BAA Communities Trust
Registered charity number: 1058617

BAA has its own grant-making charity, The BAA Communities Trust.  Funded by an annual donation from the company, the independently run Trust makes grants to support projects in the communities closest to BAA’s airports – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Southampton and Stansted.

We place a priority on funding projects linked to education, the environment and economic regeneration – areas for which local people tell us they most value Trust support

Through our grants, we aim to:

• create opportunities for young people,
• help protect the environment,
• encourage active local communities and
• break down barriers to employment

We also support airport staff with their fundraising and volunteering activity.

The Trust has made grants worth a total of more than £6 million since it was first set  up in 1996. During 2009  we have  made some 500 grants and donations to charity, worth more than £600,000.

From this year The Trust is setting up new community funds for each of the airports, with locally based panels helping Trustees with grant-making decisions.

Helen Murley – Trust Chair
Brendan Gold
Tom Kelly
David Macmillan
Alastair McDermid

For more information e-mail Trust Director Caroline Nicholls caroline_nicholls@baa.com or call 07836 342495

Registered address: The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 2QQ

The Trust funds a wide range of community organisations and charitable groups and charities.

These include:

1) National/international charities, delivering projects in or involving people from the communities local to BAA’s airports
2) Locally-based charitable organisations
3) Schools and local authorities delivering community projects
4) Grassroots community groups and organisations
5) Local grant makers
6) National/international charities in support of staff fundraising activity

Dyce Primary School and the village of Dyce - Sensory Garden

The school and village community is working together to create a sensory garden in an area of unused land next to Dyce Primary School. The project involves excavation of the grounds, landscaping and providing raised flower beds with sensory features. In addition there will be a “beastie area" where children can learn about habitats; there will also be seating and sensory equipment throughout the garden.

Trees4 Scotland

Trees4 Scotland run woodland regeneration projects in central Scotland to help individuals, businesses and organisations offset their carbon emissions. Edinburgh Airport supported an education programme with five primary schools. Each school received introductory talks on climate change, carbon footprints, reduction, offsetting, woodland regeneration and why it is important for young people to become involved. The children receive information starter packs and work through five mini projects - creating a range of project material from an animated film, shown on You Tube, poetry, photography, songs and a stage production. The children also go on a field trip to local farms, to learn about daily life on a farm and to plant 50 trees. Trust funding is helping expand the programme to schools around Aberdeen and Glasgow .

Fairbridge in Scotland

Fairbridge in Scotland supports young people aged from 13-25 who are not engaged in education, employment and training, with routes back into mainstream society. The organisation equips participants with the tools necessary for re-engagement in the workplace or the classroom, and the self-belief to take advantage of any opportunities that come their way. They do this through a tried and tested programme that teaches young people how to harness their strengths.

Fairbridge in Glasgow works intensively with over 200 new young people each year from some of Glasgow's most deprived areas. A grant from the Trust will support young people in the Drumchapel area.

Secondary Schools Engineering Challenge

This project supported more than 2,000 Year 8 students in secondary schools in the boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne, with a focus on raising pupils' aspirations and awareness of skilled employment opportunities at Heathrow by helping students to understand the high-level skills require by BAA engineering apprentices. Students working in pairs, with support from apprentices, were challenged to create an operating model of the T5 track transit system. The creation of the model - a battery-powered automated train of increasing complexity that uses electrical components and, ultimately, a programmable processor - helps pupils understand the problem-solving, teamwork and technical skills required by Heathrow's engineering community.

PUSH Ahead Challenge, South Hampshire

Southampton Airport has launched the 2010 search for South Hampshire's young entrepreneurs in the 'PUSH Ahead Challenge'. The challenge is open to every school and college in South Hampshire, and will see teams of students designing and creating innovative products and services for use in an airport. The project is the first in a series of events planned throughout 2010 to mark the centenary of flying from Southampton Airport. The official launch was held at NATS, Swanwick where students heard from industry experts about innovation and entrepreneurship, and how Southampton Airport ensures that passengers breeze through the airport with ease. The Dragon's Den finale will take place at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on 24th March 2010.

Science Alive

Science Alive is a Harlow based organisation with an aim to bring the excitement of science and technology to all, regardless of age or ability. Its ambition is to encourage more local people to consider careers with the technology and engineering based industry in the area.

The charity is establishing a science centre in the Leisure Zone leisure complex being built next to Harlow College as part of the Harlow Gateway set of developments. The science centre will be complemented by a range of out-reach activities which are already being developed and successfully delivered. Last year Science Alive reached over 6500 people via a mixed programme delivered in schools, village halls, community centres and children's centres. A grant from the Trust has helped the charity leverage funding from other sources for the project.

V-inspired National Awards
These awards, run for the first time by v the national volunteer youth service, celebrated the achievements of more than 700 young volunteers, aged from 16-25. The trust awarded grants of £1,000 for each of the winners in 10 categories to donate to a charity or community project of their choice. For more information visit http://vinspired.com/rewards/national.

Worldwide Volunteering for Young People – Bounce! Bursary awards
The Boost! Awards are a new youth bursary scheme designed to help and encourage young people to volunteer in their local community.  The awards will help young people aged between 16 and 19 who live within 25 miles of Heathrow Southampton or Stansted airports to undertake voluntary projects by contributing to the costs of food, accommodation and transport. For more information visit  http://baabursaries.wwv.org.uk