Stansted Airport has launched their new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with the aim of strengthening business and community links. By providing links and advice through their interactive Stansted Airport Community Network, local businesses will be able to collaborate with the airport and “participate in a range of education, employment and volunteering projects to help make the local community a more vibrant place to live and work,” says Andrew Harrison, Managing Director at Stansted Airport.
Harrison added: “Our sustainability programmes on education and employment contribute to the economic growth in our region and we’re increasingly integrating sustainability within all areas of our business.” The airport launched a mentoring programme where senior staff hold bi-weekly meetings with GCSE students from the Forest Hall School in Stansted Mountfitchet, discussing a range of topics including ways to approach revisions and exams, how best to balance life outside school with their studies, and helping students in what their next steps will be.
The airport has also linked with UK enterprise education charity, Young Enterprise, an organisation dedicated to inspiring students in schools, colleges and universities to learn about business through expanding their enterprise knowledge. Staff from Stansted worked with a group of students from Hockerill Anglo-European College to set up and run a company, as part of Young Enterprise’s Company Programme, and in 2013, 25 young people had the opportunity of a week’s work experience with the owner of Stansted, the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) at the airport.
Stansted Airport’s network offers advice and information to businesses who would like to benefit from the airport’s on-site Employment Academy, including work experience initiatives and community volunteering schemes.
Harrison concluded: “We’re rightly proud of what we have achieved so far and we recognise that continued success can only be realised by working in partnership with our business and community partners. The network will help us bring together the airport’s corporate responsibility initiatives and provide ideas on how business partners can get involved and give a little back to the community.”
An airport with vision that is prepared to put themselves forward in the community, to the benefit of all, and prepared to give their valuable insight and knowledge to help today’s young people grow and develop… now that’s progress!
By Oliver Derek