• Swindon & Wiltshire Social
• Tuesday October 22 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol Airport awards £50,000 to local good causes

Bristol Airport’s Local Community Fund and Diamond Fund has awarded more than £50,000 to 22 local charities and community groups across North Somerset and South Bristol last month.

In total, 22 charities and not-for-profit organisations across North Somerset and South Bristol have received significant financial support from Bristol Airport’s new Local Community Fund and Diamond Fund, following the latest round of funding at September’s committee meeting with grants ranging from £800 to £8,000.

This includes funding for a nature conservation project in the village of Wrington; improvements to both Cleeve and Claverham Village Halls; funding for training and support at Vision North Somerset and a solar panel installation project at West Leigh Infant School in Backwell.

Lauren Williams, CEO of Vision North Somerset, said: “Vision North Somerset is grateful to Bristol Airport for their support, enabling the charity to help people who’ve lost their sight to meet each other for support and learn techniques to use equipment such as mobile phones and smart speakers.”

Trevor Smallwood, Chair of Churchill and Langford Minibus Society, said: “We are very pleased that Bristol Airport Environmental Fund is helping us buy a new minibus later this year so that we can continue to provide important trips for the local communities which we serve.”

The Airport Environmental and Amenity Improvement Fund – known as the Bristol Airport Local Community Fund 2024 – was set up as one of the commitments the Airport agreed to provide in connection with the planning permission for development.

Bristol Airport will contribute £100,000 to the Bristol Airport Local Community Fund 2024.

The Fund’s management committee meets on a quarterly basis and includes representatives from both the Airport, North Somerset Council and is independently chaired. Since 2012, Bristol Airport has donated more than £1.6 million pounds to community projects.

The next committee meeting is on December 5 and applications need to be received by Thursday, November 21.

Bristol Airport is keen for as many community projects as possible to take advantage of the scheme. Any community ventures that fit the criteria are encouraged to apply for the next wave of grants. The type of projects that would benefit include:

• Schemes which improve, enhance, protect and conserve the natural environment within the vicinity of the Airport.
• Schemes which generate renewable energy or schemes designed to reduce energy consumption within the vicinity of the Airport (for non-residential buildings only).
• Noise mitigation for non-residential buildings. (Residential buildings can apply to the separate Noise Mitigation Scheme).
• Traffic implications associated with an increase in passengers using the Airport.
• Any other projects/schemes which can demonstrate they will help mitigate an environmental and/or amenity impact that can be attributed to the Airport expanding.