Airport helps hospices invest in green energy

£20,000 DONATIONS FIRST ROUND OF COMMUNITY FUND GRANTS

EAST Midlands Airport (EMA) has awarded three hospices £20,000 each to invest in green energy.

The money has been made available from EMA’s Community Fund as part of a pilot project to support community, charity and voluntary sector organisations to make the transition to more sustainable energy use.

The initial round of funding was ringfenced specifically for local hospices.

Rainbows Children’s Hospice, in Loughborough, has used the money for electric car charging points, Loros, in Leicester, is replacing light bulbs with LED lighting, and Treetops, in Derbyshire, is installing solar panels. Castle Donington parish councillor Angus Sowter, a member of EMA’s Community Fund committee, said: “When the committee considered a sustainable energy fund, there was unanimous support for offering our hospices funding in the first instance before we opened it up to the wider community.

“We’re delighted this funding is already having an impact.

“Not only will it help the hospices reduce their carbon footprint but, at current energy prices, it will also help keep costs down so that more money can be spent on the care they provide.”

Hannah Tee, Rainbows trusts and grants fundraiser, said: “We would like to thank East Midlands Airport Community Fund for its amazing support which has enabled us to introduce electric vehicle charging points at Rainbows, which can be used by all of our families and staff. “Thank you so much to everyone involved.”

A further round of funding has been made available for community and public buildings such as schools and village halls to invest in proven technologies for green energy.

The airport has on-site wind turbines and supply agreements enabling power to be generated from renewable sources.

Ground operations achieved carbon neutrality in 2012.

In the summer of 2020, MAG, which owns and operates EMA, became a founding member of the Government’s Jet Zero Council, with chief executive, Charlie Cornish, sitting as one of two airport representatives.

To find out more about the next round of grants, email:

Not only will it help the hospices reduce their carbon footprint but, it will also help keep costs down

Angus Sowter