Schools and other good causes across North Somerset have benefitted from more than £160,000 in grants from Bristol Airport's Community Fund in 2021.

The cash has been handed to a range of projects in the district, with the total in grants handed out reaching £1.2 million since the fund was launched in 2012.

Grants issued in the past 12 months range from £600 to £10,000 for a range of projects.

Those to benefit include grants for an outdoor play area for Backwell Junior School and Wrington Primary School; cricket covers for Cleeve Cricket Club; team dugout shelters for Wrington & Redhill Football Club; nature conservation schemes for Bristol Avon River Trust and Avon Wildlife Trust.

The management committee, which oversees Bristol Airport’s Local Community Fund, meets on a quarterly basis to discuss and make a decision on all applied projects.

Committee Members consist of representatives from both the Airport, North Somerset Council and is independently chaired.

Barry Hamblin, chair of the Bristol Airport Local Community Fund, said: “The past 12 months has been another challenging year for local community groups due to the ongoing issues of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"To be able to grant over £160,000 to support worthwhile community groups is a huge achievement and it has allowed projects to continue to improve, grow and provide essential support for local residents in close proximity to the airport.

"As a committee, we understand the importance of the fund and how it can be a valuable part of the local community life.

"We want to be a ‘force for good’ for the local community groups and we are proud of the projects that we have supported this year. We look forward to continuing our support to community groups in 2022.”

The fund was set up to help mitigate the impact of the airport’s operations and to give something back to surrounding communities who are situated in close proximity.

The fund’s area of benefit includes the parishes of Winford, Wrington, Backwell, Brockley, Cleeve and Barrow Gurney.

Projects which could be eligible for support include initiatives to improvements to transport infrastructure, measures to reduce community severance, nature conservation, educational projects
and local sustainability initiatives.

Also, as part of the Local Community Fund is the Noise Insulation Scheme, which helps mitigate the impact of aircraft and ground noise. This scheme is set up to provide grants for new window installation for families living close to the airport and this year Bristol Airport granted more than £85,000 to 39 residents.