Our
community.
Social impact on a scale well beyond any other UK airport.
We are tremendously proud of our track record of success and capital investment in the fabric of our local communities. As a direct result of our public ownership, since 1998 we have provided more than £300m to support vital local front-line services, together with an additional £180m for community investment projects that have transformed the lives of tens of thousands of vulnerable people.
This support for community organisations is 20x more per passenger than any other UK airport. This helps make us the most socially impactful airport in the UK.
provided this year to community investment projects
local community organisations supported
of local people reached
This unique community investment programme now has an annual budget of approximately £7.4m, with half funding Active Luton (leisure, community health, wellbeing and library services) and The Culture Trust Luton (arts, cultural and heritage services). About 50 local charities are also supported, including Alzheimer’s Society, Age Concern, Autism Bedfordshire, Luton Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Luton Foodbank, Headway, Luton Women’s Aid, Relate, Stepping Stones, The Prince’s Trust and Victim Support.
We also have a Community Engagement Programme to thank the people of Luton for their support of the airport. This supports community festivals such as the Luton Carnival, the Luton Mela, the Luton Fireworks and number of other annual events.
Click on the links below to read more the stories behind some of the causes we support:
Changing lives: where the money goes
Here is a list of the inspiring community organisations we support as they change lives in and around Luton. Click to see the supported organisations in each area of work.
Physical and mental health and wellbeing are pre-requisites for living a full and thriving life. We support inspiring local organisations addressing the full range of health challenges.
Active Luton
Active Luton runs facilities and activities to enable local people to participate in physical activity; improve their health and wellbeing; enhance their education and skills; and create career opportunities.
Number of beneficiaries: 155
Age Concern Luton
Age Concern Luton is Luton’s largest charity working with older people, helping older people and their carers get the services they need, make their voices heard and make a contribution to their communities.
Number of beneficiaries: 5000
Alzheimer’s Society
The Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia support workers offer information and practical guidance to help people understand dementia, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future.
Number of beneficiaries: 600
Autism Bedfordshire
Autism Bedfordshire’s services help break down the barriers to social participation for autistic people and their families by providing places where they can go and feel comfortable, accepted and not judged by society.
Number of beneficiaries: 892
CHUMS CIC
CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for children and young people provides therapeutic support in a variety of ways, tailoring the service to support their individual needs.
Number of beneficiaries: 34
Early Years Alliance
The Alliance believes that quality early learning experiences, parent participation and the correct support services for families are key in raising attainment, maintaining positive health and wellbeing and improving school readiness.
Number of beneficiaries: 7902
Headway Luton
Headway Luton provides a wide range of quality care and personal support to meet the individual needs of people with an acquired brain injury, supporting clients, their families and/or carers in and around Luton.
Number of beneficiaries: 256
Keech Hospice Care
Keech Hospice Care supports adults and children to live pain and symptom free, to spend untroubled time with their family and friends, to understand what’s happening to them, to stay out of hospital and to make the most of the time they have.
Mind BLMK
Mind BLMK works across communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, they offer a number of activities from their wellbeing centres and local venues
Number of beneficiaries: 255
Sight Concern Bedfordshire
Sight Concern Bedfordshire works with visually impaired people, their families and carers throughout Bedfordshire and Luton to provide services to enable them to live full, active and independent lives.
Number of beneficiaries: 666
SIG Penrose Steps
SIG Penrose Steps is an accommodation assessment and support service for Luton clients, who are admitted to mental health wards in Luton. The service aims to ensure that when clients are discharged from hospital, they have suitable accommodation.
Number of beneficiaries: 866
Stroke Association
The Stroke Association supports people to rebuild their lives after a stroke, providing specialist support, funding critical research and campaigning to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support to rebuild their lives.
Number of beneficiaries: 187
These organisations provide advice and emotional and practical support to help some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Luton and surrounding areas.
Citizens Advice Luton
The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice and campaigns on big issues affecting people’s lives.
Community Voluntary Service Bedfordshire
CVS Bedfordshire encourages organisations in the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to work together, and share knowledge and expertise.
Number of beneficiaries: 100
Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire
Groundwork works to create stronger, healthier communities, responsible business and greater prospects for local people. Each programme and service is tailored to the needs of partners and communities in the locality.
Number of beneficiaries: 1,000
Level Trust
The Level Trust helps families overcome the costs of education so all children in Luton have the chance to love learning.
Number of beneficiaries: 7.512
Luton Foodbank
Luton Foodbank provides free, nutritionally balanced, and culturally appropriate food to people in hardship or distress, and signposts information to local advice and information services.
Number of beneficiaries: 13,239
Mary Seacole Housing Association
The Mary Seacole Housing Association provides supported accommodation to single homeless people in Luton, and helps them to move on into their own stable accommodation.
Number of beneficiaries: 127
NOAH Enterprise
NOAH Enterprise provides a practical, empowering and caring service to people who are homeless particularly those who are temporary or entrenched rough sleepers, and those who are marginalised and socially excluded, or have simply fallen into poverty.
Number of beneficiaries: 752
These organisations celebrate and promote community expression and cohesion through culture and the arts.
Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust
The Trust facilitates carnival education in Luton and the surrounding areas. It also hosts the annual Luton International Carnival, a mirror of Luton’s diverse community, with a strong focus on children and families.
Luton Council of Faiths
Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF) is committed to encouraging and promoting tolerance, respect and mutual understanding among people of all faiths and cultures, both in Luton and beyond.
Number of beneficiaries: 1,700
Being able to live safely and securely is a basic right and need, and these organisations provide the committed support to people who are among the most vulnerable.
Luton All Women’s Centre
Luton All Women’s Centre offers a wide-range of advisory, information, practical and holistic support services. Its aim is to challenge gender inequality and empower women and girls to enjoy lives that are safer, healthier and fairer.
Number of beneficiaries: 1,400
Stepping Stones (Luton)
Stepping Stones (Luton) is a charity dedicated to empowering women who have suffered domestic abuse or are vulnerable due to substance misuse by providing hope and the skills and resources to make positive life choices.
Number of beneficiaries: 290
The Safer Luton Partnership
The Safer Luton Partnership is a multi award-winning organisation, working with specific target groups towards developing safer neighbourhoods, improving the quality of life and reducing the level of crime for those who live, work or visit Luton.
Number of beneficiaries: 1,856
Women’s Aid Luton
Women’s Aid in Luton is a voluntary organisation providing support, information, guidance, and safe accommodation for women and children who have suffered from or are exposed to gender-based violence and domestic abuse.
Number of beneficiaries: 411
Inspiring local organisations aiming to give young people the foundations that can help them live their best lives, and if necessary, to turn their lives around.
Luton Scouts
From international expeditions to creative, community and environmental projects, the Scouts offer opportunities that improve the life outcomes of hundreds of thousands of young people every year
Youturn Futures
YouTurn Futures ensures that the very successful Integrated Offender Management approach to rehabilitation continues across Bedfordshire. They also work to tackle Child Exploitation (including criminal and sexual exploitation) and Serious Youth Violence.
Number of beneficiaries: 250
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“I didn’t see any point being alive.”
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“We should be telling these stories.”
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“Everywhere the kids could have fun was closed.”
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“I kept on falling over, and hallucinating.”
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“It’s exhilarating. I just love the atmosphere.”
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“They treated me with respect, and my whole life changed.”
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How our community support is allocated
Our funding programme consisting of four separate funds, each designed to provide a form of funding suitable to a specific purpose:
Community Investment Fund
With an annual budget of approximately £4m, the Community Investment Fund provides significant and sustainable funding to ‘outcomes partners’ – charitable organisations having a major and key role in contributing to the delivery of priority outcomes in the medium-to-long-term.
Luton Rising Small Grants Fund
With an annual budget of £500,000, this Fund provides small grants of up to £10,000, generally but not necessarily limited to one year only to support community and voluntary activity in Luton. Assistance maybe sought for project work, running costs, support with rent, rates or room hire, and capital investment. Depending on the availability of funding, a limited number of donations of up to £25,000 may be made.
Luton Rising Near Neighbour Fund
This fund provides one-year grants to support community and voluntary organisations in the communities outside the Borough of Luton, that are most affected by airport operations.
Since 2012, the Community Investment, Small Grants and Near Neighbour Funds have been administered by the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation. Contact them for more information about the funds and how you can apply.
Luton 2040
Since September 2019, Luton Council has been engaging with partners and residents across the town to shape and co-produce a vision for Luton 2040. The impact of COVID-19 has reinforced the need for a town where everyone works together to address the challenges of poverty and inequality.
This vision will also be underpinned by commitments to make Luton both a child-friendly and a carbon neutral town. The goal is for a healthy, fair and sustainable town, where all can thrive and no-one has to live in poverty.
We are a proud and committed supporter, both morally and financially, of Luton 2040.