Southampton Airport's charitable funding comes from the BAA Communities Trust, BAA's own charity. The trust was established over ten years ago, with the aim of putting something back into the local communities around BAA's airports.

Wherever possible, Southampton Airport tries to support projects which mitigate against our impacts, which means we are especially interested in community projects in close proximity to the airport. We look for causes which enable us to give our full support and actively get involved, rather than just giving financially.

Other priorities include:

• Projects with an environmental focus
• Projects that provide educational and training opportunities for 14 - 21 year olds
• Projects that create opportunities to build pride in the local community.

Recent projects include:

PUSH Ahead Challenge, south Hampshire

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - Walk to Cure Diabetes

Fairbridge Solent - Live Well Project

Bitterne Park School, Southampton

Eastleigh College Partnership

Peter Symonds College, Winchester

Eastleigh Borough Twinning Association Language Competition

Staff volunteering

Do you have a potential project for Southampton Airport?

Southampton Airport has launched the 2010 search for South Hampshire's young entrepreneurs in the 'PUSH Ahead Challenge'. The challenge is open to every school and college in South Hampshire, and will see teams of students designing and creating innovative products and services for use in an airport. The project is the first in a series of events planned throughout 2010 to mark the centenary of flying from Southampton Airport.

The official launch was held at NATS, Swanwick where students heard from industry experts about innovation and entrepreneurship, and how Southampton Airport ensures that passengers breeze through the airport with ease. The Dragon's Den finale will take place at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on 24 March 2010.

View latest press release

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This years Walk to Cure Diabetes was Chaired by Jan Halliday, Southampton Airport's Director of Marketing & Communications. The event saw over 800 people was 5km to raise money to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

To find out more about the JDRF, please visit www.jdrf.org.uk.

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Southampton Airport has been supporting the Fairbridge Solent Live Well Project, which has seen young people from disadvantaged areas developing an allotment and growing produce for use in their cooking sessions, as well as participating in dedicated physical activity sessions.

To find out more abour Fairbridge Solent, please visit www.fairbridge.org.uk.

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Southampton Airport has a strategic partnership with Bitterne Park School, a local secondary school in Southampton with specialist status in performing arts. The partnership was launched in 2004, with the aim of sharing expertise and resources, linking business and education.

Each year there are around 20 initiatives, including; case studies, competitions, awards schemes, staff work-shadowing, joint fundraising, school governorships, and a full work experience programme which includes, letters of application, and competitive interviews. The airport has also supported a series of Enterprise Days for all 1,400 students at the school, culminating in a 'Dragon Den' style finale later in the year. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust use the strategic partnership between the school and airport to create training resources for other UK schools.

For more information on the school, please visit www.bitterneparkschool.org.uk

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Southampton Airport has developed a number of initiatives to help students studying at neighbouring Eastleigh College. These include; specialist fire training for cabin crew students, the donation of two Land Rover vehicles for use in the Automotive Studies Department, teacher familiarisation sessions, careers talks, and the donation of a greenhouse facility for students with learning difficulties.

For further information on Eastleigh College, please visit www.eastleigh.ac.uk

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The airport provided 18 students with the opportunity to participate in the nationally recognised Fulcrum Challenge. Students were challenged to raise £1,500 for this teambuilding and leadership development programme. The funds were then matched by the BAA Communities Trust.

The programme culminated in a two-week challenge in India to extend a school for the local people living in a remote village in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. All 18 students were accompanied by three members of airport staff who mentored the students' fundraising progress, physical building techniques and dedication to assignment work.

For more information on the college, please visit www.psc.ac.uk.

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Students from senior schools and colleges across Eastleigh took part in this years international language challenge which saw students fluently conversing in French, German or Spanish during a full presentation to a panel of judges, followed by a question and answer session on aspects of their chosen country.

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Staff volunteering is very much supported by Southampton Airport. Each year BAA recognises its volunteers at the I-Volunteer Awards. Employees at all 7 airports enter the awards, as recognition for their hard work as well as for donations for their organisations. This year, 22 Southampton staff entered, providing more than £10,000 for local charitable organisations. Southampton Airport was recognised as having the best volunteering team within the whole of BAA for the initiatives run with Eastleigh College.

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If you would like to apply to Southampton Airport for support, please write, giving full details, to: Debbie Chalk, Media and Communications Executive, Southampton Airport, Southampton, SO18 2NL.

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