Airport offers more cash to community groups
A further £25,000 for those helping with COVID effort
EAST Midlands Airport is making a further £25,000 available to support local community groups who are helping with the COVID-19 relief effort.
In April, the airport created a Community Relief Fund, worth £26,500, which was overwhelmed with applications in the first week. This second round of funding means over £51,000 will have been donated by the airport to local causes.
Many of the applications from the first round of funding were received from local foodbanks, who have seen demand increase significantly in recent weeks.
In order to better support these groups, the airport engaged its supply chain and was able to purchase more than 41,000 essential items that were in ‘high demand’ by foodbanks at cost price. This means more foodbanks could be supported than if cash donations had been made, and the airport was able to purchase twice the amount of food possible at supermarket prices.
Last week, volunteers from across the airport sorted through all of these items and arranged distribution to 28 foodbanks across the East Midlands. Items included:
• 9,000 bottles of shower gel • 7,500 packets of biscuits • 2,400 porridge pots
• 1,080 toilet rolls
• 5,000 packs of coffee.
Chris Hayton, the airport’s corporate affairs director, said: “Covid-19 has had a significant impact on all of us, but people who struggle in normal times have been pushed even further into hardship. This is why we launched our COVID-19 Community Relief Fund.
“The airport takes its role as a member of the local community very seriously and we’re proud to have been able to set up this fund and make a real difference in the local area.
“We’ve been overwhelmed with the amount of applications that have been received and the work that is being done by volunteers and groups in the region. This is why we’re pleased to be able to release an additional £25,000 into the fund.”
In addition to this bespoke package of support for foodbanks, the COVIG-19 Community Relief Fund is awarding grants in excess of £10,000 to numerous other groups, including those making scrubs for the NHS, providing bikes for key workers so they can continue to get to work without having to use public transport, those supporting the elderly and a range of other great causes.
The fund reopened on May 18 and the application form can be found at https://eastmidlandsairport.