippines for a further three months volunteering work.

Hampshire Youth Games - Support for the Eastleigh and Southampton teams participating in the Hampshire Youth Games tournament.

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Activities Centre - The airport provided the centre with new buoyancy aids and safety helmets for visitors to the activity centre. 

Muddy Bottom Allotments - The airport provided new gardening equipment for the charity, and a team of airport volunteers developed a wildlife area for the charities beneficiaries to enjoy.

Eastleigh Language Competition - More than 60 senior school students participated in the Eastleigh Language Competition, supported by the airport. Students had to present and answer questions from a panel of judges in either German, French or Spanish.

Bitterne Park School - An ongoing partnership with the Southampton school, which links business and education through 20 different initiatives each year.

Quilley School of Engineering - Support for the Young Engineers Club at this Eastleigh School.

Peter Symonds College - The development of an A-level Environmental Science Project with this Winchester College, which focuses on Southampton Airport.

Fulcrum Challenge - Eight students from Peter Symonds College joined with a team from Stansted Airport in a youth development programme. Each student had to raise more than £1500 themselves, before travelling to India to re-build a primary school.

See our timeline for a full summary of community activities during 2007

Staff volunteering
As well as investing in local community projects financially, we also support the volunteer work of our employees. 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. 

In 2004, the company launched the BAA I-Volunteer Awards, aimed to recognise and reward those who volunteer. Each year hundreds of applications are received from staff at all seven BAA airports. During 2007, around 10% of staff at Southampton Airport submitted applications for their volunteering work. As a result, a further £5,000 was donated to charities and organisations with which our staff are involved.