Community Funds & Investment

Our Approach  

We are a big part of local community life and we work hard to strengthen and support those areas closest to the airport. We want to ensure that people across our community benefit as much as possible from their proximity to a major international airport, and we do this by providing funding, time and resources to projects which are important both to local people and to our colleagues.

Our Activity

Community Funding

We are delighted that London Stansted continues to play an ever-increasing role in the local community through our charitable actions. This year, we have funded 100 local community group initiatives with £140,052. This has been donated through two categories of funding: the Stansted Airport Passenger Community Fund and the Stansted Airport Community Trust.

The Stansted Airport Passenger Community Fund

The Stansted Airport Passenger Community Fund donates money to local causes within a 20-mile radius of the airport. The money donated by the committee is raised from the unwanted foreign currency of passengers and staff, which is collected in the terminal. Consideration is given to requests from sports clubs, pre-schools and nurseries, junior sports clubs, Brownies, Guides, clubs and other local charities.

In December, the Essex Wildlife Trust was awarded £1000 towards the Rockell’s Wood Restoration Project. The project is in an ancient wood near Duddenhoe End and is the last woodland west of the M11 still to contain a population of Oxlips, a nationally scarce wildflower. The flowers are being threatened by the increase in the deer population, and the money donated is being used to fund temporary fencing that protects them.

For further information and to request an application form, email Sandra_king@stanstedairport.com.

The Stansted Airport Community Fund

The Stansted Airport Community Fund is dedicated to bringing lasting benefit to those areas most affected by the airport’s operations. It forms part of our Community Engagement programme, committed to minimising the impact that airport operations have on surrounding communities, and offers grants to groups within an approximate 10-mile radius of the airport.

The Community Fund has re-opened for applications from March 2023. Please click here to read more about our funding criteria and to make an application.

All applications for a grant from the Community Fund are assessed by an independent Committee, which is made up of local councillors stakeholders and airport representatives. These members bring local knowledge to the Community Fund, ensuring the money is used to the maximum benefit of the community. The airport has committed an annual contribution of £150,000 to our Community Fund until 2029 and this is topped up with any fines for noisy or off track aircraft.

If you would like any further information about the Community Fund, please contact us at community@stanstedairport.com.

Funding Deadlines and Committee Meetings