Tuesday 16 August 2022: Since launching in April, the BA Better World Community Fund has delivered more than £760,000 of funding to support 30+ charities across the UK.
The funds have been raised in partnership with Crowdfunder, combining generous donations from the airline’s customers, the wider public and contributions from British Airways.
The community fund has enabled the airline to offer vital financial support to a diverse range of charities across the UK, in areas that align with the airline’s people, planet and responsible business sustainability themes.
Investment in People
Healthy Kidz is one of the many charities that has benefitted from the BA Better World Community Fund. The support through the fund has enabled the organisation to run holiday camps across Northern Ireland this summer for more than 1,300 children, providing a wide range of multi-sport activites and educational sessions around nutrition to improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being.
The fund is also enabling incredible charities like Flamingo Chicks, based in Bristol, to help 6,500 children by providing workshops and classes for children with disabilities and their families to explore movement through dance. Katherine Sparkes MBE, Founder & CEO of Flamingo Chicks said: “We are so very grateful for the support from British Airways – it has been transformational to our charity. At a time when demand is at an all-time high, this will enable us to increase our delivery, getting more children with disabilities dancing than ever before! A huge thank you for helping Flamingo Chicks fly!”
Investment in Planet
Funding has also been used to support Living Streets Portsmouth, an initiative to encourage local biodiversity within city centres and a new garden has been created on the London Overground with Energy Garden for more than 12,000 daily commuters to enjoy.
The airline is also supporting Drug of Art through the fund, which is a community-led project created by artist Alison Lapper, MBE that showcases the positive power of creativity on mental health. This support will enable workshops and podcasts to take place at more than 500 schools and youth groups across the country to combat loneliness.
All of the charities that the fund supports align with the airline’s BA Better World commitments to people, planet and responsible business to empower communities to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. The full list of the charities can be found here: www.bacommunityfund.co.uk/search/projects
Lisa Tremble, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at British Airways and Chair of the Community Governance Board said: “We are really proud to have supported a wide range of projects since the launch of the fund and to see how our contribution, together with the generous Crowdfunder donations have made a real difference to those in the communities that need it most.
“We are committed to continuing to help existing and new community-led initiatives and look forward to seeing the positive impact our fund can have on communities across the UK in the coming months and beyond.”
Rob Love, Chief Executive and Founder at Crowdfunder said: “Our partnership with British Airways and their BA Better World Community Fund allows non-profit organisations to amplify its funding potential in order to reach heights that are often not possible without our +Extra funding partnerships. We are delighted to have another great partnership in place and to see the impact this fund can make.”
These non-profit organisations showcase the positive power of creativity on mental health, deliver inclusive programmes to support children with disabilities and their families, provide a platform for young leaders to take entrepreneurial action and introduce schemes to encourage local biodiversity in cities across the UK.
The BA Better World Community Fund continues to invite charities and social enterprise groups to apply for funding from the airline via Crowdfunder here. Organisations can apply for funds and will be reviewed by the Community Governance Board against criteria that matches the airline’s sustainability aims.
British Airways has supported community-led initiatives across the UK and around the world for more than 30 years and this fund has added another important element to the airline’s portfolio of community support. The BA Better World Community Fund continues to complement British Airways’ Flying Start programme, the airline’s global charity partnership with Comic Relief that has raised more than £26 million since it first began in 2010.