Manchester Airport staff bring festive cheer to the community with hampers, free school books, and reverse advent calendar for food banks

Staff from Manchester Airport and partners have spread festive cheer to people of all ages in surrounding communities.

Airport colleagues joined forces to collect presents including footballs, selection boxes and colouring books for youngsters most in need at this time of year More than 250 donations have been received and were shared with families on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 December.

The airport has also set-up a Christmas appeal, with initiatives including a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ team challenge. Colleagues are encouraged to support local foodbanks by ticking off a 24-item wish list for those using its foodbank services during the advent period.

The northern hub has also donated more than 1,600 free books to local schools in the run-up to Christmas. Every class at Ringway Primary, St Anthony’s Catholic Primary and The Willows Primary has received a full set of 30 books to supplement their class reading areas and encourage reading for pleasure.

Classes for younger children have been gifted a range of colourful story books including traditional tales such as ‘’The Gingerbread Man’ and modern-day classics including ‘Hairy Maclary’. Older readers have enjoyed titles from popular authors including Michael Morpurgo, Harriet Muncaster and David Walliams.

Daniel Taylor, Headteacher at Ringway Primary, said: “The donation of a set of books for every class in the school is fantastic and much needed. Most of our books were sent home at the beginning of lockdown and it has been difficult to retrieve them. We are working hard to encourage a love of language in our pupils and both the children and the staff are excited to get reading their early Christmas presents.”

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Airport’s annual Autumn Leaves Christmas Lunch event for older residents of Woodhouse Park could not go ahead. Instead, a group of volunteers from across the airport offered their time to deliver around 65 hampers to the elderly and those at risk of social isolation. The hampers contain festive treats including mince pies, Christmas cake, chocolates and a Christmas candle.

Karen Smart, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “The last year has without doubt been a very challenging one for all of us, but the disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our communities will have felt the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic more than most. That’s why I’m so incredibly proud of our colleagues’ efforts in responding to our Christmas appeal, whether through donating gifts, food, or simply their time, to bring a bit of festive cheer to our neighbours.”

In addition to its festive initiatives, Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund is now accepting applications from community groups and charities across South Manchester and North Cheshire for project funding. The Community Trust Fund celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2022 and has donated more than £3.5m in grants to community groups over that time. Details on how to apply and the full criteria can be found at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/community/working-in-our-community/community-trust-fund.