Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund pledges £30k to local causes including sports clubs, animal therapy charity and an archaeological society

More than £30,000 has been pledged by Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund at its latest quarterly meeting.

The Community Trust Fund was set up in 1997 and has since donated more than £4m to charities and community groups in its area of benefit, which extends 10 miles from the airport.

The Trust Fund is overseen by a board of trustees drawn from the airport’s colleague population and local councils in neighbouring communities, with applications for up to £3,000 considered on a quarterly basis.

A total of 22 organisations received a grant at the April meeting, joining 20 others who benefited in January, with more than £60,000 now pledged this calendar year.

Among them was the South Manchester Archaeological Research Team (SMART), based in Cheadle. The group carries out small scale archaeological digs in the South Manchester area and invites hobbyists to sign up as members and take part. It received £992.00 to purchase new equipment, which will be used on a dig planned later this year at the site of a medieval mill in Higher Mill Wood in Cheadle.

Janice Adams, a volunteer with the group, said: “We are delighted that we have been granted funding from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund to purchase additional equipment for use in our excavations. This funding will ensure that we have the resources we need to continue to investigate sites of interest in our local area and will mean that many more people will have the opportunity to participate in our digs and to observe archaeology in action.”

Inspiring Animal Therapy, in Broadbottom, Tameside, was another group to benefit. The not-for-profit group uses trained therapy animals to support youngsters with psychological challenges from phobias to bereavement to anger management, and was given £1,260.00 to purchase digital equipment to support sessions.

Becki Taylor, director of Inspiring Animal Therapy CIC, said: "Many of our young people have special educational needs or cannot attend full-time mainstream school. Learning through animal-assisted therapy really works for them.

"The tablets funded by Manchester Airport's Community Fund will make such a difference to these disadvantaged young people we work with, helping them achieve much needed educational awards. Using the tablets teaches academic skills alongside hands-on practical knowledge, which improves their confidence and self-esteem."

Stockdales, a Sale charity supporting local young people with learning disabilities, received a pledge of £1,950.00 for the purchase of a digital whiteboard. The charity’s CEO Emma Morris explained: “We’re thrilled to receive a grant from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund for a digital whiteboard, which will mean the children with learning disabilities we support will remain included, and not left behind in an increasingly digital world.”

In the Cheshire village of Rostherne, near Knutsford, the local cricket club was successful with its application for £1,201.00 to help refit its kitchen facilities. James Clarke, a member of Rostherne Cricket Club who applied for the grant on its behalf, said: “Our Cricket Club is the heart of its small community. The funding we've secured from the Community Trust Fund to enable us to invest in modern kitchen facilities for our pavilion will help safeguard our future and bring a wider benefit to the Rostherne community.”

The full list of organisations to be awarded a grant at the latest meeting, and what they will be using the money for, can be found below.

"We’re very proud of the role we play in supporting our neighbouring communities – by connecting people living there to the places they want to travel to, but also by providing jobs and investing in local good causes through our Community Trust Fund. We had a wide range of applications this quarter and it’s fantastic that we were able to support such a variety of community-led projects and initiatives.”

Helen McNabb, Trustee – Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund

Applications must demonstrate a clear and lasting community benefit, seeking funding for tangible items of longstanding value. Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here. The deadline for new applications ahead of the next quarterly meeting is Saturday 6^th June.

Grants awarded in Q2 2026