Staff at London City Airport, including CEO Robert Sinclair, have participated in the third annual Volunteering Fortnight, giving 400 hours of service to local organisations and initiatives.
A combined total of 50 staff spent days at Cody Dock in Newham; Redbridge Food Bank; Core Landscapes in Tower Hamlets; and Spitalfields City Farm in Hackney, to contribute.
The Fortnight, which is organized in partnership with the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) and coincides with National Volunteers’ Week, brings the total annual volunteering hours delivered in 2018 so far by the airport to 850.
Robert Sinclair, CEO of London City Airport, said:
“The airport is committed to being a good neighbour and throughout the year, including Volunteering Fortnight, we work with our local community to improve the environment around us and support local initiatives.
“Having attended Core Landscapes in Tower Hamlets I have seen first-hand how staff can contribute their skills to good causes, and we want to do even more, which is why we will soon be launching a new Community Fund and inviting local groups to apply.”
Volunteering Fortnight is part of a range of activities, volunteering and fundraising that the airport delivers. Later this year, the airport will also launch a new £75K Community Fund from which grants will be available for local charities and organisations in communities near to London City Airport.
The details of the volunteering and organisations involved during Volunteering Fortnight were:
Cody Dock Gasworks in Newham
On 7th June volunteers attended Cody Dock Gasworks near Canning Town, where groups repaired and carried out maintenance works.
Cody Dock is preparing for community events during this summer and to help prepare for this, airport volunteers helped with boat restoration tasks, concreting, filling in potholes, repairing and maintenance of pathways, landscaping and creating signage.
Over the years, 6,000 volunteers have helped Cody Dock transform from a derelict rubbish-strewn site to a vibrant community hub focused on creative industries and serving the local community. Cody Dock is a charity formed to act as a vehicle for community-led regeneration and nurtures public engagement in the revitalisation of local waterways.
Spitalfields City Farm in Hackney
On 11th June volunteers visited Spitalfields City Farm to help with maintenance of the farm, gardens and assist with various projects being delivered.
Spitalfields City Farm was originally set up by volunteers in 1978 and they still rely on volunteers today. The farm is a rural idyll in amongst the hustle and bustle of Whitechapel, Brick Lane and the City of London. It is a farm which holds the community in the centre of everything they do, providing educational tours and workshops for the public as well as growing a selection of affordable produce for locals. Receiving over 18,000 visitors a year and spread over 1.3 acres of land owned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Railtrack, the farm keeps a selection of farm animals and has developed growing areas in every available space.
Core Landscapes in Tower Hamlets
On 14th June volunteers went to Core Landscapes, a ‘meanwhile site’ which has been reclaimed from a wasteland space, and turned into a green, leafy urban hub.
Airport employees helped with horticulture, painting and creating signage.
Core Landscapes transforms wasteland in deprived areas, often left vacant whilst awaiting development, into vibrant hubs for mental wellbeing and community engagement. All the plants are container grown so the gardens can withstand moves to new locations.
Redbridge Foodbank
On 15th June volunteers helped assist the food bank in buying as much food as possible for a fixed budget, before sorting the items ahead of collection by those using the food bank.
With food poverty affecting many families and individuals across London, food banks, including this one in Redbridge, have become a key resource to support those in need.