Manchester Airport offers lifeline to local causes - here’s how to apply

A disabled swimming club in Tameside, a food bank in Chorlton and a support group for new and expectant mums in Stockport are among 16 organisations set to benefit from funding granted by Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund.

The Community Trust Fund was set up in 1997 to give the airport a way of giving back to the community.

Among those awarded funding was Quids In, a food club run by volunteers with locations across south Manchester, which allows participants to claim up to £15 worth of fresh food per week in exchange for a small membership fee. Quids In will use its £1,116 donation to pay for a new industrial refrigeration unit at its Brookfield location.

Maureen Ward, a volunteer at Quids In, said: “We have seen a big increase in demand for the club during the cost-of-living crisis and members rely on the food they get from us more than ever. Funding from Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund means that we will be able to keep helping families get the food they need.”

Tameside Disabled Swimming Club was given more than £330 to pay for swimming equipment to help with providing lessons. The club gives disabled people in Tameside an opportunity to get into swimming as a form of relaxation and exercise in a safe and friendly environment.

Club Secretary, David Columbine, said: “We provide swimming aids and toys for swimmers, but these eventually degrade and get worn out. This funding will allow us to purchase armbands for swimmers of all ages, swim collars to help support our members who need them, aquafix support aids and new toys for play in the pool environment and mesh bags to keep the equipment in.

“These new aids and toys will not only assist our members but will also make their experience in the pool more enjoyable.”

More than £22,700 of funding was agreed at the Trust Fund’s latest quarterly meeting earlier this month, taking the total amount granted in 2023 past the £80,000 mark.

Coffee, Chill & Spill, in Stockport, was given £1,000 towards toys and equipment for use in its sessions. The charity supports mothers in the pre- and post-natal period who may be experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, or just feel that they need more support.

Gillian Simpson-Lomas, a volunteer with the group, said: “We are very appreciative of this support. We run weekly sessions which offer a warm, supportive environment where mums can be honest and open, without judgment. These sessions help to provide and promote positive connections and help mums to build a supportive peer community.”

The full list of organisations to be awarded a grant at this month’s meeting, and what they will be using the money for, can be found below.

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, said: “We are thrilled to be able to support such a diverse range of applicants with their projects this summer.

“There is so much fantastic work being done by hard-working volunteers and not-for-profit groups in the communities surrounding the airport and we will continue to support as many of them as we can through the Community Trust Fund.”

Manchester Airport pays £100,000 per year into the fund, with additional funding provided by other partners including airlines. Groups from the city of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport, Cheshire East and Cheshire West are able to bid for up to £3,000 for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here