The Manchester Airport Skills Hub, which launched in June 2025, is a partnership between the airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group (TSCG). It aims to create an industry-led talent pipeline that supports the future of aviation in the North – teaching transferrable skills but also providing young people and adults with the sector-specific knowledge and insights that they will need for a successful career in aviation.

The Skills Hub builds on an existing partnership between the airport and TSCG that has seen more than 2,500 jobseekers progress into employment through the on-site Academy since 2012 – and aims to reach up to 4,000 people in the next five years.

The Future Talent Pathways programme engages with employers across the airport site, with the objective of opening up more entry-level opportunities for young people. The programme has reached 104 young people in its first year – exceeding an ambitious target of 100. More than 90% of Year 2 Aviation Operations learners have now progressed into roles at Manchester Airport.

Other highlights from the Skills Hub’s first year include;

• 329 adult jobseekers supported through pre-employment programmes against a target of 300, with 27 participating employers, significantly expanding recruitment reach for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
• A 100% pass rate and 90% Merit/Distinction achievement for apprentices across the airport site.
• 29 existing airport employees engaged in pilot workforce development and upskilling programmes including 14 colleagues at the airport’s special assistance provider ABM completing Level 2 leadership qualifications and receiving national Rising Star recognition.
• The project and MAG won the Business Engagement Award at the prestigious Educate North Awards, recognising its innovative employer-led approach to developing aviation skills, creating employment opportunities and supporting workforce resilience.
• Further recognition followed at the Trafford & Stockport College Group Partnerships in Excellence, Apprenticeship and Skills Awards, where Manchester Airports Group was named Overall Partner of the Year.

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, said: “At Manchester Airport we’re proud to serve the people of Greater Manchester and the North, and we do that not only by connecting people to their destination of choice, but also by giving local people the opportunity to access rewarding and fulfilling careers.

“The Skills Hub is a key part of our strategy to open up even more opportunities, particularly for young people including NEETs looking to take their first step on the career ladder. I’m delighted that, as we mark World Youth Skills Day, we’re able to reflect on a really successful first year for the Skills Hub, with career opportunities created for more than 100 young people. Not only have we helped people into careers at the airport, we’ve also helped some of our existing employees to upskill and given adults who have been out of education or employment the chance to build the skillset necessary to find a job.

“We’re not content to stop there, however. We have ambitions to reach over 4,000 people in the next five years and that will include the launch of a virtual Airport College for 16- to 19-year-olds, along with expanding our range of pre-employment courses.”

James Scott, CEO, Trafford and Stockport College Group, said:

“Our partnership with Manchester Airport is helping young people develop the skills, experience and confidence needed to go on and build successful careers in aviation.

“Through the Skills Hub, students gain a deeper understanding of the industry, while employers benefit from access to a pipeline of talented future employees.

“It's fantastic to see so many young people already progressing into roles at the airport, demonstrating the positive impact that can be achieved when education and industry work together.”

The ‘Check In & Check Yourself’ campaign will feature on digital advertising screens around Manchester Airport from 20^th July to 7^th September.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer among women in the UK, with almost 60,000 new cases each year. Recent polling by Breast Cancer Now and YouGov reveals a deeply concerning trend: nearly half (45%) of UK women fail to check their breasts regularly, and over 1 in 10 have never checked themselves at all, with hectic lifestyles and a lack of habit frequently cited as primary barriers.

That means many women only notice changes when they escape their daily routine and stresses for a well-earned holiday – including four women who are sharing their stories as part of the Check In & Check Yourself campaign.

62-year-old Kath Pryer, from Prestbury in Cheshire, was soaking up some winter sunshine in the Caribbean in January 2023, when she noticed some soreness and discomfort in her right breast while lying on her front.

She explained: “I don’t lie on my front very often, so initially I didn’t think anything of it, but a few days later I could feel it again. After the third time, I started to get more concerned, to the point where I was lying awake in bed one night – on my back this time – and that’s when I felt a lump.

“When I arrived back in the UK I went for a scan and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Straight away I started a course of IV chemotherapy, followed by a lumpectomy and five sessions of radiotherapy. Later that same year, I got the all-clear.”

Kath is clear that it was her change of environment in being on holiday that led to her realising something was wrong. She added: “I don’t think I would have found it otherwise. What I’d say to women travelling on their holidays this summer is: check thoroughly, check regularly and if you do find something you’re not happy with, don’t put it off – see somebody.”

Margo Cornish, Patron of the BooBee Campaign and Prevent Breast Cancer, said: “Going on holiday can actually be a great opportunity for women to take care of their bodies and potentially catch any signs of breast cancer early.

“The relaxed atmosphere and lack of distractions while on holiday makes it easier to notice any changes in your breasts, like lumps or differences in appearance. Even simple things like putting on sunscreen or trying out a new sunbed position could help you spot any symptoms – so this campaign is really about ensuring women are aware of what to look for, and we’re very grateful for Manchester Airport’s support. The digital screen ads in the terminals will offer a timely reminder as people prepare to jet off on their summer breaks.”

As part of the awareness campaign, a ‘BooBee bus’ will be parked outside Terminal 2 on the afternoon of Wednesday 22^nd July – where airport passengers will be able to drop in to find out more about signs and symptoms, how to check themselves, the importance of establishing a routine, and what to do if they have any concerns.

Nikki Barraclough, chief executive of Prevent Breast Cancer, said: “Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the UK, affecting almost 60,000 women every year. Early diagnosis is key, which is why it’s so important that women take time to check their breasts regularly and see a doctor straight away if they notice anything different. Checking your breasts each month might just save your life.”

For more information on the campaign visit https://www.boobee.co.uk/check.

Adam Nadeem, 24, took to the skies as Second Officer on easyJet’s 07:45 flight to Geneva, before also piloting the return flight from the Swiss city to Manchester.

It marks the culmination of a decade-long journey for Adam, who first had his interest in aviation sparked by a visit to the airport’s Runway Visitor Park as a 14-year-old. He became a keen aviation photographer and over the past 10 years has built himself a large audience on social media, with more than 26,000 followers on Instagram.

Reflecting on where his interest in a piloting career began, he said: “Growing up, I was that youngster who would always ask to go to the flight deck after landing to meet the pilots - those moments made a real impression on me.

“A school friend knew I loved planes and suggested we go to the Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport. I took my first camera along, a Nikon D3300, and that was pretty much it. That same day, I set up my aviation photography page on Instagram. It's something I'm really proud of when I look back at where I started.”

Adam knew from a young age, though, that his true calling was not on the sidelines but at the heart of the action. A week spent on work experience at the airport as a 16-year-old confirmed that this was the industry he wanted to build a career in.

He spent time shadowing the security team, the fire department and airside operations, as well as making an introduction to the airport’s press and social media teams – who had become aware of the sizeable following he was building on his own digital platforms. Soon, Adam was being invited to airport events in an official capacity as an aviation photographer.

Jonathan Challis, a member of the airport’s Future Airspace team who mentored Adam during his work experience and has kept in touch ever since, said: “It has been a privilege to share Adam’s aviation journey from his first day on Work Experience. We have continued to meet for a coffee from time to time and Adam always been inquisitive, keen to develop a wider aviation interest outside the flight deck and sought precision and excellence in his work. These are the qualities you need in a commercial pilot.”

By 2017, Adam was taking his first flying lessons at Barton aerodrome – and it quickly became a passion to rival his aviation photography hobby. He moved to Oxford to take on an intensive integrated flying course, where he passed exams on 13 different subjects and racked up more than 100 hours of flying time on a single-engine plane, on the way to gaining his Commercial Pilot’s License. He said: “My first solo flight was quite a milestone for me - departing from Oxford to Norwich on my own. Once I had completed this, I was immensely proud of myself but also became confident in my abilities.”

Adam then progressed to flying a multi-engine aircraft for his Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating, along with 40 hours in an Airbus A320 simulator, working with a co-pilot in conditions designed to mimic a commercial jet. It was around this time that he applied to easyJet and was invited to an assessment day before being made a conditional offer of employment, once he had gained his full licence.

After a further eight-week course to gain his Type Rating on the A320, he undertook further training with easyJet at the airline’s facility in Gatwick and also completed base training – which saw him fly a real A320 for the first time. He explained: “I had to safely complete six landings and one go-around in the real aircraft. We flew circuits around the airfield at Teesside to complete this. It was so surreal - the result of everything I had worked towards.

“Here I was, filled with excitement, at the controls of a real 60-ton airliner. The feeling cannot be described but if you were a fly on the wall in the flight deck, you’d have just seen me smile the whole way round!”

Having completed his base training last month, Adam took to the skies with an aircraft full of passengers behind him for the first time yesterday – and feels he couldn’t have achieved it without the support and guidance of those he encountered at the airport almost a decade ago, and the support of the airline as he gained his wings.

He reflected: “Being an airline pilot is special, but the journey to get there is tough and really tests your dedication and motivation to get there. I am grateful to those that stood by me to support my journey no matter what it took.

“The instructors here at easyJet are great, they are professional and want to impart their knowledge and experience to make you better. The company has a strong training philosophy where your limited experience as a cadet is acknowledged and the courses are designed to break things down to practice and get familiar with the aircraft. It was this that I have appreciated so much – having instructors and a company that are on your side and want you to be confident is a real credit to easyJet.

“I am also incredibly thankful to the teams across MAG who have cheered me on from the start, thank you for taking a chance on me all those years ago, providing me with invaluable experience and knowledge to take into my career. The teams across the business are a big reason why I pursued this career and my family, friends and peers all played a role into my success. I am proud to be where I am now after so much was given to get me here. I look forward to flying from Manchester Airport, a constant reminder of the place where it all began.

“My advice for any young person wanting to pursue a career as a pilot is to study hard at school, do some trial flights, attend open days at flight schools to see what they have to offer, and always be ready to learn. There’s no other way to say this, but it was a tough journey. It was demanding, but with hard work and focus, it’s a career path that is within reach – particularly nowadays with airlines introducing sponsored schemes for people from all kinds of backgrounds.”

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, said: “Adam’s is such an inspirational story – a young man with a passion for flying who sought out opportunities to get some first-hand experience of the industry at a very young age, and is now reaping the rewards. We’re proud to serve the people of the North at Manchester Airport – but when we say that, we don’t just mean by flying them to the places that they want to travel to. We are also very proud of the role we play in local communities, giving young people their first taste of a working environment and setting them on the path to fulfil their dreams, as Adam has done.”

The event, which returns by popular demand after a hugely successful first year in 2025, promises a weekend of celebration, community and connection in the heart of Cheshire‍. It will offer a packed two-day programme of live entertainment and performances, community stalls and activities, hosted at various venues across Wilmslow.

The sponsorship will see representatives from the airport’s Fly With Pride colleague group work with Wilmslow Pride organisers to build awareness of the event and champion values of inclusivity and diversity, both within the local community and within the airport’s 20,000-plus workforce.

Cat Davys, Talent & Diversity Director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: "We are delighted to be supporting Wilmslow Pride this year as its headline sponsor. This is an event rooted in its local community that is going from strength to strength, and it's important to us that we support community-led initiatives in areas like Wilmslow, ensuring they feel the benefit of having a major hub like Manchester Airport on their doorstep.

"Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are also extremely important values to us as an employer - last year we launched a five-year EDI Strategy with ambitions to become an industry leader in this area - so partnering with Wilmslow Pride is a great fit for us. We share the event's ethos of connecting local people from all walks of life and encouraging them to celebrate difference and be their authentic selves."

Brian Wood, who leads the airport’s Fly With Pride colleague community, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the headline sponsor of Wilmslow Pride, a beautiful, blossoming celebration happening right on our doorstep.

“From its very beginning, this event has been rooted in love, inclusion and community, and that’s exactly why it matters so deeply to us. Wilmslow Pride is proudly family‑led, joy‑filled and welcoming, creating a safe and affirming space where LGBTQIA+ people of all ages can be visible, celebrated and embraced for exactly who they are.

“It brings neighbours, friends and families together under a shared rainbow, reminding us that pride is about connection, kindness and belonging. Supporting Wilmslow Pride is our colleague community’s way of standing loud, proud and united with the LGBTQIA+ community today, tomorrow and always.”

Richard Dash, a co-founder of the event, added: “Wilmslow Pride was born from something personal. Growing up in a small town in Cornwall with very little queer representation around me, I know first-hand how much it matters to see yourself reflected in the community you call home.

“Together with an incredible group of people, we built Wilmslow Pride from the ground up. What we didn't fully anticipate was just how much this community would embrace it and the response has been overwhelming.

“Pride isn't just an event. It's a message to every young person in this town who might be quietly wondering whether there's a place for them here. There is, and there always was. Wilmslow Pride exists to make sure they know it.”

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

The Business Engagement Award celebrates the collaboration’s innovative and employer-led approach to developing aviation skills, creating employment opportunities and supporting workforce resilience across Manchester Airport’s operations.

The partnership, which has evolved over more than a decade, was recognised for delivering a scalable, place-based model that aligns education, recruitment and workforce planning with real-time employer demand.

Since 2012, almost 2,000 learners have progressed into paid employment through the initiative, with many securing roles within weeks of completing training. 

Gareth Burrow, Director of Curriculum for Industry Partnerships and Skills at Trafford & Stockport College Group was a key driving force behind the partnership and took to the stage to receive the award.

He said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this national recognition alongside our valued partners at MAG and other key strategic employers across Manchester Airport. This award reflects years of collaborative working to create meaningful opportunities for local people whilst supporting one of the region’s most important employment hubs.

“The Manchester Airport Skills Hub is transforming the way education and industry work together. By listening directly to employers and responding quickly to workforce needs, we are creating clear pathways into careers and helping individuals develop long-term opportunities within aviation and related industries.”

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at MAG, added: “We’re proud of the role that Manchester Airport plays in serving the people of Greater Manchester and the wider North – and it does that not just by connecting people to the places they want to fly to, but also by creating jobs and giving people the opportunity to access rewarding and meaningful careers.

“This is a big year for us, with the completion of our decade-long, £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2 and an additional major investment in Terminal 3, so it’s a great time to be embarking on a career in aviation here at the North’s hub airport. We’re grateful to TSCG for their ongoing commitment to helping us bring those opportunities to talented people in our neighbouring communities.”

The Manchester Airport Skills Hub was formally launched in 2025, building on the success of the Airport Academy model and bringing together employers, civic leaders and education providers to tackle skills shortages across the airport’s operational footprint, which supports more than 20,000 jobs. 

Key initiatives delivered through the partnership include leadership and management programmes, engineering pathways, careers engagement activity and employer-led recruitment support.

The programme has also developed a CEO-led Skills Advisory Board to ensure training provision remains aligned with live labour market intelligence and future workforce priorities. 

The judges praised the partnership for demonstrating measurable impact, strong employer collaboration and a commitment to inclusive growth across Greater Manchester.

The award win further strengthens Trafford and Stockport College Group’s reputation as a leading provider of employer-responsive education and skills development, while highlighting the power of strategic partnerships in driving economic growth and social mobility.

The Level 3 Aviation Ground Specialist course, which was welcomed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham when it was launched in 2023, is unique in giving students experience of all the elements of an airport operation. It was broken down into four separate work placements in different roles across the airport with supervision and mentoring from experienced aviation professionals. This included everything from terminal operations to airfield safety, ground handling and runway management.

Each placement was supplemented by in-person learning at TSCG’s Altrincham Campus, where apprentices studied the operational models of airports across the globe, the development of airport operations best practice and how the aviation industry is evolving and adapting to new technology. Apprentices also had the opportunity to review and discuss their placements and practice interview technique.

Places on the course were promoted to local school sixth forms and colleges, as part of the airport’s commitment to providing opportunities to those living nearby. Its launch formed part of Manchester Airports Group’s (MAG) Developing Talent strategy, to nurture future managers and leaders for the business and the aviation sector more widely. TSCG and Manchester Airport also offer a range of other courses in collaboration, including a Team Leader & Supervisor Apprenticeship for existing airport staff who want to take the next step in their careers.

The launch of the Aviation Ground Specialist programme and Team Leader programme reflect the strength and ambition of the partnership between Trafford & Stockport College Group and Manchester Airport Group.

Delivered through the Manchester Airport Skills Hub, the programmes were developed in close collaboration with MAG to create an industry led talent pipeline that supports the future of aviation in the region.

Learners have benefited from hands on experience during live operations at the airport, developing skills in areas including airside operations, aircraft handling, leadership and how to work safely in an exceptionally fast‑paced environment.

Since 2012, nearly 2,000 learners have progressed into paid employment through joint TSCG and MAG programmes, with over half of those securing roles within weeks of completing their training.

The latest cohort of graduates received their certificates at a ceremony at the Altrincham Campus, where they heard from senior leaders at MAG and TSCG about the opportunities the qualification would present them. A number of graduates also took to the stage to share their own experiences.

Among them was 20-year-old Oscar Pearson Leach from Stockport. Oscar always knew he wanted to work in aviation and had ambitions to become a pilot when he was younger, but was put off by the high cost of gaining a commercial pilot’s license. He had done work experience at the airport and then worked part-time in retail prior to beginning the course. Not only has he now graduated from his apprenticeship, he has also secured a contract with MAG as a Safety and Compliance officer.

Oscar said: “I first saw the course on the airport careers website. I was just looking for something short-term for the summer but saw this and it looked like an ideal way into the aviation industry and an opportunity too good to miss. The course has definitely opened my eyes to other opportunities for careers in the industry that I didn’t even know existed – whether that’s in management, operations, or office based – there are so many career paths that you wouldn’t really see as a passenger using the airport.

“It was great to get so much practical experience on the placements. You’re doing the same things that full time staff are doing – from airfield control to safety audits and compliance-based tasks. We weren’t just extras, we were counted into numbers on the team roster, so you really felt you were bring trusted with those responsibilities.

“The biggest challenge was adapting to a shift pattern, which is not something I’d done before, but it was also a win because it was an insight into the way things really work at an airport. Airports are 24/7 operations, they don’t sleep and a lot of the action goes on at night when planes are on the ground and most people are tucked up in bed!”

21-year-old Luke Helsdon, from Blackburn in Lancashire, graduated alongside Oscar. He had previously studies sports at college and worked as a car mechanic but was attracted to the idea of working at the airport after learning of the course because it would give him the opportunity to explore a career that was different to the paths most of his friends had chosen.

He reflected: “The apprenticeship was really rewarding to be a part of and has helped me secure a fixed term contract in airfield operations. Day to day, I'm out on the airfield, which I really enjoy – driving around, overseeing works there, guiding aircraft on where they need to go and ensuring we stay compliant with safety rules.

“I'm not well versed in computers or course work and I was more used to working with my hands, however with the help of my tutor and managers at MAG I was able to thrive and get through the study elements of the course as well as the practical parts of it.”

Adam Doyle, 24, from Cheadle Hulme, also graduated from the programme and is now Airfield Operations Support Officer. He said: “The airport is a great place to work, it’s always a challenge and it’s so fulfilling to work here. My dream is to go onto become an Aviation Manager and so the apprenticeship and my role now in Airfield Operations is really preparing me for that.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without the apprenticeship. It was great to have hands on experience. My message to students who may want to take up an Apprenticeship is that there’s so much opportunity available to fit your needs.”

Collecting her Team Leader & Supervisor Apprenticeship certificate was 29-year-old Laura Quate from High Peak, who has been at the airport since 2019 and held several positions including Acting Security Team Manager and a supervisory role in Airfield Operations. She is now a Health & Safety Business Partner.

Laura said: “I enjoyed the diversity and range of opportunities you get given in an apprenticeship. The Team Leader and Supervisor Apprenticeship allowed me to build on my skills and grow and I probably wouldn’t have progressed as quickly without it. I’ve only got here through pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

“I don’t think people realise the scope of what we do at the airport, it’s not just cabin crew and pilots. There are so many opportunities here and I would seriously encourage anyone wanting a change in career to consider what is on offer here at the airport.”

Tina Edwards, People Director at Manchester Airport, said:

“We are delighted to celebrate the first cohort of apprentices to graduate from this programme and it was great to be able to extend my congratulations to them personally. It was great to hear that so many of them have already secured paid roles at the airport with ourselves or one of our service partners, on the back of completing this qualification and impressing managers on their work placements.

“At Manchester Airport we’re proud to serve the people of Greater Manchester and the North, and that doesn’t just mean by flying people to the places they want to travel to – it also means giving local people the chance to access unique employment opportunities and embark on a rewarding career.”

Tracey Wood, Chief Commercial Officer at Trafford & Stockport College Group, said:

“We are incredibly proud of our graduates and everything they have achieved.

“Working in close partnership with Manchester Airport Group, and through a programme co‑designed with MAG and our tutor team, we have created an accessible pathway that gives learners real industry experience and prepares them for successful careers in the aviation sector.

“All tutors completed their Continuing Professional Development onsite with MAG to ensure the curriculum remained current and directly aligned with the industry need.

The dedication and resilience shown by these students is a testament not only to their hard work, but to the strength of our ongoing partnership with MAG and our shared commitment to developing the future aviation workforce.”

Around 800 pre-arranged face-to-face appointments took place across the course of the day, with a schedule of presentations, workshops and networking events offering businesses further opportunities to connect.

The programme included a workshop on how to successfully secure contracts through effective bidding and tendering, a talk from Manchester City Council on inclusive growth and social value, and Manchester Airport Skills Hub also ran a session looking in-depth at how businesses can futureproof themselves by upskilling their workforce.

More than £25m of deals were struck at last year’s Meet The Buyers event, and this year’s attendees were delighted with the opportunity to explore opportunities with major buyers face-to-face.

Lisa Carrington is Business Development Manager at Spacemann, a company that supplies booths, pods and private working spaces. She said her business was new to the aviation sector and her attendance at the event was part of a fact-finding mission, looking at ways their products could be implemented in an airport setting. She said:

“It’s been really interesting to get some time, one-on-one, with buyers. Mostly I’m here to understand how we get involved in the aviation network, so it’s good to be able to put questions to people who are experts in their field.” 

For Neil Whittingham, a Technical Sales Manager at Liverpool-based Ventilux UK Ltd, this was not his first Meet The Buyers event, having attended two previously.

His company, which supplies emergency lighting products like exit signs and escape route luminaires as well as light testing systems, had already supplied some projects at Manchester Airport and viewed the event as an opportunity to expand its profile in the aviation sector.

Neil explained:

“The event is a great way to continue to develop relationships with existing customers but also try to find new customers, in or around the airport and in the wider region. It’s the best of both worlds in that sense.”

Among the 28 major buyers represented at the event was AmcoGiffen, the Barnsley-headquartered construction firm which has played a key role in Manchester Airport’s £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. They met dozens of prospective suppliers across the event. This was their fourth successive year at Meet The Buyers, and Contracts Manager Phil Brown has attended all of them. He said:

“We’ve worked with Manchester Airports Group for many years, and have built a lot of important relationships with North West based businesses through the projects we’ve worked on. This is an event that we keep coming back to because it’s an invaluable networking opportunity.”

AmcoGiffen’s Procurement Manager Joe Jagger added:

“Some of our work is quite niche and specialist, so a face-to-face conversation with potential suppliers gives us the chance to get into the detail of what we need and gives them the chance to put forward their offering and we can see if we’re missing something.”

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, said:

“We take pride in our role in connecting people across the North with the places they want to fly to, but we also take our responsibilities very seriously as a major employer and economic driver in the region. The airport directly employs more than 3,400 people and indirectly supports almost 20,000 jobs – adding billions of pounds in value to the regional economy in partnership with the businesses that operate on our site, ranging from hotels and restaurants to airlines and aviation service companies.

“Our position at the heart of all that makes us uniquely placed to run an event such as Meet The Buyers, where we are able to give SMEs in our region the chance to meet with procurement teams at some of the biggest names in our industry and explore the opportunities available to work together, to the benefit of the wider North.”

Set up in 1997 to give something back to communities neighbouring the airport, the Community Trust Fund has pledged more than £4m in donations in total. Managed by a committee of trustees from the local area, alongside representatives from the airport, it considers applications from within a 10-mile radius of the airport site with a maximum pledge of £3,000 per group or project.

Among those receiving the maximum pledge at the latest meeting was Greater Manchester Blood Bikes, a group of volunteer motorcyclists delivering blood, plasma and other medical supplies to NHS hospitals free of charge, at night, at the weekend and on bank holidays. The group will use the funding to purchase helite turtle vests for its drivers – a type of safety vest with an inbuilt airbag.

Russ Harrison, the charity’s Chair, said: “This grant will help keep our volunteer riders safe as they carry out their vital work delivering medical supplies to NHS facilities across the region.

“Greater Manchester Blood Bikes is a charity that relies heavily on the generosity of the public and businesses and the commitment of our wonderful volunteers to keep our service running for the benefit of those who need our help”.

Another recipient is Friends of Cowfield Park in Altrincham, which will receive £1,517. Organiser Mike O’Neill explained: “Friends of Cowfield Park is delighted to have been awarded a grant towards the purchasing of benches and picnic tables for the community to be able to enjoy.

“This informal recreation space, known locally as 'The Cowie', has been loved and used by generations of children and adults living in Oldfield Brow. The Friends group was formed in 2013 when the land was in danger of being lost to development and since then, we have worked to make improvements and in particular to make Cowfield more accessible for all.

“These efforts eventually resulted in the construction of an all-seasons path that will allow pushchairs, wheelchair users and others to now enjoy Cowfield Park year-round. The new benches and picnic tables will provide much needed resting places along the way.”

A heritage trail in Cheadle will be fitted with informational signs thanks to a £2,995 pledge from the Community Trust Fund to Cheadle Civic Society.

Phillip Gould-Bourn MBE, Chairman of Cheadle Civic Society, said: "We're very grateful to Manchester Airport for the grant from their Community Trust Fund, which will support the creation of a Heritage Trail around our village. The Trail will be a valuable community asset that brings people together to learn more about local history and is a long-held ambition of the Society, which the Airport is helping bring to fruition."

Mobberley Victory Hall Bowling Club, in the village of Mobberley, near Knutsford, was granted the full £3,000 for the purchase of a new specialised mower for its bowling greens.

Sylvia Buckley, Club Secretary, said: “By supporting this grant application, the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund has not just invested in bowling equipment – it is helping sustain a community asset that promotes social inclusion, intergenerational connection, and the preservation of a valued local tradition. 

“This donation will allow us to continue offering sessions that are safe, engaging, and suitable for newcomers as well as long-standing bowlers. It will also help us expand participation, encouraging more residents to get involved and experience the physical, mental, and social benefits our group provides.”

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 to serve communities around Greater Manchester and Cheshire – not just by connecting people to their destinations of choice, or by employing people from the local area, but by actively contributing to community led projects that we know will make a big difference locally. The Community Trust Fund has been running for almost 30 years now and it has made an immeasurable impact during that time in sharing the airport’s success with surrounding communities. We’re delighted to be supporting 20 further fantastic causes following our latest meeting and look forward to considering more applications in the spring.”

Helen McNabb, Trustee – Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund

Applications are considered on a quarterly basis and 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 this Friday (13^th March).

Grants awarded in Q1 2026

The one-off episode of ‘Manchester: Your Airport, MAN’ was recorded in front of a live audience at the airport’s inaugural Aviation Careers Festival last week, with hundreds of secondary school and college age pupils in attendance – and is being released today in audio and video format to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March.

Compered by former BBC Radio 6 Music, Key 103 and Rock FM host Hywel Evans, the episode takes on a Q&A format – with pupils in the audience putting their questions to the panel. The women offering their career tips and insights were;

• Melanie Lawley, Manchester Airport’s Head of Airfield Operations. Melanie joined Manchester Airport in April 2025 and works within the Aerodrome team, with overall responsibility for Airfield Operations, Airfield Control and Airside Bussing teams. Her role covers the management of runways, aircraft movements and day to day airside operations.
•  
• Kate Wild - Air Traffic Controller. Kate has worked for air traffic control operator NATS for 19 years, starting her career at Manchester Airport straight out of the training college, with 3.5 of those years spent working in the Middle East. On a day-to-day basis, she works as a Tower and Approach Controller while also managing the operational ATC team on shift.
•  
• Lauren Wigglesworth - Pilot. Lauren is a Captain at Virgin Atlantic, having joined the airline in 2016. She began her Virgin Atlantic career flying the iconic Boeing 747, before moving onto the Airbus A330 fleet in 2021. Over the past few months, Lauren has successfully completed her command course and officially took up her role as Captain on 2 January. Alongside her flying career, she is also a mum to a five-year-old child, proudly showing that it’s possible to build a successful aviation career while raising a family.
•  
• Laura Moskal-Beresford - Cabin Crew. Laura has been at Virgin Atlantic for 15 years and has taken on a number of roles beyond flying, including volunteering with the Flying Without Fear team, supporting guests with severe anxiety about flying. She has also collaborated with British makeup brand Illamasqua on the launch of the ‘Virgin’ lipstick in 2014, created to coincide with the airline’s Vivienne Westwood uniform launch.
•  
• Abi Owen-Hodgson – Apprentice Aircraft Engineer. While many of her friends are away at university, 18-year-old Abi, from Liverpool, is already earning, learning and building a career in the aviation sector. Having joined easyJet’s Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship scheme last year, Abi is now part of a team of 20 apprentices learning their trade over the course of a two-year programme.

A huge range of questions was put to the panel, from how to get into an aviation career, to how an Air Traffic Controller would handle an unidentified aircraft, and which airports are the flight crews’ favourites to fly into.

There was also plenty of discussion on efforts being made to address gender imbalances in an industry that has historically had ingrained gender stereotypes – only around five per cent of commercial pilots are women, for example – but all of the panellists affirmed that they had noticed positive changes.

Lauren said: “I think if you said ‘airline captain’, you’re probably not visualising me, so I think I definitely do surprise people. But I’ve been flying for 20 years, I’ve flown six different aeroplane types, I have the experience, and I have the knowledge. One of the reasons it’s very important for me to be here today is, you can’t be what you can’t see, and today I hope we’re proving that you can be what you want to be.”

Melanie added: “To be fair, there are women [employed] in most aspects of an airport – but Airfield Operations does tend to be very male-dominated, and I have been, and still can be the only female in a room at times. But I wouldn’t let that put anyone off – no-one’s looking at me [saying], ‘oh, she’s a woman’. If you’ve got the knowledge and the skills and the experience to be able to contribute to the discussions that are going on, that is the most important thing – not what you look like.”

And apprentice engineer Abi said: “You don’t see too many girls but there are definitely more coming into the industry, which is nice to see – it shouldn’t be one gender, it should be a bit of a mix. I do have people ask me sometimes, ‘what made you get into this?’, but I don’t get treated any differently.”

The Manchester: Your Airport, MAN podcast launched in 2023 and has now been running for four series, building a listener audience of more than 10,000 and covering topics from holiday trends and new routes to the airport’s T2 expansion and community outreach. You can listen on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts among other platforms, and the one-off special International Women’s Day episode is also available to watch in video format on YouTube.

Yesterday’s full-day event hosted more than 40 exhibits from the airport and a range of partners, with stands placing an emphasis on interactive activities, rather than pens and pamphlets, allowing young people to get hands-on with their potential career ambitions.

Among the unique exhibits on show was a 360-degree flight simulator, demos of various airport vehicles and firefighting equipment, an AI photobooth where youngsters could try on virtual uniforms and get a printed picture, and an exhibit from a hotel group with a competitive challenge for pupils to make beds as quickly as possible. Other exhibits offered the chance to virtually try their hand at everything from airport security to guiding a plane in to land.

A 200-seat theatre in the RVP’s Concorde Hangar saw the airport’s Chief Operating Officer Pete Lederer open the event and also hosted a range of talks and round tables, including a Q&A session for pupils with an all-female panel of aviation professionals - from pilots to engineers and air traffic controllers – which was recorded for a one-off special episode of the airport’s official podcast.

Employers represented at the festival included;

• Airlines and travel companies, including Virgin Atlantic, Jet2.com, easyJet and TUI.
• Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus;
• Retailers, hoteliers and franchise operators, including HMSHost, World Duty Free and Delta Hotels.
• Airport partners and service providers, ranging from Greater Manchester Police and the Civil Aviation Authority, to NATS Air Traffic Control, CAVU, airline supplier Dnata and Dnata Catering, along with passenger mobility assistance provider ABM.

Also present were Trafford & Stockport College Group, highlighting aviation-based courses, and the airport’s Youth Forum and Early Talent teams – giving pupils the chance to find out more about routes into the careers they discovered in the exhibition area.

The festival was part funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), as part of its commitment to opening up pathways into careers in the aviation sector.

"It has been fantastic to see so many young people here and to see them so engaged with the huge range of career options that we’re showcasing through this festival. I’d like to thank all of the pupils who attended and all of the partners who put such careful thought into crafting engaging exhibits that would capture their imaginations, as well as the DfT for their support with funding and organisation.

“We’re very proud of our role in serving the North – and that’s about much more than just connecting people with the places they want to fly to. It’s also about the economic benefits that we bring to the region, through inward investment and job creation. Hopefully today, we’ve lit the spark for some aviation professionals of the future.”

Marcella M’Rabety – Head of Social Sustainability, Manchester Airport

“This event proves that the sky is not the limit when it comes to young people’s aspirations! It was great to see the huge number of opportunities available and the direct connection between local schools and employers, who are offering a world of opportunity across a really broad range of professions.
 
“Apprenticeships and technical education are playing a key role in building the skills pipeline of the future for the aviation industry, in Manchester and beyond.”

Gemma Marsh – Deputy Chief Executive, Skills England

The free event at The Forum, Wythenshawe, will link jobseekers with more than 20 leading employers operating at the airport in areas including retail, hospitality, aviation services, customer service and logistics.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is advertising a range of vacancies in areas like airport security, lounge hospitality and terminal operations.

Other roles on offer with third-party employers based at the airport range from airline support and check‑in to airside operations, logistics and ground handling, retail, and special assistance services for passengers with restricted mobility.

Employers who will be represented at the fair include;

-          Airlines and travel companies, including Jet2.com and Jet2holidays

-          Retailers and franchise operators, including Boots, Costa Coffee, JD Wetherspoon, WHSmith, Pasta Evangelists, Monsoon, HMSHost SSP and World Duty Free.

-          Airport service providers, including PrimeFlight, 36T HUB, Mitie, Swissport and ABM.

The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will be in attendance promoting its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes for those who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance and require additional support before applying for the jobs.

The jobs fair will take place between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday 3 March. Entry to the event must be booked in advance through Eventbrite, via this link.

 Jobseekers securing roles with MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits. These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts plus many more. You can find out more online at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment.

Tina Edwards, People Director at Manchester Airport, said: "We’re proud to serve the North – not just by flying people to the places they want to travel to, but by helping local people find their way into rewarding and fulfilling careers.

“The airport directly employs more than 3,400 people and indirectly supports almost 20,000 jobs, so we’re a major contributor to the local economy and our ambitious growth plans mean we’re always looking for more talented people to join our teams. The same is true of our fantastic partners who are represented at this jobs fair.

“It’s an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport as our £1.3bn, decade-long expansion programme wraps up this year, giving us the platform to realise our potential as a truly global hub.”

The airport’s annual ‘Giftmas’ appeal, which aims to reach children and vulnerable adults who would otherwise not wake up to a present on Christmas morning, triggered a huge response with around 1,000 gifts gathered by airport colleagues.

The donated gifts included books, jigsaws, toys, socks, gloves, colouring sets and school supplies. The airport then topped this up with more than 1,500 additional gifts, to a total of 2,500 Christmas presents.

Managing Director Chris Woodroofe and other members of the airport’s senior leadership were among the airport staff who volunteered their time to wrap the presents, which have since been distributed to around a dozen community centres, care homes, family charities and foodbanks over the past week.

Manchester City Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Joanna Midgley, said: "Thanks to the generosity of Manchester Airport staff, Christmas will be a little bit brighter for people experiencing homelessness in Wythenshawe who we are supporting to get back on their feet. Along with their other donations to local care homes, it reflects what a good neighbour the airport is." 

Head of Community Engagement for Manchester Airport, Robert Pattison, added: "We’re very proud of the role we play in making life a bit easier for disadvantaged or vulnerable people in our neighbouring communities, and that is never truer than at this time of year. Sharing a bit of festive joy is not just fantastic for those communities but it’s also really rewarding for colleagues – we love it when they get involved in our campaigns and we were blown away by the generosity they showed in gathering thousands of items for our Giftmas campaign this year.”

The airport’s Community Engagement team organised the collection and distribution of the gifts and has also been involved in a number of other projects to support those living close to the airport in 2025. These have included an ‘Autumn Leaves’ lunch for people aged over 65 in the Woodhouse Park area, in an effort to combat social isolation in older age groups, and more than £100,000 worth of donations made to dozens of good causes across Greater Manchester and Cheshire by the airport’s Community Trust Fund.

Childflight, a North-West children’s charity which provides flights and holidays for children who are unwell or living in challenging circumstances, teamed up with Manchester Airport and TUI to operate the special ‘Search for Santa’ experience on Wednesday this week.

The children, aged between five and 11, were taken on a TUI aircraft, leaving Manchester and flying over the snow-capped peaks of North Wales – doubling for the North Pole. They were entertained on board by volunteers, including airport colleagues in full costume as Santa’s elves, who had volunteered their time to take part.

Midway through the flight, the wings of the plane gently tipped as though a sleigh had touched down on top of the aircraft – before St Nicholas himself appeared when the plane landed in Manchester to hand out gifts.

Stephen Sefton, Chair of Childflight, said: “Myself and the Childflight team are happy to be able to provide the annual Santa Flight for socially deserving children. We are grateful for the donations to Childflight via the collection globes at Manchester Airport which fund the Santa Flight and towards our other activities.”

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, said: “We are proud to have supported Childflight with the Search for Santa experience again this year, alongside our airline partner TUI. This has become something of a festive tradition, but each of the children on board were experiencing it for the first time, and I know the colleagues who take part never get tired of seeing those young people’s joyous reactions when Santa appears.

“Christmas is a special time of year for our passengers, our colleagues and our local communities and it’s important to us that we continue to bring the magic of Christmas to them – not just through this fantastic initiative, but also through things like our Giftmas campaign, where colleagues donate small gifts which are wrapped and filled into stockings for children in some of Greater Manchester’s most disadvantaged areas. I’m very grateful to every colleague who has donated time or gifts this year to help us spread some Christmas cheer.”

Alison Freeman TUI Cabin Manager said: “The Search for Santa flight is a really magical experience that we love to be involved with. The whole crew find it so rewarding being able to bring some festive cheer to these families and we love seeing the excitement on the children’s faces throughout the entire flight. Our team went above and beyond to make sure every part of the search for Santa was really special for the children and families.”

The Community Trust Fund, which is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport, considers applications from groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire.

It was set up in 1997 and has donated more than £4m in that time – with a commitment to pledge at least £100,000 per year. Charities and not-for-profit community groups or projects are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit, with applications considered on a quarterly basis.

More than £24,000 worth of funding was pledges to a total of 18 groups at the latest meeting. These included the David Lewis Centre, in Alderley Edge, will get £1,000 to fund some new accessible picnic benches. Sarah Johnson, Head of Fundraising & Communications at David Lewis, said: "“We’re incredibly grateful to the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund for their generous support. This funding will help the people we support to make the most of our wonderful outdoor spaces, enabling them to enjoy time outside and take part in meaningful activities that benefit their health and wellbeing.”

The Grafton Centre, a community hub in Hyde which arranges a range of subsidised weekly activities, was given £2,697 for the purchase of a new indoor bowling mat.

Julie Ingham, a Community Centre Manager at The Grafton Centre, explained: “'The donation we received from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund will enable us to buy a brand-new mat as we only started out with a second hand one. This class has proven to be very popular, and it brings people together.

“Our aim is to combat social isolation and loneliness by providing a warm welcoming safe space for all adults to enjoy various activities to live well.”

Benchill Community Centre in Wythenshawe is among six organisations in the City of Manchester that will receive funding. Its grant is at the maximum £3,000 and will fund the creation of a sensory room.

Nicola Booth, an Assistant Centres Manager at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, which manages the community centre, said: “We here at Benchill Community Centre are so very thankful for the grant. This money will help with the upgrade of our Sensory Room, making it a safe and enjoyable space for not only our many customers with additional needs but also as a place for parents and carers to bring their babies. The Sensory Room is a great community asset that will now be fit for the future.”

Robert Pattison, Chair of Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund, added: "Our Community Trust Fund is a powerful example of the way Manchester Airport contributes to its neighbouring communities beyond just flying people to the destinations they want to get to or creating jobs for local people. We’ve now donated more than £120,000 to good causes in local communities over the course of 2025, and we’re proud of the impact this scheme continues to have in local communities, having issued its first grants almost three decades ago.

“If you are involved with a charity or community project within our area of benefit, we’d love to hear from you ahead of the Community Trust Fund’s next meeting.”

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.

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 Friday 19^th December.

Grants awarded in Q4 2025

The airport’s annual Autumn Leaves lunch is free for over-65s from Woodhouse Park and other wards neighbouring the airport. Volunteers from Manchester Airport served up a three-course hot meal, plus an afternoon of entertainment.

Since it started fourteen years ago, almost 3,000 people have attended the event, which aims to tackle social isolation among older people in communities surrounding the airport.

This year’s lunch had a ‘magic of the movies’ theme and was followed by bingo, a raffle, and a performance from The Lancashire Belle.

More than 40 airport staff from various departments volunteered to help out across the two days, as part of a scheme the airport operates which allows colleagues to claim up to two working days per year on full pay to volunteer for good causes that matter to them in the local area. Volunteers pitched in by waiting tables, serving drinks and handing out gift bags to attendees.

"We take our responsibility to our neighbouring communities very seriously and we strive to be a good neighbour, so the Autumn Leaves lunch is an important fixture in our calendar of community outreach events. We’re proud to have reached so many local people once again this year and to have given them an opportunity to get out of the house and socialise at a time of year where opportunities to do so are more limited, with the darker nights drawing in. Putting on this event relies on the time and effort generously contributed by dozens of volunteers from across the airport operation, and I’d like to thank them for their hard work in making this happen.”

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement, Manchester Airport

To find out more about Manchester Airport’s outreach in local communities, and the ways in which the airport can help support good causes near you, visit https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/community/.

The all-expenses-paid break was organised by Childflight, a North-West children’s charity which provides flights and holidays for children who are unwell or living in challenging circumstances, in conjunction with Manchester Airport, TUI Airways and the TUI Care Foundation.

The children, aged between 5 and 16, travelled with family members on the specially chartered flight operated by TUI Airways, and will return on Wednesday 12 November.

During their nearly two-week stay in Florida, their itinerary includes relaxing poolside days and pool parties, along with days out at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, visits to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom followed by thrill rides at Epcot. They'll also head to Disney Hollywood Studios for a special meet-and-greet with Mickey Mouse himself and wrap up the trip with a bit of shopping in Orlando’s Old Town entertainment district.

Stephen Sefton, Chair of Childflight, said: “This trip is pretty special – we’re taking 54 families, plus five doctors, eight nurses, and team leaders, with all expenses paid, even spending money. For many of these kids, it’s their first ever holiday abroad, so it’s going to be an exciting and emotional couple of weeks, and one made of memories to last a lifetime.

“Many of these families are living through extremely trying times in their lives, so it’s fantastic to be able to put smiles back on their faces for the next 12 days.”

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, said: “We're proud of the role the airport plays in its local community, whether that’s as a major local employer, a donor to good causes through our Community Trust Fund, or through supporting initiatives such as this.”

Jamie Ross, TUI Cabin Crew, said: “Being part of this special trip is a real privilege for our crew. Seeing the children’s faces light up as we take off is pure joy — a reminder that we’re helping create unforgettable memories for families on an adventure they’ll treasure forever. Beyond operating the flight, we stay for the full 12 nights in Florida, supporting the charity and doing everything we can to help make this the holiday of a lifetime."

The AeroZone is an interactive space for young people aged four to 18. It welcomes local primary, secondary and college students every day of the academic year.

Delivered as part of Phase One of Manchester Airport’s £1.3bn Transformation Programme, it was officially opened by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and a group from Outwood Primary School, in Heald Green. A group of pupils from the same school was at the AeroZone this Tuesday to celebrate the latest milestone – three of whom were present on the opening day itself.

Jenni Maude, headteacher at the school, said: “We send a class most years and have done since it opened. The children love how interactive it is – the pilot section is one they love the most. It’s hands-on, it’s realistic, and it suits all ages.”

As part of their visit, the pupils heard from heard from a number of guest speakers, including Lewis Hulmes, who secured a two-year work placement at Manchester Airport and now works as a customer service ambassador at the airport.

Lewis said: “I spent a couple of months at AeroZone as part of my work placement and I learned a lot here, building communication skills that I still use day-to-day in my current role, so it’s nice to give something back and hopefully help inspire some colleagues of the future.”

Ryan Clarke, an Airside Manager for the airport’s special assistance provider ABM, also spoke to pupils. Ryan has worked at the airport for 13 years in a variety of roles having come through the Airport Academy programme, which helps young people get access to employment. He said: “AeroZone is a fantastic facility and it’s great to be here as it marks 10,000 visitors. Kids visiting have a chance to try out a range of aviation careers and see what might interest them.”

The 10,000 visitor milestone comes as the hub reaffirms its long-standing commitment to creating a sustainable future for the aviation industry with the publication of its annual Sustainability Report.

The report outlines the work the airport has done to protect the environment, support local communities and provide delivered in the 12 months ending 31 March 2025. This year’s report also marks the final year of Manchester Airports Group’s 2020-2025 Sustainability Strategy, Working Together for a Brighter Future, and reflects on achievements over that five-year period.

In addition to welcoming 10,000 young people at AeroZone in that period, the airport has marked a number of further milestones across the Sustainability Strategy’s key priorities, including:

• Reducing its market-based Scope 1 emissions by 6% over the past five years.
• Establishing partnerships for the use of Hydrogen and Sustainable Aviation Fuel
• Diverting more than 99% of waste from landfill in the 12 months to April 2025  
• Hosting an annual Meet the Buyer event for three successive years, generating more than £8m worth of new business for local SMEs.
• Investing more than £3m in our apprenticeship programme and supporting more than 440 apprentices
• Donating in excess of £100,000 per year to good causes through the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund

MAG’s CEO Ken O’Toole said:

“Celebrating 10,000 visitors to Manchester Airport’s Aerozone since it opened is a living demonstration of how important our education programmes are, and the scale of the impact they can have on young people living in our catchment areas.

“As a major employer across the North, Midlands and South, MAG has a significant role to play in providing skills and employment opportunities for surrounding communities to drive employment and stimulate regional and national economic growth.

“Our new Sustainability Strategy: Creating a sustainable future for all will ensure that we continue to make progress against our sustainability targets, and transition towards net zero carbon operations by 2038, working with industry and Government to reach net zero aviation by 2050.

“I would like to thank colleagues across MAG for their hard work and commitment in the delivery of a successful Strategy and I look forward to what positive developments lie ahead.”

Aviation Minister Keir Mather, said:

 “Alongside our Aviation Ambassadors who promote careers in the sector, projects like the AeroZone raise awareness of routes into aviation, giving young people valuable opportunities that inspire long-term careers.

 “This is an important milestone for accessible, high-quality education in Greater Manchester, and I congratulate Manchester Airports Group on their work to help build a skilled workforce fit for the future and deliver our Plan for Change.”

Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said:

"Manchester Airport is a major economic driver for the city and a big employer in its own right. The Aerozone is a great example of how it connects with the community, inspiring our young people to learn about and even go into careers in the aviation industry.  

"It's one of many ways in which the airport supports our communities and businesses.

"Manchester Airports Group is also demonstrating leadership in reducing its own carbon emissions and encouraging the global drive to reduce the emissions associated with air travel."  

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“Manchester Airport is a key part of our growth ambitions for Greater Manchester. It provides highly skilled jobs for residents and the AeroZone does great work in inspiring young people that there is a route to quality jobs in our city region.

“It’s positive to also see the airport continuing its commitment to sustainability, contributing to Greater Manchester’s carbon neutral ambitions.”

The jobs fair will run from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday 5 November at Wythenshawe Forum. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site. More than 500 roles will be advertised at the event, with more than 20 employers represented.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is promoting vacancies in Hospitality, Car Parks and Bussing.

Other employers who will be represented at the fair include retailers and franchise operators, including Fever Tree, JD Wetherspoon and Airport Retail Enterprises, as well as airport service providers, including Dnata, Mitie and AES, the engineering delivery partner for Ryanair. The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will also be in attendance promoting its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes for those who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance and require additional support before applying for the jobs.

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, said: "We are excited to be hosting our autumn jobs fair at Wythenshawe Forum, giving people in communities surrounding the airport and beyond an opportunity to find out more about the varied career paths on offer in aviation. We are proud of our role in serving those communities, not just by connecting them to the places they want to fly to, but also by creating opportunities for local people and ensuring communities share in our success. 

“Now is a great time to start a career here, as we come to the end of our £1.3bn, 10-year transformation programme, creating world-class facilities that will help the airport fulfil its potential as a global gateway for the North.”

Jobseekers securing roles with MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits. These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts plus many more. Visitors can find out more online at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment.

The Community Trust Fund, which is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport, considers applications from groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire.

It was set up in 1997 and has donated more than £4m in that time – with a commitment to pledge at least £100,000 per year. Charities and not-for-profit community groups or projects are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit, with applications considered on a quarterly basis.

Among those due to benefit from the latest round of funding is Your Local Pantry - Lancashire Hill, in Stockport. The Lancashire Hill site is one of several community-based initiatives aimed at addressing food poverty by providing affordable access to food. Operated by Your Local Pantry in the Stockport area, the site is the latest to obtain funding from the Community Trust Fund – which has previously supported sites in Bridgehall, Mottram Street and Woodley. The funding for Lancashire Hill totals nearly £1,000 and will pay for a refrigeration unit and shelving, allowing the pantry to make more fresh food available for its users.

Marilyn Cockburn, Operations Officer at Your Local Pantry, said: “We’re so grateful for this support from the Community Trust Fund. There's a real sense of community at Lancashire Hill, and the new refrigeration unit and shelving will make a huge difference in providing more fresh, healthy food to those that rely on the pantry.”

Tatton Park Charitable Trust, in Knutsford, will get £2,000 to fund the purchase of new sensory boxes. John Twigg, one of the group’s trustees, explained: “This generous grant will enable us to provide more of these innovative and imaginative resources that help children and adults with special needs to fully participate in our education programmes.

“The sensory resource packs will increase learning potential and widen participation and inclusivity, values that are at the heart of what we work to deliver through the Tatton Park Charitable Trust. The resource packs will be in place for the next academic year and we can't wait to see them being enjoyed by our visitors.”

The Water Adventure Centre, a not-for-profit activity centre in Sale Moor, was awarded £1,110 for the purchase of new kayaks. The centre uses water sports as a means to engage young people from underprivileged backgrounds, helping them to gain confidence, self-esteem and skills to improve their lives.

Lauren Kirby, a member of the Water Adventure Centre team who bid for the funding, said: “The donation from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund will make a real difference to the young people we work with. It will allow us to purchase new kayaks for use at Chorlton Water Park, giving them the opportunity to enjoy free, engaging outdoor activities after school helping them build confidence, learn new skills, and spend time in nature with their peers in a fun and supportive environment.”

St Barnabus Church, Hyde is to receive £3,000 towards a new, energy efficient lighting system.

Ben Allen, a churchwarden at St Barnabus, explained: “The funding will enable us to continue and extend the work we do in the community. Our Green Lights project not only improves our impact on the environment but helps us to operate the running of buildings more sustainably, freeing up more opportunity and resource to support and care for those in our local community.”

"We are proud of our role in serving the people of Greater Manchester and Cheshire, above and beyond flying them to their destination of choice – whether it’s as a major local employer, an enabler of inward investment, or in this case, a champion of good causes in our neighbouring communities. If you are a not-for-profit community group in our area, or are working on a community project that needs a bit of extra cash to get it over the line, we’d love to hear from you.”

Robert Pattison, Chair of Community Trust Fund

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.

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 September.

Grants awarded in Q3 2025

Whether it's applying suntan lotion, lounging on a sun bed in a new position, or simply taking the time to do a self-examination, being on holiday can bring attention to potential health issues.

This summer, the BooBee Campaign in Greater Manchester has partnered with Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airport group, to promote breast health awareness for women heading off on holiday. The Check In & Check Yourself initiative, led by BooBee co-founder Margo Cornish MBE, aims to remind women about the importance of regular self-checks, especially during holiday season when they have more time to focus on themselves.

The campaign features the stories of four women who discovered breast changes that were later found to be cancer while on holiday. Posters will be in place in the female toilets across Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports over the summer holiday period, along with pop-up banners and digital displays in selected terminals. The posters remind women to check their breasts and see a doctor if they notice anything unusual.

Margo said: “Recent statistics tell us that breast cancer affects around one in seven women at some point in their lives, making early detection crucial. By encouraging women to be proactive about their breast health, we can improve prognosis and potentially save lives.”

Among the four women to feature in the campaign is 61-year-old Kath Pryer from Prestbury in Cheshire. Kath was soaking up some winter sunshine in the Caribbean in January 2023, when she noticed some soreness and discomfort in her right breast while lying on her front.

She explained: “I don’t lie on my front very often, so initially I didn’t think anything of it, but a few days later I could feel it again. After the third time, I started to get more concerned, to the point where I was lying awake in bed one night – on my back this time – and that’s when I felt a lump.

“When I arrived back in the UK I went for a scan and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Straight away I started a course of IV chemotherapy, followed by a lumpectomy and five sessions of radiotherapy. Later that same year, I got the all-clear.”

Kath is clear that it was her change of environment in being on holiday that led to her realising something was wrong. She added: “I don’t think I would have found it otherwise. It’s often said that breast cancer is painless, but that was not my experience, and it was the discomfort while lying on my front that led me to discover it.

“What I’d say to women travelling on their holidays this summer is – check thoroughly, check regularly and if you do find something you’re not happy with, don’t put it off, see somebody.”

Also taking part is 43-year-old Laura Upton, from Bolton. Much like Kath, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing a lump while she was on holiday, in 2017.

She said: “I went to the doctor as soon as I arrived home, was sent for tests and my diagnosis followed around two weeks later. Breast cancer runs in my family but nevertheless, it was a bit of a shock. I had chemotherapy and surgery later that year and I’ve been in remission since.

“I would strongly encourage women travelling on their holidays this summer to Check In & Check Yourself. Catching it early is so important and could save your life.”

The BooBee Campaign raises much-needed funds for Manchester-headquartered charity, Prevent Breast Cancer.

Nikki Barraclough, Chief Executive of Prevent Breast Cancer, said: “At Prevent Breast Cancer, we’re dedicated to creating a future free from breast cancer through early detection, education, and research. Campaigns like ‘Check In & Check Yourself’ are so important - they help women pause, reflect, and take simple steps that could ultimately save their lives. Holidays offer a rare moment to slow down and reconnect with ourselves, and we want to use that moment to empower women to be breast aware - because early diagnosis and prevention starts with knowledge.”

Nicola Foster, a Reward and Wellbeing Manager for MAG who has led on coordinating the campaign across its airports, said: “We have been pleased to support the important work of the BooBee Campaign over many years now and this is a fantastic continuation of that.

“We know when people travel on holiday, their minds shift to things they might overlook during daily life. That is why we are pleased to find creative ways to remind women of the importance of being breast aware when they travel through our airports.”

For more about the campaign, visit www.boobee.co.uk/checkinandcheckyourself.

The Supported Internships programme, launched in 2015, provides those enrolled with a close level of supervision and assistance over the course of a 10-month internship with Manchester Airports Group or one of its partners operating on the airport site. The internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16- to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities, aiming to provide the opportunity for young people to achieve sustained, paid employment by equipping them with the skills they need for work, through learning in the workplace.

Interns gain first-hand workplace experience between 9am and 1pm from Monday to Thursday, with Manchester Airports Group (MAG) or an airport partner participating in the programme, which include Bidvest Noonan, Crowne Plaza, GXO, Greggs and ABM.

They then spend six additional hours per week in classroom sessions delivered by Manchester College mentors, equipping them with the skills they need for a successful career at the airport. They have also thrown their support behind charitable projects – including supporting foodbank The Tree Of Life with sorting donations.

Over the past decade, the programme has supported more than 60 interns into paid employment at the end of the programme – with 82 per cent of Pure Innovations graduates still in their roles 12 months later.

Among the latest graduates from the programme was 20-year-old Jawariah Suleman from Stockport. She completed a placement at Greggs in Terminal 1 of Manchester Airport and has now secured a paid role with the bakery chain, after impressing managers with her attitude and commitment to great customer service.

Jawariah said: “It has been absolutely amazing. I have learned all about customer service, how to handle money, and have built up my skills and my confidence. The biggest lesson for me was to use my own initiative to solve problems. I’m really pleased to now have a paid job.”

Liam O’Brien – Jawariah’s manager at Greggs – added: “Jawariah never stops smiling, she works hard and is always happy to take on new responsibilities. She has fit into the team well, brings a lot of enthusiasm and we’re delighted to have been able to offer her paid employment following her supported internship.”

We’re proud of our role in serving the people of Greater Manchester, not just as their gateway to the world but also as a driver of regional prosperity and as one of the city region’s largest employers. That’s why we’ve committed to a long-term partnership with Pure Innovations to help ensure a career at the airport is open to all – including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

“I’d like to congratulate the young people graduating this summer on the completion of their internships and on securing paid employment with ourselves or our airport partners, which is testament to the energy and enthusiasm they brought to their internships.” 

Marcella M’Rabety – Head of Social Sustainability, Manchester Airports Group

Our interns are so driven, so enthusiastic and so passionate that they make my job easy. I’m so proud of their efforts and the progress they’ve made in the last nine months, and I wish them all the best in their future careers.” 

Emma Roberts Lowe - Senior Employment Officer, Pure Innovations 

The Skills Hub will bring together various new and existing schemes in the airport’s education and employment programme under one umbrella, with a curriculum that helps equip young people and job seekers with the skills and understanding they need for a future career at Manchester Airport. It aims to:

-                      Reach more than 1,200 local young people aged between 14 and 19 through an aviation programme supplementing their studies;

-                      Deliver courses and training opportunities tailored to the needs of participants including pre-employment programmes, apprenticeships, and leadership pathways—designed to build workforce capacity and future talent pipelines;

-                      Offer expanded access to impactful, employer-endorsed work-related learning, including work experience placements across the airport site;

-                      Support more than 2,700 people from neighbouring communities into work through pre-employment programmes, including those who are long-term unemployed or have had difficulty finding work.

The Skills Hub initiative builds on a successful long-standing partnership between the airport and the college group, who have been running the Airport Academy together for more than a decade. The Academy provides a range of short courses designed to help get people into rewarding careers at the airport, with an emphasis on those who are long-term unemployed, do not have qualifications or have had difficulty finding work. It has supported almost 2,000 candidates into paid work since 2012.

Now, the two organisations will work together on a long term, five-year plan to deliver a cohesive learning programme focused on making young people aware of the full range of careers on offer at the airport, and providing additional support in accessing those careers to candidates who need it.

The programme will be delivered by Trafford & Stockport College Group and promoted through Manchester Airport’s on-site education hub, AeroZone, which welcomes thousands of local primary and secondary school pupils each year, alongside the Airport Academy’s learning centre. As part of the agreement, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) will sponsor and endorse technical and apprenticeship programmes, as well as teaching spaces within the College Group’s aviation curriculum. MAG will also support student engagement through activities such as careers talks and project-based assignments — helping to ensure the curriculum is aligned to current and future workforce skills needs.

"We’re proud to serve the people of Greater Manchester, not just by connecting them to the world but also in our role as a major economic driver and one of the city region’s largest employers. We want to ensure that we’re working with young people and jobseekers in our neighbouring communities to help them develop the skills they need to make a success of their careers. We’re delighted to be launching the Skills Hub, expanding our successful partnership with Trafford and Stockport College Group to deliver our vision.”

Chris Woodroofe – Managing Director, Manchester Airport

"This partnership directly supports the Government’s ambition to kickstart the economy by building a skilled, future-ready workforce. The Manchester Airport Skills Hub will equip young people and jobseekers with the tools they need to access high-quality careers in a critical growth sector. It’s a powerful example of how education and industry can work together to create meaningful opportunities and drive inclusive growth — not just for individuals, but for the wider region.”

James Scott – CEO, Trafford and Stockport College Group

The Skills Hub will be overseen by a board of advisers jointly chaired by Manchester Airport Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe, and James Scott, CEO of Trafford and Stockport College Group.

The advisory board will seek to identify skills gaps that can be addressed through the initiative, strengthen partnerships between employers, education providers, and local authorities, and monitor the impact of the programmes delivered. Representatives from other organisations including Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Manchester City Council will also sit on the advisory board.

For more information on job opportunities currently available via the Airport Academy, visit https://www.manchesterairportacademy.com/careers/

Located on Old Altrincham Road, the access point connects to the Airport Orbital Route along an existing wider and flatter tarmac airport perimeter path. It will improve the existing Airport Orbital Cycleway and allow for sustainable commuting on two wheels for airport staff travelling from the west of the airport.  

Visitors will be able to take in airfield views, including aircraft taking off and landing, and explore surrounding areas like Styal Village and Quarry Bank Mill. It will also link to a route which allows users to cycle through the tunnels which lie beneath the airport runway. 

The new access point is the first step in a plan to create a 26-mile Greater Bollin Trail - a walking and cycling route connecting the TransPennine Trail near Dunham Massey to the Middlewood Way. The trail, which will run through the Bollin Valley connecting Dunham Massey, Tatton Park, Manchester Airport, Quarry Bank Mill and Lyme Park, has recently been approved by local authorities. 

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, explained: “We know that getting out into the natural world is good for people’s mental and physical health, so we’re delighted to be able to open up a section of the Airport Orbital Route for cyclists and pedestrians who want to explore it. 

“We are proud of our role in serving our local communities, not just by connecting them to the places they want to fly to but also by making a positive difference right here, with initiatives such as this.” 

Members of Manchester cycling group, Simply Cycling, were the first to use the new access point after it was inaugurated yesterday morning. The group is a not-for-profit charity offering all-ability cycling across three venues in the city, and they will now use the new access point on their local rides. They were joined by others involved in developing the Greater Bollin Trail. 

Helen Hines, a manager at Simply Cycling, said: “We’re thrilled to see this new access point opened. Our riders love to cycle along the perimeter path and watch the planes - this access will make that much easier.” 

Local cycling campaigner Paddy Carrington, who also joined the inaugural ride via the new access point, added: “This is great to see. It is the first piece of a large jigsaw which will grow into the Greater Bollin Trail network over the next few years.” 

The team at FoodCycle Wythenshawe Brooklands cook up a free three-course community meal each week, turning surplus food that would otherwise go to waste into a delicious, nutritious meal for anyone who needs it - helping tackle food poverty, loneliness and food waste.

Now they are making use of a new industrial dishwasher after their venue, the Church of the Nazarene in Brooklands was awarded the maximum amount, £3,000, by the Trust Fund – supporting the small team of volunteers to more efficiently serve their guests.

FoodCycle Wythenshawe Brooklands is among more than 100 weekly meals run by community dining charity FoodCycle, including seven in Greater Manchester in Salford, Levenshulme, Oldham, Prestwich, and Wythenshawe.

Since launching in September 2021, the FoodCycle Wythenshawe Brooklands volunteers have served up more than 5,000 free three-course community meals, and saved almost seven tonnes of surplus food from going to waste. Nationally the charity dished up 162,991 community meals last year (2024), saving 320 tonnes of food from going to waste.

Among those contributing their free time at FoodCycle Wythenshawe Brooklands is David Quayle – a former terminal operations worker who enjoyed a 35-year career at Manchester Airport before his retirement two years ago. He now volunteers as a cook with FoodCycle once per week, preparing meals for members of the community who are in need.

David explained: “We’re thrilled with this funding from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund, allowing the church to replace an old and obsolete dishwasher, which means we no longer have to assign volunteers to keep on top of washing up the old-fashioned way. We can now focus on cooking nourishing meals for those who need them.

“The great thing about this project is that we are not only providing vulnerable or socially isolated people with a hot meal and somewhere to socialise, we are also cutting food waste, taking surplus food donated to us by local businesses and turning it into nutritious, filling meals for people in need.

“Our community meal is open on Wednesdays from 5pm and no booking is required – all are welcome.”

The Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport. It meets quarterly and makes pledges worth up to £100,000 every year to groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire. Groups are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

More than £28,000 of donations were agreed at the latest Community Trust Fund meeting, benefitting a total of 16 community groups, projects and not-for-profit organisations in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Also receiving a grant is Stockport Trinity Cricket Club, which has also received the full £3,000, towards the cost of new wicket covers. Peter Herbert, the club’s Treasurer, said: “Increasingly wet summers mean that we lose a lot of playing time to the weather and these improvements to our facility will mean a significant reduction in down time. The grant application process was straightforward and, as a small charity always struggling for funds, we are extremely grateful for the Community Trust Fund’s support.”

Hidden Treasure Trust in Partington will receive just under £1,500 to purchase new table tennis tables.

Ruth Lancey, CEO of Hidden Treasure Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured this investment from Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund for our community. With the leisure centre closed, it provides another space for residents to be able to get fitter and meet others.”

And in Goostrey, Cheshire, a community interest company managing a local green space, Shear Brook Wood, was awarded just over £1,500 for new benches and a shelter.

"We’re proud to have been able to support such a diverse range of applications made to the Community Trust Fund and we’ve already supported more than 30 good causes so far this year, reaching thousands of local people. When we say Manchester Airport is proud to serve the people of Greater Manchester and the North, we don’t just mean by connecting them to the places they want to fly to – and the Community Trust Fund is a vital part of our strategy for supporting our neighbouring communities.”

Robert Pattison, Chair of Community Trust Fund

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. Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here.

For more information about FoodCycle projects in the North West visit: https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/northwest

Grants awarded in Q2 2025

Bob Gray, 71, is a resident at Trewan House care home in Widnes. The home sits under a flight path and Bob spends much of his free time tracking the aircraft flying over on the popular app Flightradar, also building up a collection of aviation-themed books as his passion for planes has developed. 

Despite his love for all things aviation, Bob had never been on a flight or even set foot on a commercial aeroplane – until this week.  

After receiving an email from the team at Trewan House, who were looking to set up a visit for Bob, the airport teamed up with its airline partner Jet2.com to arrange for him to take a trip airside and meet a pilot and flight crew, before taking an aircraft tour – including a visit to the flight deck.

Bob also took a tour of the new-look Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport, as it nears the end of its £1.3bn transformation – and met staff in various roles who keep the airport running smoothly.

Reflecting on his experience, Bob said: 

“Even though I worked hard my whole life I never got to take that holiday abroad. My love for airplanes got started when I was a young boy. I used to ride on my bike down to Liverpool Airport and watch the planes take off and land. I got a passport with every intention of getting on that plane one day. Today it finally happened.”

Sam Ion, one of the team looking after Bob at Trewan House, explained:

“At Trewan House we have a wish tree, we try and grant a resident’s wish once a month, or get as close to it as we can. Bob has always loved planes but had never been on one before and his wish was to make that happen. So, for this experience to be happening for Bob is amazing.

“I can't thank the team at Manchester Airport and Jet2 enough, this has been a truly remarkable day for him.”

Jet2.com flies to more than 60 destinations from Manchester Airport, and flight crew including Captain Ian Davis and cabin crew member Seana Thwaite talked Bob through their duties in delivering the airline’s famous VIP customer service – giving him a guide to the controls on the flight deck, and the safety demonstrations performed before take-off.

Phil Ward, Chief Operations Officer at Jet2.com, said: 

“We are delighted to have teamed up with Manchester Airport to fulfil Bob’s wish and welcome him onboard one of our aircraft. As a leading leisure airline, we are always looking to create unforgettable memories for our customers, and this is just another example of how we go above and beyond to do just that. We hope Bob enjoyed his special day!”

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, added: 

“It was a pleasure for us to welcome Bob to Manchester Airport earlier this week and to fulfil his wish to get on board an aircraft for the first time. We’re glad to have contributed to a memorable day for Bob and we are proud of our role in serving the people of the North, not just by connecting them to the places they want to fly to, but as an employer, economic driver, and also as a good neighbour to communities across our region.  We love having the opportunity to create special memories for people like Bob.”

More than 100 airport colleagues have signed up for a British Sign Language (BSL) course as part of a programme to improve the service provided to deaf and hearing-impaired travellers.

The inaugural five-week BSL training programme, which began earlier this month, is part of a groundbreaking partnership between Manchester Airport and the Cheshire-based sensory support charity DSN (Deaf & Sensory Network).

Airport colleagues taking part in the course will be given tailored tuition so that they can not only understand BSL and communicate using it, but will also learn some of the specific language that may be used by travellers in an airport.  

In addition to delivering the BSL course, the first of its kind at a UK airport, DSN is partnering with Manchester Airport to drive public awareness and understanding of sensory loss as part of its Deaf Awareness Week campaign. A pop-up information stand in Terminal 2, near the Special Assistance desks, opened today (Tuesday, 6 May). 

Manchester Airport has made a number of changes to its procedures, and improvements to its facilities, over the last 12 months in consultation with its Accessibility Forum.  This independently chaired advisory group aims to give travellers with disabilities a voice in shaping the airport experience and is made up of representatives from the airport and its special assistance provider, as well as airport users and charities including DSN.

Some of the headline improvements for passengers with hearing loss or other sensory loss include;

-          A British Sign Language (BSL) Live Interpreter service

-          ‘Touch to Tell’ icons added to passenger information kiosks

-          A BSL Security preparation video added to airport website

-          Design input into the redevelopment of Terminal 2 as part of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, including additional seating and capacity for an additional assistance lane in Security to operate during peak times

-          Additional tailored passenger guidance on website related to travel with Assistance Dogs and hidden disabilities.

Transpennine Express, which operates Manchester Airport train station, also recently introduced BSL information on digital screens at the station.

Jennifer Byrne-Smith, Manchester Airport’s Customer Operations Director, said: 

“At Manchester Airport, we’re proud to connect the people of the North with the world, and we want everyone travelling through to have a great experience. That, of course, includes the many thousands of passengers with hearing loss or other kinds of sensory loss that use our airport every year.

“We also employ more than 3,600 people, many of whom either have sensory loss themselves or have friends or loved ones who are affected – so our colleagues are highly invested in this issue too, and it’s been fantastic to see such strong demand for places on our free BSL programme, run in conjunction with the Deaf & Sensory Network.

“This is a programme that will have tangible benefits for passengers with hearing loss as they navigate our airport – and it comes on the back of several other improvements made in the past 12 months, with further work ongoing.”  

The BSL course for colleagues is being led by Lisa Birtles, a representative for DSN on the airport’s Accessibility Forum. Lisa, from Cheshire, who is deaf and a native BSL user, has been a BSL tutor for over 30 years and an advocate for the promotion of deaf awareness through DSN’s training arm, incus.

Lisa said:

“At DSN our mission is to support people with hearing loss to communicate effectively and live independent and fulfilling lives and that includes going on holiday. The airport can present a plethora of communication barriers for deaf people and our work to make the airport a more inclusive and accessible space is just one of the ways to help us achieve our goals.

“We have been delighted with the response and enthusiasm from colleagues and hope this is just the beginning of making air travel more inviting for the communities we serve.”

Tahir Yaseen, a supervisor at Manchester Airport’s private terminal aether, is among the colleagues taking part in the training programme.

Tahir said:

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to learn some British Sign Language, together with a number of my aether colleagues. Learning BSL will help us deliver a truly effortless, inclusive experience where every guest feels understood and truly welcomed.”

More information on the assistance available for passengers with hearing loss or other sensory loss is available at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/help/special-assistance/.

The scheme, run in partnership with Trafford & Stockport College Group, offers an immersive two-week introduction to working in the aviation industry. It is designed for those who are long-term unemployed, do not have qualifications or have faced challenges getting into stable full-time work.

Prospective employees get the chance to explore the airport through the eyes of a colleague and take part in exercises based on customer service scenarios.

At the conclusion of the programme, candidates take part in workshops teaching them CV writing and interview skills, before conducting a mock interview with representatives from Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and other employers based on site.  

After graduating, the Airport Academy team supports candidates with applying for roles on the airport site – with many going on to secure permanent employment.

Previous Airport Academy courses have been tailored to roles where the airport and its partners were looking to recruit, but this is the first course offering a more general grounding to candidates, opening the door to lots of different roles. The Airport Academy team has worked closely with third-party employers based at Manchester Airport to ensure its training is aligned with real recruitment needs. Delivered in collaboration with MAG and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the programme offers free, tailored training for adults who aspire to work at the airport, including accredited aviation and customer service courses.

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Social Sustainability at Manchester Airport, added:

“The Airport Academy is a key part of our commitment as an organisation to supporting our neighbouring communities and ensuring they share in the benefits of having a major international airport on their doorstep.

“There is such a wide range of career options on offer here, and we’re pleased that this new course, delivered in partnership with Trafford & Stockport College Group, is now providing access to those opportunities for local people who have struggled to find stable full-time employment for a range of reasons.”

Among those taking part was Venus Yarahmady from Stockport. Prior to joining the Airport Academy programme, she had spent 10 years working as a community interpreter on a self-employed basis, but is now looking for a stable full-time job.

Venus said: 

“The airport seems like an interesting environment to work in, and I’ve learned a lot of new skills already over the course of the 10-day programme, both in terms of customer service and preparing for interview when applying for roles. It has really helped me increase my confidence.”  

Also seeking an airport career is 20-year-old Abdul Pervez, from Longsight. Since leaving school, he has worked part-time as a matchday steward for a local football club – but is now searching for a full-time job.

Abdul said:

“I am fascinated by aviation in general but I’m particularly keen to take up a role in airport security because I think it fits well with my previous work experience in stewarding.

“The Airport Academy course has been a fantastic experience and has taught me a lot – everything from situational training and supporting passengers, down to interview techniques like the ‘STAR’ method. I feel like it has given me the skills I need to apply for the kinds of roles I am looking for.”

Mock interviews were conducted by recruitment teams from airport partners, including special assistance provider ABM, which manages the services offered to passengers with restricted mobility.

David MacInnes, a Feedback Coordinator with ABM, said:

“This is a really positive programme to be a part of. One of the first things that struck me was the enthusiasm of the group – they’re all really keen to work here. The calibre of the candidates on the programme is really high, they’re raring to go and the fact they’ve had some exposure to the airport already means we know they can start contributing right away to providing a great service to our customers.”

The Airport Academy was set up in 2012, initially to give existing airport colleagues an opportunity to take qualifications that would help them in their work – but the partnership has now grown to encompass a range of tailored programmes designed to help get people into careers at the airport, and has supported almost 2,000 candidates into paid work. Gareth Burrow, Group Head Employment & Skills at Trafford & Stockport College Group, oversees the programme.

Gareth said:

“It is great to see so many local residents benefiting from the invaluable training and careers advice that this programme offers, and we wish them every success in securing roles at Manchester Airport. Participants in our programme benefit from guest speaker sessions with airport employers, a dedicated job-matching service, and mock interviews with feedback from airport employers—equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the sector.”

Referrals to the programme are made through Jobcentre Plus locations in communities near the airport, but jobseekers can self-refer, too. More information is available at www.manchesterairportacademy.com.

In October last year the airport explained how it had teamed up TV ecologist Josh Styles to help preserve and protect woodland habitats surrounding its site.

The airport’s environment team, in conjunction with Josh Styles’ firm Styles Ecology, translocated a number of key ‘indicator species’ including bluebells, wild garlic and wood anemones, from the Cotteril Clough ancient woodland into nearby woodlands and wild spaces.

Cotteril Clough, the city of Manchester’s only Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), sits partly on the airport’s land and is closed to the public to protect its delicate ecosystem. It boasts a huge variety of rare native flora and fauna – which made it an ideal candidate for the project.

Work began last June and nine months later, the team behind the scheme are celebrating after being recognised at the Green Apple Awards in London, as the National Silver Winner in the Hospitality and Travel: Conservation and Wildlife category.

The Green Apple Awards have been running for more than three decades and recognises the best and most innovative environmental schemes on the planet, aiming to reward and promote environmental best practice. The Manchester Airport environment team was presented with the award at a glittering ceremony in the Houses of Parliament.

The translocations will not have any impact on the ancient woodland, as the small gaps left from individually lifting the plants will naturally fill in over time, but the scheme will speed up the dispersal of these key species into woodlands in other areas of Greater Manchester and Cheshire, many of which have been degraded by human intervention and have lost the rich variety of species that they would otherwise host.

"I’m incredibly proud of our environmental team for their work on this important initiative. We believe the airport has an important role to play in our neighbouring communities and that isn’t just about connecting people with the places they want to travel to – it’s about everything from creating jobs to improving infrastructure and, in this case, playing our part in creating a flourishing natural environment.

“This innovative scheme involves removing a small number of plants from key species and replanting them in other woodlands. It doesn’t have any lasting effect on the ancient woodland at Cotteril Clough, where populations of those species will continue to thrive – but it enables the spread of these species in other pockets of woodland that have become degraded by human activity, and in time it will restore their ecosystems to their natural state.”

Martin Churley – Head of Environment & Sustainability, Manchester Airport

Pupils from Manchester Enterprise Academy and Dixons Brooklands Academy started their day at AeroZone, the airport’s dedicated education centre, with an introductory talk. They then took a tour of Terminal 2, the centrepiece of a £1.3bn transformation programme, and met women working on the project, as well as colleagues in Engineering, Customer Services and Airfield Operations.

A networking lunch was then held for the pupils at San Carlo in Terminal 2, where they met colleagues from across the business including the airport’s Women’s Network, and women working in areas such as Landside Operations, Social Media and IT.

Pupils also had the chance to speak to women enrolled on the airport’s apprenticeship programmes. Abi Rickers, an Engineering Apprentice, talked the group through her role on the airfield, maintaining the lighting and safety systems that keep aircraft moving.

"We were delighted to welcome pupils from Manchester Enterprise Academy and Dixons Brooklands Academy to Manchester Airport on International Women’s Day, to learn more about the wide variety of careers available to them here. We are proud to serve our neighbouring communities – not just by helping people to reach the destinations they want to get to, but also by playing our role as a major employer and economic facilitator in the region. That means empowering young women to go after the exciting careers they want.”

Marcella M’Rabety – Group Head of Social Sustainability, Manchester Airport

“This was an inspiring event where it showed students the wide variety of roles available in travel. It allowed us to explore the different career paths and creates a sense of community with women working together to empower more females to join the industry. This proved that women can be successful in male dominant industries.”

Kaileigh Spires – Teacher at Manchester Enterprise Academy

More than 300 attendees representing over 150 companies are expected to be at the event on Thursday 13 March, including procurement teams from major names in the aviation, hospitality and construction industries like Manchester Airports Group (MAG), Holiday Inn & ibis budget, Bethell, Arup, and AmcoGiffen.

Meet the Buyers will once again be hosted at Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park. Last year’s event at the same venue saw more than £6m-worth of deals struck and organisers are hoping to see a similar windfall for local businesses this year. A waiting list is currently in operation for prospective suppliers, who will get guaranteed face-to-face time with buyers’ procurement teams as part of the organised event schedule.

Guest speakers and a range of workshops and presentations are scheduled throughout the day, parallel to the exhibition in the Runway Visitor Park’s main hangar. These include talks and interactive workshops delivered by representatives from MAG and Manchester City Council.

"Our Meet the Buyers event is back by popular demand this year, following the success of last year’s event. We know how much small and medium sized businesses from across our region value the opportunity to meet face -to-face with large prospective purchasers, including Manchester Airport. We are very proud of our role as a key economic enabler, not just for Greater Manchester but the wider region, and this event is an important part of how we achieve that.”

Marcella M’Rabety – Group Head of Social Sustainability, Manchester Airport

“Manchester City Council is delighted to support the successful Manchester Airport Meet the Buyers event. This event is more than just a commercial opportunity; it’s a vital platform for fostering community connections and empowering local businesses, including SMEs.

“By facilitating meaningful interactions between Manchester-based businesses and a diverse range of suppliers, the event helps to strengthen the local economy and promote inclusive growth. It’s a key part of our City's Economic Strategy - Investing in Success, ensuring that the benefits of economic development are felt by all members of our community.”

Councillor John Hacking - Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Leisure, Manchester City Council

Interested parties can register here: https://www.manchestermtb.co.uk/.

The Fund, which has given away over £4 million since it was set up in 1997, pledged a total of £34,090.75 to 20 organisations at its latest quarterly meeting.

Among those to benefit is Nacro Outdoor Learning, an educational centre in Wythenshawe, which will receive £3,000 for solar panels. They were presented with a cheque for the funds on a visit from Mike Kane MP last Friday.

Beth Craigen, a youth worker with Nacro Outdoor Learning, explained: “We are delighted to be supported by the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund with funding toward solar panels for our wonderful Nacro Nature Bus project. We will be converting an old yellow school bus into a classroom and quiet space for use by our young people and the wider community in Wythenshawe.

“It will help us immensely to have an additional indoor learning and multi-use space to support our outdoor learning delivery. As our work is focused on instilling a love for the outdoors, nature and conservation in our participants, our project hopes to be sustainable and eco-friendly, so the funding from Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund will help to make this a reality.”

Also receiving a grant is Hyde Young People’s Enterprise, a community group in Tameside. They are planning to spend their grant of nearly £1,200 on an outdoor picnic area. Abdul Mumin, from Hyde Young People’s Enterprise, said: “The picnic benches will transform our outdoor space into a more welcoming and functional area for our young people and community members. This will allow us to hold activities outdoors, create opportunities for social interaction, and encourage engagement in a positive and supportive environment.”

1st Mobberley Mallory Scout Group in Cheshire will receive £2,000 to help with the purchase of camping and outdoor equipment.

Viv Pike, Group Lead Volunteer, said: “Scouting is all about putting the ‘out’ into ‘Scouting’ and therefore the donation received will greatly enhance the opportunity for our young people to enjoy the benefits of camping and the great outdoors.  Our tents were badly damaged last year during high winds so this donation will enable us to replace those which were damaged and ensure our young people enjoy their nights away.”

Another beneficiary is Your Local Pantry, a foodbank and community hub in Bridgehall, Stockport, awarded almost £1,000 for equipment including a new fridge freezer.

Julie Nelson-Hall, an organiser at Your Local Pantry, said: “We are thrilled with the grant from Manchester Airport for a new fridge and whiteboards. We have been running our pantry since 2016, recognising the importance of affordable food provision for local residents.

“Our members pay £4.50 a week and can access 10 items of food plus free fruit, vegetables and bread. The new fridge will allow us to replace our current fridge which is coming to the end of its life.”

Friends of Woodheys Park in Trafford were awarded nearly £2,000 towards installing accessible picnic benches.

Ulrich Savary, a local councillor in Trafford and member of Friends of Woodheys Park, explained: “Making Woodheys Park fully accessible to all residents is one of our top priorities. With the generous funding from Manchester Airport, the Friends of Woodheys Park can now add two wheelchair-accessible picnic tables to the park. This will contribute to the refurbishment of the play area, making our park an even better place for everyone to enjoy.”

Wincham Parish Council in Cheshire was awarded £3,000 towards the creation of a Trim Trail. Project Manager Tony Psaila explained: "We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Manchester Airport Community Fund which will specifically provide funds towards the purchase of outdoor exercise equipment, including eight different exercise stations with usage instructions. 
 

"The project aims to improve the quality of life in Wincham by transforming the local playing field into a vibrant Fitness and Well-Being Trail. The trail will feature a 5-a-side football pitch within a 200-metre running and walking path loop, connected to the existing main pathways that will be upgraded for accessibility. Additional ground-level lighting is to be provided for the main pathway which will ensure safety during low light conditions, making the area usable year-round. 

“We aim to begin works in Spring 2025 and to complete the project in phases by the end of the year. It will address the gap in adult exercise facilities and promote social inclusion, reducing loneliness and isolation while complementing other local amenities.”

The Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport. It makes pledges worth up to £100,000 every year to groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire. Groups are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.
 

"It is fantastic to have been able to support such a wide range of good causes at our latest meeting. The Community Trust Fund forms a big part of Manchester Airport’s commitment to be a good neighbour, and ensure communities on our doorstep share in the airport’s success. We are proud to play our part in supporting 20 charities and community groups with projects that will benefit thousands of people in those communities.”

Robert Pattison, Chair of Community Trust Fund

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.

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 Friday 14^th March.

Grants awarded in Q1 2025

The UK’s global gateway in the North is marking National Apprenticeship Week – a celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices to celebrate the impact of the programme.

Apprentices enrolled on Manchester Airport’s popular apprenticeship programme have described it as ‘a great opportunity’ to build an exciting career in the aviation industry.

More than 440 apprentices have joined the airport since it adopted its current scheme in 2017 and more than 100 apprentices are currently enrolled, in fields as varied as engineering, aviation operations, firefighting and data analytics.

The programme is delivered in partnership with a number of universities and further education institutions, which provide teaching components on the 23 Apprenticeship Standards currently offered at the airport.

The content and length of the courses varies, with some offering qualifications within as little as 12 months and others requiring five years of work and study, but all of the airport’s apprenticeships form a mix of theoretical learning in an education setting and hands-on experience in a dynamic work environment at Manchester Airport.

“Real-world experiences, practical guidance, and the confidence to ask questions”

Josh Sutton is a Senior Engineering Manager at the airport, and part of his role is overseeing a team of seven apprentices, guiding them through their qualifications and on-the-job learning.

It’s a responsibility he takes very seriously having been in their position himself, initially joining the airport back in 2014 as an Engineering Apprentice before securing a full-time position as an Engineering Technician.

He then gained a promotion within the Engineering & Baggage Performance team, before becoming a Senior Engineering Manager in September 2023, specialising in the maintenance of the airport's security and screening equipment.

He explained: “I gained fantastic experience through the apprenticeship that assisted me with my development as an engineer.

“Being a former apprentice gives me a perspective and a deep understanding of the journey our apprentices will go through. I understand the challenges and opportunities that come with starting a career through hands-on learning. That experience has shaped how I now approach managing our team of apprentices.

“As a team, we focus on giving them real-world experiences, practical guidance, and the confidence to ask questions and learn from mistakes. I try to be a role model, showing them that with hard work and dedication, progression within the organisation is achievable.”

Engineering Apprentices at Manchester Airport are at the heart of maintaining and supporting some of the critical systems that keep the airport running smoothly. The apprenticeship involves a mix of hands-on work, technical training, and real world problem-solving, where apprentices will learn to maintain, repair, and optimise key equipment such as security screening and baggage handling systems.

Josh said: “Our Engineering team is responsible for ensuring these systems operate reliably and efficiently, which is essential for the safety, security, and overall operation of our airport. In short, we’re the team that keeps everything behind the scenes running seamlessly, enabling a smooth experience for passengers and staff alike.”

“If you’re considering an apprenticeship, I’d say definitely go for it”

23-year-old Dominic Miles, from Wilmslow, is taking a Level 3 Bus and Coach Engineering apprenticeship at Manchester Airport. He is due to complete his course by July 2026.

He explained: “I wanted to study to improve my knowledge and my skills, but I also wanted to work at the same time to get the hands-on experience.

“Most of my day-to-day work involves maintaining the airport’s bus fleet, which is in line with what I am learning in college, so I can put what I have learnt into practice. I do still get to work on a wide range of vehicles from across the airport, which is great, as it allows me to hone my skills in other areas.

“With my responsibilities, I work alongside a mentor to service and maintain the bus fleet. Since I passed my first year, I got more independence to develop my skills whilst still having my mentor to double check my methods and results.”

“My aspirations are to learn as much as I can and grab any opportunity I can for extra training. If you’re considering an apprenticeship, I’d say definitely go for it - it’s a great opportunity not just to gain a qualification but to set yourself up for a long career.”

“I wanted a more practical path rather than the traditional route”

Not all of the apprenticeships available at Manchester Airports are about nuts and bolts.

Mia Mason, 18, from Trafford, is a CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] Apprentice at the airport. Alongside studying for her qualification, she works as part of the team responsible for the airport’s community outreach programmes.

She said: “I chose the apprenticeship because of my interest in aviation and airports, and I wanted a more practical path rather than the traditional route.

“I study once a week at Manchester Metropolitan University, which tends to be on a Wednesday morning, but at the end of every term I go in for two full days. That aside, though, it’s very focused on gaining practical experience of the work the airport does in the community.

“When I’m at University we look at a range of topics, everything from donut economics to strategy management, get under the skin of the subject with our studies then apply it in the real world in our work placements.

“I have enjoyed my apprenticeship so far as it is my first corporate job, and I have found everyone is very understanding and welcoming. I have also found that I still have time to do things with my University friends who decided to take a different route, so I get the best of both worlds which is nice.

“There are so many exciting apprenticeships out there and MAG opens so many doors by offering a variety of courses and learning opportunities that you would not get by going down a traditional route.”

“It’s been a privilege to see apprentices develop successful careers”

Manchester Airport’s Aerodrome and Landside Director, Rad Taylor, started his career at Manchester Airport in 1992 as a trainee in the Finance team. Alongside studying, his role involved working with various airport departments on their expenditure and budgets, drafting reports and administering the accounting system.

Following a year-long traineeship, he secured a permanent position within the Airport Administration team and has not looked back. Three decades later, he now has overall responsibility for day-to-day aviation operations at Manchester Airport across all three of its terminals and its airfield, covering everything from safety and regulatory compliance, to airport security operations and contingency planning.

He explained: “I always had an ambition to work at the airport, particularly on the airfield. My traineeship and my subsequent roles helped me develop a broad range of skills and insights for a successful career in aviation.

“One of the first big projects I worked on was a public consultation into plans for the airport’s second runway – a facility I’m now responsible for – and I worked with the Planning & Environment team to ensure the operations of the airport were conducted with our local communities in mind. I was then successful in securing a role with the Airfield Operations team and held a number of operational and management roles within that team before taking up my current post.

“As a former trainee myself, I know the value that on-the-job learning can offer to young people at the start of their careers and we offer such a wide range of apprenticeships here, from practical roles in the airport operation, to office-based positions. It has been a privilege to see a number of apprentices develop successful careers in our Airport Fire Service, for example, and joining our Airfield Operations team as they start their careers at Manchester Airport. It is great to be able to share my own experiences of developing a career in aviation and at MAG with our apprentices. 

“If you’re considering taking an apprenticeship with MAG, or a career in aviation more generally, my advice to you would be to seize the opportunity, have a learning mindset and a strong focus on your personal development – and the world is your oyster!”

Further information on the airport’s apprenticeship programme can be found at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment/early-talent-and-careers/. You can also reach the team directly at early.talent@magairports.com.

The free event will run from 10am to 1pm on Thursday 27 February, and attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is advertising around 250 vacancies in areas like airport security, lounge hospitality and terminal operations.

Other employers who will be represented at the fair include;

-          Airlines, including Jet2.com and Ascend Airways;

-          Retailers and franchise operators, including Boots, JD Sports, HMSHost, Estee Lauder Companies, SSP, Blakemore Retail and Airport Retail Enterprises.

-          Airport service providers, including Dnata Catering, Swissport and ABM.

The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will be in attendance promoting its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes for those who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance and require additional support before applying for the jobs. The National Careers’ Service and Veterans’ Jobs Board will also have a stand.

Entry to the event must be booked in advance through Eventbrite, via this link.

More than 1,200 roles are expected to be available with more than 20 employers in total – and many of the jobs will be in the redeveloped Terminal 2, set to open in full later this year after a 10-year, £1.3bn investment. More than two dozen new shops, bars and restaurants will be opening in the redeveloped space – and a range of employers are looking to take on hospitality staff to deliver a world-class experience to passengers in this new state-of-the-art facility.

"At Manchester Airport we are proud to serve the North - and that doesn’t just mean helping get people to the places they want to fly to. It also means fulfilling our role as a major employer in the region, giving local people the chance to access a range of rewarding careers and helping people earn money that boosts the North’s economy.

“We have hosted a number of these events in recent years as the airport’s operations have continued to grow. More than 1,300 people came to our most recent jobs fair in November and we got great feedback from employers.

“2025 is an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport, with the culmination of our decade-long programme to transform the airport now almost upon us. If you want this to be the year where your career takes off, we’d love to see you at Wythenshawe Forum later this month.”

Chris Woodroofe – Managing Director, Manchester Airport

"We are thrilled to partner with MAG to bring this exciting Jobs Fair to the Wythenshawe Forum. After the success of our previous event, which attracted over 1,300 local residents, we are confident that this Fair will offer even more opportunities for jobseekers.

"With hundreds of roles available across various sectors, including customer service, administration, and security, this event is a great way for Manchester residents to connect with employers, particularly with the new T2 opening later this year. This initiative plays a vital role in supporting our local economy and helping individuals take the next step in their careers .”

Cllr John Hacking – Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, Manchester City Council

Jobseekers securing roles with MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits. These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts plus many more.

Visitors can find out more online at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment.

Childflight, a North-West children’s charity which provides flights and holidays for children who are unwell or living in challenging circumstances, teamed up with Manchester Airport and TUI to operate the special Christmas trip. Those taking part were primary school aged children who have either never flown before, are facing medical or social challenges, or have been deprived of normal childhood experiences.

The children were taken on a TUI aircraft, leaving Manchester and flying over the snow-capped peaks of North Wales – doubling for the North Pole. They were entertained on board by volunteers, including airport employees in full costume as Santa’s elves. Midway through the flight, the children felt a slight wobble as a sleigh seemed to gently touch down on the plane and Father Christmas appeared from the cockpit.

On their return to Manchester Airport, the children paid a visit to Santa’s Grotto in the Little Flyers’ Zone play area in Terminal 1, where they each received a bag of presents – as part of the airport’s efforts to ensure as many local children as possible have a present to open on Christmas morning.

Stephen Sefton, Chair of Childflight, said: “This flight is all about creating magical moments for children who face challenges that most of us can hardly imagine.

“Whether it’s due to illness, social disadvantage, or just life circumstances, we aim to give these children the chance to experience something truly special. The ‘Search for Santa’ Flight is not just a journey into the sky – it’s an experience that will stay in their hearts forever.

“We have now been operating this flight for more than a decade and over that time, more than 1,000 youngsters have been able to enjoy this magical experience.

“The event is made possible by the tireless work of ChildFlight’s volunteers and the generous support of partners like TUI and Manchester Airport, whose teams are helping to bring the magic of Christmas to life for these deserving children.”

Robert Pattison, Head of Community Engagement at Manchester Airport, said: “We are proud to have a long-standing partnership with Childflight, an organisation which does outstanding work brightening the lives of young people living through very difficult situations in the North-West, including those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and children who are seriously unwell.

“I’m also incredibly grateful to colleagues from Manchester Airport and TUI who have put their heart and soul into delivering this event for so many years and making such a success of it.

“This year we are making it our mission to ensure that as many children as possible in our neighbouring communities wake up with a gift to open on Christmas morning. In addition to this activity with Childflight, colleagues are also donating presents to a ‘Giftmas’ campaign, topping up £3,000 worth of gift donations made by the airport which will be distributed to community centres, community cafes, foodbanks and other hubs ahead of the big day.”

Dawn Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of TUI Airline, said: “We were thrilled to once again be part of the magical ‘Search for Santa’ flight, a cherished tradition at Manchester Airport that brings the joy of Christmas to life. This unique experience has been a highlight of the festive season at the airport for many years, and we’re proud to play a role in spreading holiday cheer.

“We are so grateful to our incredible colleagues and crew, whose dedication and enthusiasm created an unforgettable journey for our VIP passengers. Their hard work and passion were instrumental in making this event truly special.

“At TUI, we are committed to making holidays extraordinary for everyone. This special Christmas flight, in collaboration with Childflight and Manchester Airport, not only gives children the chance to experience the excitement of flying for the first time but also creates magical memories we hope they will treasure forever.”

Flights to Lapland are now underway, and almost 30,000 passengers are expected to travel to one of the region’s four airports – Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Ivalo and Kittila – between now and the end of December.

Many more will travel through the Northern hub in the run-up to Christmas, taking advantage of its unrivalled route network of over 200 destinations, and travelling for Christmas markets, winter sports trips, or visits to friends and family overseas.

Passengers travelling through the airport in the run-up to Christmas are advised to keep an eye on flight updates from their airline in the days before they travel and plan their journeys to the airport, allowing plenty of time to account for potential delays on the road and rail networks caused by wintry weather. You should aim to arrive two hours before your flight departure time for short-haul flights, or three hours beforehand for long-haul flights.

Passengers will see plenty of seasonal touches on their way through the airport, with a giant 20ft Christmas tree on display in Terminal 2, and decorations also on show in the other terminals. The airport’s ‘Holidays Mode Activated’ campaign is also live, promoting offers and discounts on dozens of stocking fillers, and a number of the hub’s bars and restaurants have special festive menus.

And colleagues at the airport are helping spread the spirit of the season to neighbouring communities through a range of activities, from present giveaways to opportunities to meet Father Christmas.

A Santa’s Grotto in Terminal 1’s free play area, the Little Flyers Zone, will be open until Monday 23^rd December – giving young travellers an opportunity to send off their Christmas lists (and receive a reply) with a Letters to Santa Station. Santa’s elves are on hand throughout the next few weeks and the big man himself will be at the Grotto to greet families on Thursdays and Fridays.

Santa will also be making an appearance on children’s charity Childflight’s annual Search for Santa on Tuesday 10^th December, when 140 children from Manchester embark on an unforgettable adventure. The circular flight will take them over the snow-capped peaks of North Wales, doubling for the North Pole, and sees Santa surprise them mid-flight before returning to Manchester later that afternoon. The event, run in partnership by Manchester Airport and TUI for Childflight, provides an unforgettable experience for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom have either never flown before.

Airport colleagues are also helping Santa out by gathering gifts as part of the airport’s annual MAG Giftmas campaign. Colleagues taking part in the campaign took a bauble from a Christmas tree in the airport’s offices with a suggested present written on it, and then provided that gift to the collection.

These will top up an approximate £3,000 worth of gifts purchased by the airport, and the airport’s senior leadership team will be wrapping these gifts and delivering them to local communities for distribution at community centres, community cafes, care homes, sheltered housing and schools. The scheme aims to ensure that no child or vulnerable person in the communities around the airport goes without a gift to open on Christmas morning.

The airport has also provided local schools with tickets to watch a pantomime at Wythenshawe Forum this week, and has extended invites to a number of community choirs to perform in its terminals throughout the month.

"I’m enormously proud of the active role the airport plays in its neighbouring communities, and that’s particularly important at this time of year. I’d like to thank all colleagues who have donated gifts or volunteered their time for schemes like MAG Giftmas and Childflight this year, and I know their efforts will help create some magical memories for youngsters across Manchester.

“We are also very much looking forward to welcoming the millions of travellers jetting off on festive trips to all four corners of the world. Around 99% of passengers got through security in under 15 minutes last month, so we are seeing strong operational performance and we’ve also invested in new snow-clearing equipment this year, so we’re well prepared for the challenges of winter weather.”

Chris Woodroofe – Managing Director, Manchester Airport

The Fund, which was set up in 1997 and has since made more than £4m of pledges, will donate more than £38,000 in total to organisations as varied as BMX club, a youth theatre and a musical support group for older adults.

Among those to benefit is triathlon group Lymm Tri, from Lymm in Cheshire, who will receive £1,245 towards equipment to support the group’s members during swims.

Caroline Clarke, one of the group’s organisers, explained: “We needed to improve our safety equipment for the open water swimming and this is where the money from Manchester Airport will make such a difference. 

“Lymm Tri was formed after a group of ladies decided that they would take part in a sprint triathlon.  Although all of the ladies ran, most of them hadn't been on a bike for years and didn't open water swim, let alone own a wetsuit.

“All of the ladies finished the triathlon and four were on the podium for their age group, so we decided that we wished to carry on and Lymm Tri has now gained affiliation to British Triathlon.

“We had been borrowing kayaks, but this funding will enable us to buy two new kayaks, with proper paddles, buoyancy aids and waterproof walkie talkies.”

Also receiving a grant is Wythenshawe Youth Theatre, which has been awarded £3,000 to purchase new electronic equipment that will help them put on a wider range of productions. Ash McDowell, a volunteer with the theatre, said: “‘This funding will allow us to provide the young people within our community with high quality equipment to give them hands on experience of the arts industry.”

Bruntwood Park BMX Club, based in Cheadle, Stockport, were granted £3,000 towards training equipment and safety gear that will enable more local youngsters to try out the sport, in the year that Kieran Reilly picked up a silver medal in the event for Team GB at the Paris Olympics.

Sarah Woodward, Secretary of Bruntwood Park BMX Club said: ““We are over the moon with the grant awarded to our BMX Club. We are now able to ensure we have all the necessary equipment needed to provide our riders with a safe and suitable BMX experience. To now be in a position to recruit more riders is fantastic for the club, the local community and the sport.”

Sale-based String of Hearts were awarded a total of £2,718 towards musical instruments and equipment. Lucy Geddes, Co-Director of String of Hearts, explained: “This generous funding will enable String of Hearts to provide accessible percussion instruments across our activities, supporting over 500 isolated older adults each year to actively participate in music-making sessions and home visits that reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing, and foster lasting relationships across our community.”

The Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport. It makes pledges worth up to £100,000 every year to groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire. Groups are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

Robert Pattison, Chair of the Community Trust Fund, said: "We take our role in supporting our neighbouring communities very seriously and we’re keen that they are able to share in the airport’s success, so the Community Trust Fund is a really important part of delivering that and we’re very proud to once again be supporting such a wide range of fantastic local causes.

"If you’re part of a group or community project or know someone who is, and could potentially benefit from this funding, we’d love to hear from you ahead of our next meeting in January.” 

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.

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 January’s quarterly meeting is Friday 13^th December.

Grants awarded in Q4 2024

The Report highlights the achievements of the Group, which owns Manchester Airport as well as London Stansted and East Midlands Airports, across its three sustainability pillars – Zero Carbon Airports, Opportunity for All and Local Voices.

MAG CEO Ken O’Toole has praised the “hard work and enthusiasm” of his colleagues in Manchester as well as in London Stansted and East Midlands Airport in creating a sustainable future for all.  

MAG’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future is long-standing, with the Group working for more than two decades to decarbonise its operations, inspire the next generation of aviation professionals and support local communities.

The Group, which is majority-owned by the metropolitan borough councils of Greater Manchester, continues to be independently recognised for its robust and credible approach to sustainability.

This year, the Group retained its five-star GRESB rating, as well securing a Gold Standard rating from EcoVadis – two leading ESG benchmarking tools.

As MAG moves closer to its target of net zero carbon operations by 2038, and towards the industry target of 2050, the Group’s airports have continued to deliver initiatives to support the transition to zero carbon aviation. This includes the introduction of a new fleet of electric airfield ground vehicles across its airports, including Manchester, alongside the announcement of a 14.3Mw Solar Farm at London Stansted to help meet the airport’s energy needs.

In March, the Group published research conducted by transport sustainability experts ICF, which found that using the 27m tonnes of annual UK household waste to make Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) would be at least five times better for the environment than burning the waste to generate electricity.

The Group also welcomed positive developments from the Government this year, including its announcement to introduce a UK SAF mandate from 2025, that means that by 2030 at least 10% of all aviation fuel in the UK must be SAF. In 2021, Manchester Airport signed an agreement with Fulcrum Bioenergy UK with a view to becoming the first in the UK to secure a direct pipeline supply of SAF. In September, MAG supported the Government’s decision to bring forward legislation that will create a Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM) for SAF in the UK.

MAG’s long-standing commitment to inspiring the next-generation of aviation professionals was underlined during the year, with more than 5,500 young people passing through the AeroZone education facilities at its three airports – with more than 2,100 of these at Manchester. Nearly 1,000 people from underprivileged backgrounds or who had been out of work for an extended period were given training and employability support at Manchester Airport Academy last year.

Drawing on MAG’s experience in this field, CEO Ken O’Toole has today written about the role of business in encouraging young people to stay in school by inspiring them about future careers.

Other highlights from MAG’s annual CSR Report included:

Zero Carbon Airports

·       Using 100% electricity from renewable sources across its UK operations.

·       Launching the Jet Zero Curriculum in all three MAG Aerozones, teaching the next generation about the role of SAF

Opportunity for All

·       Directly supporting the education of more than 8,700 school pupils in Greater Manchester and Cheshire

·       Providing more than three quarters of education support to pupils and schools in areas identified as ‘priority’

·       Purchasing more than a third of goods and services used at Manchester Airport from local suppliers

·       Generating more than £7.5m for SMEs through the Meet the Buyer events at the three MAG airports

Local Voices

·       Donating more than £100,000 to local charities and community groups through the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund

·       Hosting an industry-first Youth Summit, bringing together all three of MAG’s Youth Forums to take views from young people about sustainability

·       Colleagues at Manchester Airport volunteered almost 4,700 hours to supporting good causes, as part of a scheme allowing them to take up to two days per year of paid company time to do voluntary work in their local communities.

MAG CEO Ken O’Toole said:

“Through the achievements we have published today in our annual CSR Report, it is clear that creating a sustainable future for all is a central commitment at MAG.

“I am proud of the programmes and initiatives we continue to deliver on an annual basis, as well as always finding new ways to enhance our work to decarbonsise our sector, inspire the next generation of aviation professionals and support our local communities.

“It is testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of colleagues right across our Group that we are able to offer such a comprehensive sustainability programme, and for that approach to be independently recognised as at a five-star standard.

“It is clear to me that our business has the ability to make a real impact on the lives of young people who are exploring their career options, and I look forward to continuing this work that will create a pipeline of young, talented individuals starting work in the aviation sector.

“As we develop our new five-year CSR Strategy, we will continue to develop our commitment to sustainability, to ensure that our industry can continue to thrive into the future.”

The free event, which will run from 10am to 1pm on Thursday, 7 November, will give visitors the opportunity to find out more about a career in aviation by speaking directly to more than a dozen employers based at the airport site.

Over 1,000 roles will be on offer at the event, including around 250 with Manchester Airports Group (MAG), itself, which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports.

Other employers who will be represented at the fair include:

-          Airlines and aviation service providers, including Jet2.com, Dnata and Up & Away Aviation;

-          Retail operators such as Pret a Manger, JD Sports and World Duty Free;

-          Hotel groups including Doubletree Hilton and Holiday Inn/Ibis/Tribe Hotels;

-          Construction firms working on the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme, like MACE and NG Bailey.

The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford College, will also be in attendance at the jobs fair promoting its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes for those who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance and require additional support before applying for the jobs.

Charity Smartworks will have a stand promoting its ‘Fashion as a Force for Good’ campaign, which makes suits and formal attire available to women from disadvantaged backgrounds ahead of job interviews.

Entry to the event must be booked in advance through Eventbrite, via this link.

"We are proud to serve the North, and that doesn’t just mean getting people away on their holidays and business trips – we are also very aware of our responsibilities as a major regional employer. This jobs fair is about connecting local people with the right opportunities to build their career – whether that’s with us or one of our third-party partners.

“It’s an exciting time to be starting work at the airport, with our £1.3bn transformation programme nearing completion and more than 30 million passengers travelling through over the course of a year for the first time – so please do come along and find out more about the opportunities on offer.”

Chris Woodroofe – Managing Director, Manchester Airport

Those securing roles with MAG can also take advantage of a wide range of benefits. These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts plus many more.

Visitors can find out more online at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment.

Attendees to include:

Manchester Airports Group (MAG)

Dnata

Doubletree Hilton

WDF - Globe Groupe/Synergy Promotions

Holiday Inn/Ibis/Tribe Hotels

JD PLC

Jet2.com

MACE

NG Bailey

One Red Kite - Estee Lauder

Seetec

Smartworks

Up & Away Aviation

Pret a Manger

Cotteril Clough, the city of Manchester’s only Site of Special Scientific Interest, sits partly on the airport’s land. Its proximity to the airfield means it has been protected from human interference for many years and is home to a rare combination of ancient plants.

Species like bluebells, wild garlic and wood anemones used to coexist in ancient woodlands all over the country. Now they are treated as ’indicator species’ – meaning their presence is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

These species and others all exist in Cotterill Clough and now the airport’s environmental team, in conjunction with Styles Ecology, is helping spread these species into nearby woodlands and wild spaces to support their biodiversity.

Among the team working on the scheme is award-winning ecologist, Josh Styles, who founded the North West Rare Plant Initiative in 2017 and has appeared as an expert on BBC Countryfile.

The project began in June this year with selected plants and seeds transferred from the Cotteril Clough site – closed to the public to protect its delicate ecosystem – to other nearby locations.

Hundreds of plants and seeds have now been transferred, in conjunction with Styles Ecology and in consultation with Natural England.

The process will not have any impact on the ancient woodland, as the small gaps left from individually lifting the plants will naturally fill in over time, but the scheme will speed up the dispersal of these key species into woodlands in other areas of Greater Manchester and Cheshire, many of which have been degraded by human intervention and have lost the rich variety of species that they would otherwise host.

"A key interest of mine is fostering resilient and healthy ecosystems, so it was fulfilling to complete this project, knowing we've directly contributed to improving local biodiversity and facilitating a wider and faster spread of these important woodland plants. 

“The inspiration for this project came from a training day Josh led earlier this year with airport colleagues. Upon learning about the slow dispersal of ancient woodland species and its impact on the health of these important habitats, we were determined to play our part in addressing that issue 

“It’s a privilege to have one of this region’s only woodland Sites of Special Scientific Interest on our land and we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously.”

Isabella McQuillan – Biodiversity Infrastructure Manager, Manchester Airport

"It has been a pleasure to work with Manchester Airport on this project. So often we think that planting trees is all we need to do to create healthy woodlands, but all of the wild plant species in the understorey are crucially important too, and you can find them in abundance at Cotteril Clough.

“Recent studies show that many woodland plants, like wild garlic, are likely to play important roles in improving other diversity within healthy woodlands – so there will be huge benefits to this project.”

Josh Styles – Director, Styles Ecology

More than 60 airport colleagues have chipped in with around 320 hours of work over the last few months to support the projects at Crossacres Primary Academy and St Paul’s Catholic High School, both of which are under three miles from the airport site.

Staff from third-party partners of the airport were also involved, including Manchester City Council and MACE – which is leading on the £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2.

The project at Crossacres Primary Academy has rejuvenated its forest school, which had become overgrown and difficult for children to access, with work worth over £12,000. Volunteers cleared excess vegetation and constructed 13 raised flowerbeds, repaired a wooden gazebo used as a classroom – including waterproofing it and adding guttering – installed a bench to the fire pit area, and repaved pathways.

The new Forest School, which is shared with Ashgate Special Support School, seeks to create a space for pupils to learn about natural habitats in their area, and how to protect them.

Meanwhile at St Paul’s Catholic High School, volunteers from the airport and its partners cut back overgrown vegetation, cleared raised beds and tidied up paths over the school summer holidays, with plans for installing new fencing and renovating outdoor spaces in the coming weeks. The refreshed space will give the school’s 950 pupils a dedicated outdoor learning space when completed.

"Manchester Airport is proud of the role it plays in supporting its surrounding communities and being a good neighbour is really important to us, so we were delighted to get such a fantastic response from colleagues and our partner organisations when we put out a call for volunteers to help with these projects.

“The airport has had a record-breaking year and is here to serve the whole of the north, but we’re especially keen that local communities share in our success, whether that’s through employment or through improvements to local amenities, and schemes like this are a fantastic way to give something back.”

Julie Walker – Community Engagement Manager, Manchester Airport

"We’re very grateful for the incredible work that the team of volunteers from Manchester Airport have done in transforming our school sensory garden back into a beautiful and usable space. Their dedication, hard work, and passion have truly made a significant difference.

“The new garden will provide our students with a serene and stimulating environment to enjoy, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our school community.”

Ryan Coughlan – School Business Manager, Saint Paul's Catholic High School

The Sensory Garden project is the latest in a string of schemes that the airport’s Community Engagement team has worked on with local schools – including a competition to win £25,000 for a new eco-garden, to mark 25 years of the airport’s Community Trust Fund in 2022.

The airport’s Aerozone education centre opened in the same year and has since welcomed more than 6,000 pupils from across the North for school trips and educational events.

The Community Trust Fund, which was set up in 1997, is managed by a committee of trustees from the local area alongside representatives from the airport. It makes pledges worth up to £100,000 every year to groups based within 10 miles of the airport, including parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire. Groups are able to bid for up to £3,000 of funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

Donations agreed at the latest meeting totalled almost £29,000, spread between 14 groups.

Among those to benefit is Love Urmston, a community group run by volunteers and local businesses in the Urmston area of Trafford. More than £2,300 will go towards this year’s Christmas lights display.

Carol Chappell, Fundraising Lead at Love Urmston, said: "Urmston's Christmas lights rely entirely on the generous time of volunteers, public donations, and local grants. We are immensely grateful for the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund donation, which allows us to invest in more festive lights, extend coverage to additional areas of the town, and support our committee's mission to make Urmston thrive."

Another group to receive a grant is Paddlers For Life, a Manchester-based Dragon Boat racing team made up of cancer survivors, particularly breast cancer. They will get more than £1,600 towards new equipment.

Ann Johnson, a member of the team, said: “Manchester's only Breast Cancer dragon boat team have been established since 2012 at Debdale Outdoor Centre. With the help of the Manchester Airport Community Fund we've been able to replace our Buoyancy Aids and Splash Jackets, much needed accessories for our weekly exercise sessions. The Buoyancy Aids are used in every session throughout the year, but the Splash Jackets, will provide warmth and keep us dry in the winter months.”

Lostock Gralam Parish Council, in Cheshire, will receive almost £800 in funding for new recycling bins in a local park. Parish Clerk, Lyndsey Sandison, said: “The council is responsible for the upkeep and management of the main play area and recreational ground in the parish. The council is keen to promote projects which encourage the community to care of our planet and environment.”

Friends of Styal Station will also receive a grant, with more than £2,500 allocated for a project that will see new seating and green spaces installed at the Cheshire railway station.

Gemma Nichols, a volunteer with the group, said: “This funding will enable us to add the first outdoor seating at the station, providing a comfortable space for train passengers before their journey but also offering a safe space for anyone to come and relax and enjoy the plentiful wildlife which we’re so fortunate to have. A variety of herbs will be grown in the planters alongside the seating which will provide food for pollinating insects and anyone in the community can come down to the station and help themselves to the variety of herbs on offer.”

Crystal Chords, a women’s barbershop chorus based in Stockport, will be getting nearly £3,000 for a modular riser to be used in stage performances.

Carrie Morrow, a volunteer at Crystal Chords, said: “We are thrilled to have received a Community Trust Fund grant from Manchester Airport as we have been needing to buy some new risers, the curved steps that our members stand on so they can all see the musical director.

“It’s important that we have some lightweight, easy to store risers that all members can collectively assemble, so they can rehearse in a professional manner when they meet every Thursday night in Stockport. It also means they can transport them to performance venues using their own vehicles.

“The grant means we can buy the risers this year – they will be the chorus’ most valuable asset and will allow our group to continue to thrive for many years to come.”

The full list of organisations to be awarded a grant at this month’s meeting, and what they will be using the money for, can be found below. Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here.

Robert Pattison, Chair of the Community Trust Fund, said: "We are thrilled to have been able to support such a wide array of good causes with this latest round of donations. There are so many fantastic community-led projects across Greater Manchester and Cheshire which often don’t get the recognition they deserve, but we’re proud to support them with the funding they need to serve their local communities, via the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund.

“The deadline for applications ahead of the next meeting is Saturday 7^th September, so if you are working on a community project which could use some extra help, please visit our website to apply.”

Grants awarded in Q3 2024

The memorial garden, which is located between Terminal One and the Olympic House office building, has been given a £15,000 renovation over the past few months – with the addition of a Spitfire statue, picnic benches, and a poppy garden, which will be in full bloom by late summer.

The new additions to the garden sit alongside the already-established memorials to service personnel who were stationed at Manchester Airport during World War II and in the years that followed. In its previous guise as RAF Ringway, Manchester Airport was the wartime base for the No. 1 Parachute Training School RAF, which provided initial training to all 60,000 Allied paratroopers who took part in the Normandy Landings. It also helped develop new technology which supported parachute drops of equipment and military gliding operations.

On hand to open the garden was 101-year-old Glider Pilot Regiment veteran, Peter Davies. Peter, from Bollington in Cheshire, was part of a liaison team who assisted the US 82^nd Airborne Division in their preparations for D-Day. Peter also piloted Hamilcar gliders and was part of Operation Varsity in March 1945, carrying military equipment including tanks and depositing them behind enemy lines, as Allied forces pushed into Germany. Many years later, Peter helped raise funds for a dedicated memorial to his regiment at Manchester Airport, which was unveiled in 1997 and still takes pride of place in the new-look memorial garden. Peter joined Manchester Airport Chief Operating Officer, Pete Lederer, in cutting the ribbon ahead of the D-Day memorial service.

“Manchester Airport has been at the heart of the local community for more than 85 years and we are proud of the role the airport has played, and continues to play, in serving the community. Our wartime history is a key part of that story and the newly renovated memorial garden is a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by the brave servicemen and women who were stationed here. It was an honour to be joined by Second World War veteran Peter Davies to officially open the garden today.”

Pete Lederer, Chief Operating Officer, Manchester Airport

“I’m thrilled to see the garden officially opened today. This is the culmination of a project that my team has been working on for many months, renovating the space to let in more natural light and to add more colour by planting more flowers, including a poppy garden. The new picnic benches will invite colleagues and passengers alike to visit and explore the new memorial garden during the summer months, which provides a fitting space to pause and reflect.”

Cameron Smillie, Facilities Manager – Airport Estates, Manchester Airport

Those set to receive an injection of up to £3,000 in cash include a local cricket club, a girlguiding group and a Search and Rescue team – with 16 beneficiaries in total.

The Community Trust Fund, which was set up in 1997, makes pledges to groups based within 10 miles of the airport. This includes parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire, where groups are able to bid for funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

The Community Trust Fund is managed by a committee of trustees from the area alongside representatives from the airport. It has made more than £4m worth of donations in the 27 years since it was founded.

Among more than a dozen causes to benefit from the latest round of funding is Focus and Fly, a Manchester-based charity that runs personal and social development programmes to support vulnerable adults. They received £2,000 towards equipment for their women’s photography group.

Tracey Watterson, a Project Worker at Focus and Fly, said: “With the state-of-the-art MacBook and professional camera we've acquired, our women's photography group now has access to equipment they wouldn't typically be able to afford.

“The workshops we conduct now produce quality work surpassing mere smartphone snapshots, revealing hidden talents hindered by the lack of access to professional gear. This progress is leading us towards a community photography exhibition, organised by our growingly confident and cohesive group.”

Also set to benefit is Urmston Girlguiding in Trafford, which will receive over £1,000 for kitchen supplies as it rebuilds its headquarters.

Liz Southern, Urmston Division Commissioner for Girlguiding Greater Manchester West, explained: “Our new building will have a large cross section of users from all ages within Girlguiding, plus some members of our local Scouting community. The facilities will also be available for hire to specific community groups too. 

“All these users will benefit from having a fully equipped working kitchen with upgraded facilities, and we will have the capacity to extend our activities during meetings with our young members, such as cooking workshops. The support received from the Community Trust Fund will enable us to continue our positive work in the local community, providing girls and young women with opportunities and experiences that might not otherwise be available to them.” 

Alderley and Wilmslow Musical Theatre Company has been awarded £1,500 for the installation of a new PA system. Katy Thomason-Stewart, from the Theatre’s Marketing and Sponsorship team, said: “Our grant has enabled us to buy our own PA system, meaning that we no longer have to hire expensive equipment. As a local theatre group our passion is performing in our community - and Manchester Airport's Community Trust Fund has enabled us to do this even more in the future.”

Greenspace Volunteers Stockport, which looks after parks and green recreational spaces across the town, was given £1,400 to fund new picnic tables, along with wood planters and gardening supplies. The group’s founder Chris Lightfoot said: “This funding will allow us to take a positive step towards working with the local community, helping the residents to get more from their immediate wild space. It will provide a family friendly venue for children of all ages to enjoy.”

The full list of organisations to be awarded a grant at the Community Trust Fund's latest meeting, and what they will be using the money for, can be found below. Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here.

Robert Pattison, Chair of the Community Trust Fund, said: "The Community Trust Fund has now been running for more than 25 years and is one of the many ways in which we ensure that local communities share in the airport’s success. It was fantastic to be able to support such a broad range of applications at our latest meeting.

“The deadline for applications ahead of the next meeting is Saturday 1^st June, so if you have a community-led project that you’re seeking funding for, please visit our website to apply.”

Grants awarded in Q2 2024

Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior Schools took first place in a special one-off competition to mark the Community Trust Fund’s 25^th anniversary in December 2022. A top prize of £25k was made available to fund a project that would promote environmental awareness among pupils whilst also creating a legacy for generations to come.

The schools’ winning design incorporated a sustainable community allotment, growing produce that will then be used in cooking classes, a forest school designed to attract native plants and wildlife, and an open-air classroom complete with a weather station that will be used in science and geography sessions.

Local MP Mary Robinson was invited to join pupils for the eco-garden’s official opening and was taken on a guided tour of the space, where she saw work on the allotments to get them ready for growing crops this summer, and the completed forest school which is now in daily use by pupils, who have sighted toads, bords and even a shrew hanging around its vertical gardens.

A total of 22 primary schools from across southern Greater Manchester and north Cheshire entered the competition, with five finalists selected to give a Dragons’ Den style pitch to the Community Trust Fund’s trustees at the Runway Visitor Park.

Newall Green Primary School, in Wythenshawe, and Brooklands Primary School, in Trafford, claimed 2^nd and 3^rd place prizes of £10,000 and £5,000 respectively.

The Community Trust Fund, which has given away more than £4m since its inception in 1997, is overseen by the airport and managed by a committee of independent trustees, including airport colleagues and local councillors.

The airport contributes £100,000 per year to the fund, and trustees meet on a quarterly basis to consider pledges of up to £3,000.

Information on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here.

"The concept pitched by Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior Schools was superb, with tangible benefits not only for pupils today but for those who will follow in their footsteps. It was an ambitious design, so it’s fantastic to see that it has been delivered so well, and it is clear that the schools’ pupils are rightly very proud of what they’ve created.

“The Community Trust Fund is one of the many ways in which Manchester Airport seeks to support its neighbouring communities, and is open to all community groups or charities based within 10 miles of the airport. If you fit those criteria and you have a community-led project you need some help with, we’d love to hear from you.”

Robert Pattison – Head of Community Engagement, Manchester Airport

“We’re really proud to see our plans come to fruition and the children’s innovative ideas become a reality. They’re learning about sustainability and the environment, so there’s a real legacy to this project.”

Pamela Glynn – Headteacher, Cheadle Catholic Infant School

“It was a pleasure to visit Cheadle Catholic Infant and Junior Schools and witness firsthand their winning design in real life. It was great to see the enthusiasm, energy and passion displayed by the students towards their eco-garden space. The invaluable support extended by Manchester Airport to Cheadle School, and to others in Greater Manchester through this competition, underscores the commitment MAG has to fostering opportunities for growth, support and development throughout their local communities.”

Mary Robinson MP

The ‘Little Book of Travel Tales’ returns for 2024 after a successful launch last year, and schools entering the competition this year will be in with a chance of winning a special visit to the airport and a contribution to their school library, as well as seeing their pupils’ work in print.

Pupils’ work should focus on one of the following themes;

-          People at airports

-          Aeroplanes­

-          Flying ­

-          Travelling

-          Holidays

-          Different countries / cultures

-          Working in an airport

Stories and poems submitted should be 500 words or fewer and clearly labelled with the school name, teacher’s name, pupil’s first name, initial of their surname, and age. Teachers should register online here and then post their top 10 entries to Joanna Jackson (Education Manager), Olympic House, Manchester Airport, M90 1QX. Submissions should be made by Friday 24^th May.

The International Women’s Day visit saw a group of 30 pupils from Parrs Wood High School meet airport staff in the AeroZone educational facility before taking a tour of the new-look Terminal 2.

More than a dozen colleagues from a wide variety of roles took part in Q&As with the pupils, including women working in airport security, airfield operations, procurement, hospitality and community engagement, in addition to colleagues from partners DHL and Greater Manchester Police.

The pupils also had the chance to explore AeroZone’s interactive education zones and try their hand at some of the jobs they heard about.

In the afternoon, a Terminal 2 tour was led by Jane Daintith, the Head of Terminal Operations, who explained what goes into keeping a busy airport terminal running smoothly and outlined the improvement work taking place as part of the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme.

Marcella M’Rabety, Head of Education, Skills and Employment for Manchester Airports Group, said: “It was a privilege to welcome Parrs Wood High School pupils to the airport for the day and offer some insight into the wide variety of career opportunities available at a major travel hub such as this one. This is all part of our vision to empower women to seek out the roles and careers that they want to go for, while ensuring that those careers are accessible for all and that we provide a welcoming and inclusive environment.”

The free event, which will run from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday, 6 March, will give visitors the opportunity to find out more about a career in aviation by speaking directly to more than a dozen employers based at the airport site.

More than 700 roles will be on offer at the event, including around 270 with Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports.

Other employers who will be represented at the fair include airlines and aviation service providers, including Jet2.com, Menzies Aviation and Swissport, as well as restaurant and retail operators such as Wagamama, Costa Coffee, Boots, The Restaurant Group (TRG) and HMSHost.

The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford College, will also be in attendance at the jobs fair promoting its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes for those who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance and require additional support before applying for the jobs.

Entry to the event must be booked in advance through Eventbrite, via this link.

Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport's Managing Director, said: "This is an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport, with an epic 18 months ahead of us as we welcome a number of new airlines and destinations, overhaul and modernise our security processes, and complete the £1.3bn upgrade to our award-winning Terminal Two. 

“We are proud to serve the North, and that isn’t just through connecting people with the places they want to go to, it’s also through the wider benefits we bring to people in the region, including creating hundreds more jobs as we prepare for another busy and successful summer.” 

Those securing roles with MAG can also take advantage of a wide range of benefits. These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts plus many more.

Visitors can find out more online at www.manchesterairport.co.uk/recruitment.
 

The Fund, which was set up in 1997, is managed by a committee of trustees from the area alongside representatives from the airport. It has made more than £4m worth of donations in the 27 years since it was founded.

Groups based within 10 miles of the airport, which covers parts of Manchester, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire, are able to bid for funding for initiatives with a clear and lasting community benefit.

Among the almost two-dozen groups to benefit from the latest round of funding is Jump Space, based in Edgeley, Stockport. The charity provides opportunities for disabled people of all ages and abilities to access physical activity and sensory experiences, offering trainer-led trampolining, rebound therapy and sensory play to disabled and non-disabled people of all ages. Its fully accessible HQ caters for groups and individuals with a wide range of impairments.

With the Community Trust grant of £3,000 that it has received, the group plans to install an interactive floor projector, allowing it to offer a more diverse range of activities. Stockport MP Navendu Mishra visited the group’s base on Hardman Street to present them with the funds.

Marie Fisher, Jump Space’s Chief Executive, said: “The award from Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund is a great boost for Jump Space. Our facility is undergoing major refurbishments in spring this year, and this new equipment will enhance the Jump Space experience for our participants and support us in becoming a flagship provider for activity for disabled people in the North West.”

Navendu Mishra MP added: “Congratulations to all seven successful Stockport applicants in the latest round of Manchester Airport's Community Trust Fund. It was great to meet with Jump Space and hear about how the funds received from the airport will help further contribute to their mission of encouraging activity and promoting community among disabled and disadvantaged people. I would encourage all community groups in Stockport to apply for the next round of Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund and see how they might be able to make further change in their area.”

Cracking Good Food, an organisation that supports communities across Manchester by offering cookery classes and tackling food waste, was granted £1,500 towards its Kitchen Kit Call Out campaign – collecting and redistributing pre-loved kitchen kit to those in need.

Tracey Torley, a Director at Cracking Good Food, said: “There is a huge demand for basic kitchen equipment, and after just four events almost seven tonnes of donated kit has already been distributed, supporting approximately 12,000 Greater Manchester community members and organisations and avoiding over 70 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions going to landfill.”

Also set to benefit is The Together Centre at Loxley House, in Dukinfield, Tameside. The charity supports families and vulnerable people in the Tameside area and will use its £1,200 grant to establish a ‘Talking Tea Room’, and public ‘warm spaces’.

The Together Centre Manager, Leanne Bold, explained: “By tackling loneliness, isolation, and just offering an open-ear and a friendly face to anyone who may be struggling during these unprecedented times, The Together Centre's empowering, free Talking Tearoom will support those most vulnerable within our Tameside Wide Communities. Nine of our incredible volunteers will be on hand with a cuppa and a slice of cake, or soup and a roll during the winter months.”

Cheshire’s MIX56 was awarded over £1,600 towards mobile studio and outside broadcast equipment.  The additional equipment will help the station to serve its community better – by enabling them to get out and about this summer with more outside broadcasts.

Ian James from MIX56 said:  "Since we started broadcasting during lockdown, we’ve been doing some amazing things both on and off air. This much-needed funding will allow us to serve the community even more, allowing us to get out and about this Summer – and will also provide a valuable lifeline for volunteers when it comes to remote training and broadcasting. We are so grateful to Manchester Airport and the Community Trust Fund for this award."

OT Creative Space, in Trafford, will get more than £2,100 towards its ‘THE BACK gALLErY’ project, which has transformed an alleyway that previously saw fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour into a community arts hub.

Lynda Sterling, a visual artist working on the project, said: “We are delighted to have received funding from Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund which will enable us to continue ‘THE BACK gALLErY’ project for the next year. Our project works with our local community and artists to create safe and welcome outdoor spaces in the alleyways, where people of all ages can come together to be creative, create artwork, clean, care for and grow plants in the alleyways and build a strong cohesive and creative community.

“The funding will enable us to purchase materials we need to hold monthly family art clubs in the alley as well as equipment for community clean up days and new outdoor art exhibitions. This will make a big difference for our community and we can't wait to get started."

Marston Parish Council was awarded £1,600 to purchase new chairs for the Cheshire village’s church hall. Amanda Nixon, a Parish Councillor, said: “The current chairs at the church hall are stacking chairs, which we've noticed are creaking a bit. So we decided to fundraise to invest in some bariatric chairs.

“We hold a weekly coffee morning at the church hall, and then the Parish Council introduced a chair-based exercise class back in June 2023, which has been well received. Seated exercise is an effective way to help you stay physically active – low-impact chair exercises help increase movement throughout the day while keeping pressure off your joints.”

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

Robert Pattison, Chair of the Community Trust Fund, said: "The Community Trust Fund is part of our long-standing commitment to support our surrounding communities, be a good neighbour to them and ensure that they share in the airport’s success.

“We were thrilled to be able to pledge funds towards so many worthwhile groups and projects at our latest meeting, and we look forward to receiving more applications ahead of our next quarterly meeting in April.”

Details on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here. The trustees will next meet on Monday 15^th April, and applications for funding to be considered at the next meeting must be submitted by Friday 15^th March.

Grants awarded in January 2024

The Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East hosted an Apprenticeship Fair at Wythenshawe Forum on Thursday, February 8, bringing together learners and some of the area’s biggest and most exciting employers.

Prospective Apprentices heard about the opportunity to do placements at event sponsors Manchester Airport and Timpson as well as Bethell Construction, SSP, the Manchester United Foundation, Amazon and others.

The event was jointly organised with business charity BW3, which was founded more than 20 years ago to connect companies wanting to support the economic and social wellbeing of Wythenshawe.

Apprenticeships offer people of all ages the opportunity to learn on the job while also gaining a highly respected qualification – and get paid at the same time. There are different levels of Apprenticeship, with some being equivalent to a master’s degree.

Manchester Airport talked to people at the event about the range of Apprenticeships it runs, including in Corporate Social Responsibility and engineering.

Wythenshawe and Sale East MP Mike Kane said: 

"Taking the first steps on your career - or even changing direction when you've already started out - can be really daunting. But here in Wythenshawe and the surrounding area we're lucky to have a whole range of exciting employers offering innovative Apprenticeships.

"That's why I take great pride in hosting this annual apprenticeship fair in partnership with Manchester City Council and BW3 - because it brings these organisations and the people who could benefit from the opportunities they offer together.

"So whether you're an aspiring engineer who wants to work at one of the country's biggest airports here in Manchester or you want to learn about the business of football through the Manchester United Foundation, or you need an organisation like Timpson to help you learn how to run a business - you can find the right Apprenticeship for you.

"I'm grateful to Manchester Airport and Timson for helping make this event a success, and to all the exhibitors and people who attended today."

Adam Jupp, Communication DIrector at Manchester Airport and chair of BW3

"We’re really proud to serve the people of Manchester and the North – but that goes far beyond helping them travel.

"Manchester Airport is one of the region’s biggest and most exciting employers – and we want to make sure people in the area are able to benefit from having the airport and all the opportunities it offers on their doorstep.

"We met lots of young people at the fair, and knowing that we could be about to help them take the first steps on a rewarding career is very exciting. We thank Mike Kane for putting on the event and wish all those that attended the best of luck with their future Apprenticeships.”