London Gatwick lends helping hand to good causes in Kent, Sussex and Surrey

Community groups across Kent, Sussex and Surrey were celebrating this week as London Gatwick announced the recipients of nearly £100,000 from round one of the Gatwick Foundation Fund. 

A total of 18 good causes across the three counties benefited from a financial boost across Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Wealden, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge, Mole Valley, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.

Each year, there are three rounds of grants, with £300,000 in total split equally between the three counties.

A total of seven groups received funding in Kent including Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees, Baby Umbrella, West Kent Mind, Jigsaw South East, The Oaks Specialist College and Commonwork Trust.

In Surrey six groups were selected to receive funding including Mid Surrey Community Fridges in Mole Valley, Guildford Shakespeare Company and YMCA East Surrey in Reigate and Banstead, Amber Foundation, Mary Frances Trust and Home-Start Epsom Ewell & Banstead.

And in Sussex five groups will benefit from funding including The Forget Me Nots, Family Support Work, 4 The Youth, Holistic Wellbeing Community and Streetlight.

Forget Me Nots trustee Alison Burke said: “The money gifted to us by the Gatwick Foundation Fund will enable us to continue to pay for dedicated staff, which is vital to support carers whose loved ones have dementia.

“Forget Me Nots provides a safe place for our members to express their fears, anger, anxiety, frustration and love within their own unique situations.

“There is no judgement, and it means they can share the challenges of looking after someone with dementia. 

“The funding will also allow us to continue with our programme of events such as days out, afternoon teas and educational community events.

“Without Gatwick Foundation Fund, our journey would be so much harder and we’re very grateful for the extra support.”

Melanie Wrightson, stakeholder engagement manager at London Gatwick, said: “We know that the funding we have provided for these local grassroots community and voluntary projects will make a real difference to people’s lives as they continue to work tirelessly during the current cost of living crisis.

“It gives us so much joy at London Gatwick to support our local community as we continue to build on the benefits that the airport delivers to its neighbours.

“We look forward to hearing how this funding will help people in need and invite other community groups to apply for future funding rounds from the Gatwick Foundation Fund so they can benefit from the airport’s success too.” 

The Gatwick Foundation Fund was set up in 2016 to award funding to local groups that work to fight social isolation and tackle disadvantage, raise aspirations and develop skills, improve health and wellbeing, and support children and young people.

The Gatwick Foundation Fund is managed by individual Community Foundations for Kent, Sussex and Surrey on behalf of London Gatwick, which oversees the programme and assesses all applications.

In Kent applications are open from 1 June and the deadline to apply for the next round of funding is 31 August.

In Surrey the deadline to express an interest in applying for funding for the next round is 12 June.

In Sussex the deadline to apply for the next round of funding is 8 September.

For more information about the Gatwick Foundation Fund please go to: https://www.gatwickairport.com/business-community/community/our-support/foundation-fund/

Ends

Editors notes

About Gatwick Foundation Fund

The Gatwick Foundation Fund is managed by individual Community Foundations for Kent, Sussex and Surrey on behalf of London Gatwick, which oversees the programme and assesses all applications.

Each year, there are three rounds of grants, which are split equally between Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Since it was founded in 2016, the Gatwick Foundation Fund has made more than £1m in donations, which support local grassroots community and voluntary projects that make a difference to people’s lives and meet local need. The Gatwick Foundation Fund was suspended in April 2020 due to the pandemic. It operates in Sussex across Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Wealden, in Surrey across Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge and the Mole Valley area, and in Kent across Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.

For more information visit: https://www.gatwickairport.com/business-community/community/our-support/foundation-fund/