January sees the launch of the 2009 BAA Heathrow Community & Environment Awards for schools, voluntary organisations and community groups. Grants of up to £2500 will be awarded six times per year to exciting local community projects, focusing on five themes: ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’; ‘climate change and energy’; ‘protecting and enhancing our environment’; ‘bringing communities together’ and ‘developing skills’.
The awards are funded in a unique way – foreign and British currency is donated every day by passengers in Heathrow’s baggage halls and departure lounges. BAA Heathrow match-funds the money donated by passengers in 2008 up to a cap of £30,000 per annum, and the BAA Communities Trust also contributes funding. Based on last year’s passenger donations we predict there will be around £100,000 available for the awards in 2009.
Helen Nation, Community Relations Manager, BAA Heathrow comments, “We are offering these awards to encourage innovative solutions to local issues. We understand that our neighbouring communities are very diverse and have a range of needs and we want to recognise and support individuals or groups who are trying to make their local environment a better place to live and work.”
If you had £2500 what would you do to improve your local area? Think about your local area and how you might be able to help. Maybe the area needs alternative green transport such as a ‘walking school bus’; an after school sports club for young people; solar panels for a local community centre; recycling facilities or recycling education; improving safety or planting in the local park; protection of a local wildlife areas or creating a haven for wildlife; or perhaps supporting green business such as organic food production. The more unusual or imaginative the better!
Who can apply? The scheme is open to schools and community groups in the boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Richmond, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Slough. It could be a youth club, residents’ association, charity, or even a group of like-minded neighbours.
If you have an idea for a small project that will cost less than £5000 that will help your area this is the ideal opportunity to get the ball rolling. To find out more or to receive an application form contact Louise Morris on 01895 839855 or email louiseM.morris@groundwork.org.uk. You can also visit www.baa.com/charitablesupport for details.
BAA Community and Environment Awards winners 2008
In 2008 BAA Community and Environment Awards supported 60 projects across the eight boroughs, giving over £115,000 to the local community. Beneficiaries ranged from schools and PTAs to charities, youth groups, community groups and local businesses, all working to make positive changes in the community and the environment.
Waldegrave School for Girls in Richmond were awarded funding of £2,263 in October 2008 to improve “the Quad”, an area of concrete in the school grounds, and turn it into a vibrant, modern, clean area suitable for wildlife. This became an outdoor area that could be utilised by the students and enjoyed by the community.
Tina Grayson, Waldegrave PTA said “we wish to thank all those sponsors involved in this area with an especially big thank you to BAA and Groundwork Thames Valley allowing us to plant the area so beautifully”.
Rocha Living Waterways received a grant of £2,175 in April 2008 to run a “Go Wild on the Water” playscheme for young children in the London Borough of Ealing. Enthusiastic children turned up each day enjoying the games, crafts, songs and boat trips along the canal organised by staff and volunteers.
Get Outta Bed, also based in Ealing, were awarded funding of £2,500 in June 2008 in support of an annual community fun day. Up to 150 people from local estates attended the event with the aim of eliminating the misconceptions amongst young people with territorial issues. As a result of the day young people were introduced to volunteering and previously segregated estates were united.
Funding timescales
Closing date for completed first round applications 6th February 2009
Results announced 20th February 2009
Closing date for completed second round applications 3rd April 2009
Results announced 24th April 2009
Closing date for completed third round applications 5th June2009
Results announced 26th June 2009
Closing date for completed fourth round applications 31st July 2009
Results announced 21st August 2009
Closing date for completed fifth round applications 2nd October 2009
Results announced 23rd October 2009
Closing date for completed sixth round applications 27th November 2009
Results announced 18th December 2009
Notes for Editors
BAA Heathrow supports a range of local projects as part of its community relations programme, which bring educational, environmental and economic benefits to local people.
The BAA Communities Trust was established 13 years ago by BAA. Since then it has contributed grants of over £4 million for projects in the communities local to the company’s seven UK airports, to support charitable initiatives by staff to global projects linked to youth development.
Groundwork Thames Valley is an independent local charity, committed to social, economic and environmental regeneration. We work in partnership with local people, local authorities and business to improve the lives of local people and the profitability of local businesses by enhancing the quality of the local environment.
From small community schemes to major national and regional programmes Groundwork uses the environment to engage and motivate local people to improve their quality of life.
As part of the Groundwork federation of nearly 50 local Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Trusts help to form the UK’s leading environmental charity that makes sustainable development a reality in the UK's most deprived neighbourhoods.
For more press information about Groundwork Thames Valley, please contact Ruth Boyer at Groundwork Thames Valley on 01895 839852 or email: ruth.boyer@groundwork.org.uk.
