More than 100 projects in communities surrounding East Midlands Airport benefited from a share of £282,158 from its Community Fund during the last financial year 2024/25.
The fund was set up over 20 years ago, during which time it has awarded £2.75m to almost 2,000 projects to bring lasting benefit to neighbouring communities. Airport funding is combined with fines for noisy aircraft to make up the total available each year.
Local groups such as charities and sports clubs can apply for grants of up to £2,000 for projects that have a lasting community, social or environmental benefit. Among the beneficiaries between April 2024 and March this year were:
- Gotham Sports Arena – £2,000 towards new tennis court surfaces
- Chellaston Players – £2,000 towards a new PA system
- Orchard Primary School, Castle Donington – £2,000 towards a trim trail in the school playground for pupils as well as local clubs including Rainbows, Brownies, Cubs and Scouts
- Newhall Football Club – £1,966 towards sports equipment including training goals and kit.
Part of the Community Fund was the Low Carbon Energy Fund, now closed, which offered larger grants for environmental projects. This has seen a total of £87,358 awarded to nine projects, including:
- Nottingham Casuals Rugby Football Club – £10,000 towards solar panels expected to save more than £106,000 over 20 years
- Kegworth Tennis Club = £10,000 for new LED floodlights which have halved their energy bill
- Gresley Old Hall Community Welfare Centre – £10,000 towards LED lighting in the main building and car park.
Organisations within the Area of Benefit – which stretches to the outer edges of Derby, Nottingham and Leicester to the north, east and south and includes Burton on Trent to the west – can apply for the funds. Information including eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found here.
The Fund is just one part of the airport’s efforts to be a good neighbour and address issues such as sustainability. The airport has a presence at local events to provide opportunities for local people to engage with airport staff, has direct engagement with community representatives through the East Midlands Airport Committee and issues quarterly Community Flyer newsletters to provide updates on key issues. Staff are also encouraged to take part in volunteering activities in local communities, with all managers and 30% of the rest of the workforce taking part in a total of 3,798 hours of volunteering in 2024/25.
East Midlands Airport’s Community Engagement Manager Colleen Hempson said: “We take our responsibilities as a neighbour to local communities very seriously. Ensuring there are many ways to maintain an open dialogue on issues of concern is really important, but every year we go further than that and do our bit to support local projects.
“The Community Fund is there to help community groups complete projects that make a real difference for local people, and I’m really proud of the improvements it has helped to make over the years. I would encourage local groups to check if they have an eligible project and apply for funding.”
