London City Airport Community Fund awards £35k to local groups to support East London’s recovery

London City Airport has announced the successful applicants to its latest round of 2022 grants from the airport’s £75,000 Community Fund.

In total, £35,683 of funding has been awarded to 13 local groups and community organisations, covering seven East London boroughs, including Newham, Hackney, Lewisham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Barking & Dagenham. Each successful applicant will receive grants of up to £3,000 to enable important and positive change in their local communities.

Successful grantees that have secured funding in this latest round include Breaking Barriers, who are working with refugees across East London boroughs, supporting them back into employment through training and development. Also securing funding was Bags of Taste, who are based in Hackney and work with people from marginalised communities to enable them to purchase and cook healthy meals on a budget.

Commenting on the award, Matt Powell, CEO of Breaking Barriers CEO said:

“At Breaking Barriers we’re so grateful to London City Airport’s Community Fund for awarding us this grant. This is an incredibly challenging time for refugee communities. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to reimburse the travel expenses for our clients travelling to access our support in person this year. Thank you so much from the whole Breaking Barriers community.”

Each organisation has been awarded a grant of up to £3,000 in line with the Community Fund’s aims to build stronger, safer and healthier communities – creating pathways to employment, more sustainable communities and raising the aspirations of East Londoners.

Since launching in 2019, London City Airport’s Community Fund is delighted to have awarded Grants totalling more than £270k to 85+ local charities and not-for-profit organisations. The Community Fund has also commissioned a video that highlights the great work the successful awardees have been able to achieve with the funding, as well as promoting it more widely to encourage more local organisations to apply.

Another recipient was Teen Action in Hackney who are working to improve the lives of disadvantaged young women and help them reach their potential. The organisation’s Director, Ellie Phirer, said:

“Teen Action is delighted to receive a £3,000 grant from the London City Airport Community Fund towards our employment entry ‘Get a Job’ program, which will support marginalised young women during this transitional period and on their journeys to employment.” 

Inspire EBP, who will run a specialist employability programme for students with Special Educational and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) at Belmont Park School, in Waltham Forest welcomed their award. Business Development Officer, Olivia Fuller, commented:

“The donation from the London City Airport Community Fund will allow us to run a specialist employability programme for a group of ten, year 11 students with Special Educational and Mental Health Needs. Our highly tailored three-part programme will raise the pupils’ aspirations and create pathways into employment by preparing them for work experience, offering supported work placements in local businesses and a comprehensive follow-up.

There has never been a more important time for increased careers support and we cannot thank the London City Airport Community Fund enough for helping us to do so, with some of London’s most vulnerable young people.”

The new funding comes at a critical time for local communities surrounding the airport as East London continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The grants will provide a financial boost to these local organisations working to support marginalised communities affected by the pandemic, covering employment and training for youth, women and refugees; wellbeing, physical and mental health; food poverty and sustainability.
The 13 local community groups receiving this latest round of funding are based in or are active in the following seven London boroughs: Newham, Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Lewisham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. Breaking Barriers are supporting refugees in all 13 local boroughs.