13 local projects benefit from Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund

Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund has started off its 25th year with a pledge of more than £27,000 to 13 community projects in Cheshire and South Manchester.

The fund, which is overseen by the airport and is managed through a committee of independent Trustees made up of councillors from neighbouring communities, provides funding either as a contribution to, or to meet the cost of, not-for-profit initiatives.

Applicants located within 10 miles of the airport site can ask for up to £3,000 of funds for equipment or costed projects, with applications reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Beneficiaries of the latest round of donations, which were agreed in January, include Cheadle Town Football Club in Stockport, which will receive £3,000 towards a case and accessories for a new defibrillator, and toilet improvements to allow disabled access at its Park Road ground.

The defibrillator will be available to members of the public in the event of an emergency.

“The contribution from the Community Trust Fund will be a massive help,” said Brian Lindon, the club’s head of development.

“A number of us running the club’s operations are volunteers and it is always a battle just to cover our costs, so help from the fund in installing this defibrillator for community use and improving our toilet facilities is hugely valuable.”

Also awarded a grant at the January meeting was Laneshead Allotments in Urmston, which will benefit from £3,000 of funding for the fit-out of its new meeting facility.

The allotments have received Community Trust Fund grants previously for work to make them accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair-friendly toilets.

“We decided some three years ago to upgrade our meeting facility and have paid for its construction entirely through fundraising activity,” said Tony Hewitt, Laneshead Allotments.

“Having the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund’s help in fitting it out with floor coverings, building insulation and utility connections is another big milestone for us, and should enable us to finish phase two of the project, for which we are eternally grateful.”

The village of Goostrey in Cheshire will soon have a new Community Shed workshop, paid for in part by the Community Trust Fund, which has awarded a request for just shy of £1,500 to cover DIY equipment.

“The donation will help to improve the life of the local community by supporting a workshop where individuals can meet, create and socialise in a relaxing atmosphere which helps to reduce loneliness,” said Goostrey Community Shed’s Colin Mottershead.

“The workshop will promote knowledge sharing and provide the opportunity to expand friendships and reduce social isolation.”

The Community Trust Fund was established in 1997 “to benefit our neighbouring communities, and to ensure they had the opportunity to share in the airport’s success,” said Karen Smart, managing director at Manchester Airport.

“We are incredibly proud the fund has invested more than £3.5m in community-led projects over the past quarter of a century, and we remain as committed to this as we always have been, despite the challenges that the pandemic has created.” 

Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here. The deadline for applications to be considered at the next quarterly meeting in April is this Sunday 6th March.