London Gatwick announces charity fund recipients in Kent

Local charities and support organisations throughout Kent are celebrating today as the Gatwick Airport Community Trust announces the beneficiaries of its funding programme throughout the region.

This year a total of £250,000 was made available for worthy causes in parts of Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex and parts of Surrey.

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust, which is funded exclusively by London Gatwick, has been providing much-needed support for charities and groups for more than two decades and this year has provided essential funding for more than 100 groups.

London Gatwick is also appealing for community groups in Kent to apply for financial support from the next round of The London Gatwick Foundation Fund. The deadline to apply is 27 September.

Melanie Wrightson, stakeholder engagement manager at London Gatwick, said: “The ongoing support offered by the Gatwick Airport Community Trust is yielding tangible benefits for grassroots organisations, charities and voluntary initiatives throughout Kent, which need financial donations to continue their good work.

“Since its establishment, the Trust has been a pillar of strength for Kent-based groups. London Gatwick remains as committed as ever to contributing to the wider community’s welfare."

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust supports a range of initiatives designed to enrich different facets of local communities. These endeavours prioritise nurturing youth development, championing the arts, bolstering sports facilities, fostering environmental improvements, enhancing community infrastructure, advocating for volunteering and offering aid to the elderly and disabled.

Amongst the groups to benefit was The Friends of Hever School.

Hever Church of England Primary School headteacher Helene Bligh said: “We are immensely grateful for the donation of £5,000 towards the resurfacing of our school playground and our outdoor learning and sensory space. This donation has completed our fundraising for the retarmacking which can now take place over the summer.”

Joanna Wade, member of the Hever Village Hall management committee and Parish Church fundraising committee, added: "We are delighted that our grant will greatly improve access to our hall.

“In dry weather we can drive across the grass and drop people at the door, but as soon as the weather turns wet, and it has been very wet recently, even though it is summer, it turns into a mud bath. So, the plan is to put down some hard standing so that access becomes all weather. Thank you, Gatwick!”

Pantiles Baptist Church in Tunbridge Wells received £2,000 towards transforming steps into a disabled access ramp.

The church is keen to help a support group for families with children born with genetic defects to access the building.

Gareth Jones, Pastor, Pantiles Baptist Church, said: “This ramp will make a huge difference to us as a church. We have both young families and also old people who will benefit greatly from it and enjoy the independence of getting into Church. Thank you to the Gatwick Airport Community Trust for making this possible.”

In Edenbridge, groups to benefit included the Edenbridge Community Christmas Association (£1,750), 1st Edenbridge Brownies (£1,704), Marsh Green Pre-School (£1,150) and Holcot Charitable Trust (£1,000).

King Edward V11 Institute in Groombridge received £1,000, Hever Village Hall benefitted from £2,500 and nearby Markbeech Village Hall received £1,000.

In the Tunbridge Wells area, groups to benefit from funding included Groombridge Tennis Club (£5,000), Rusthall Parish Council (£2,700), Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees (£2,500), St Mary's Ukrainian School Ltd (£1,197) and Youth Resilience UK (£1,000).

Finally, The Counselling Centre in Tunbridge Wells which serves West Kent received £1,000 and Citizens Advice North & West Kent received £2,500.

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust was originally set up in 2002 as part of the legal arrangements between West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council and London Gatwick following the publication of the airport’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

It aims to make a positive contribution to the quality of life of the communities affected by the airport and its continuing growth.

Applications for the Gatwick Airport Community Trust will reopen again on 1 November 2024 and close on 31 March 2025.

For more information about the Gatwick Airport Community Trust and to find out how to apply for the next round, visit: https://gact.org.uk/

For more information about the London Gatwick Foundation Fund contact Kent Community Foundation which manages the fund on behalf of London Gatwick: https://kentcf.org.uk/

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Editors notes

About the Gatwick Airport Community Trust

GACT is an independent charity that has been in operation since 2002 as part of the legal arrangements between West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council and London Gatwick following publication of the airport’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

It awards grants annually for deserving projects within the area of benefit, which covers parts of East and West Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

The demand for grants always exceeds the funds available, and the normal level of grants is from £1,000 to £5,000. Occasionally larger amounts may be considered if they will benefit a significant number of people and will make a valuable difference in the longer term.

Applicants should seek advice from the Community Trust BEFORE applying for a larger grant.

London Gatwick funds GACT, with the annual amount linked to passenger numbers.

The purpose of setting up GACT was to ensure that, as the airport continued to grow, funds generated by the existence of the airport should be made available to a board of independent trustees, to make a positive contribution to the quality of life of the communities affected by the airport and its continuing growth.

Visit: https://www.gact.org.uk/

About London Gatwick Foundation Fund

The London 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 London Gatwick Foundation Fund has made more than £1.5m in donations, which support local grassroots community and voluntary projects that make a difference to people’s lives and meet local need.

It operates in Sussex across Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Wealden, in Surrey across Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge and Mole Valley, and in Kent across Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.

For more information visit: https://www.gatwickairport.com/company/community/funding.html