Press Release

BAA Gatwick team scoops top award at National volunteering awards ceremony


06 February 2007

A team from BAA Gatwick came top in the category of ‘Best UK Employee Team Activity in the Community Service Volunteers’ (CSV), Make a Difference Day awards held last week in London, hosted by Channel 4’s Jon Snow.

CSV Make a Difference Day is sponsored by Barclays and took place in November last year. It is the UK’s largest day of volunteering and last year a record breaking 120,000 volunteers took part in over 4000 activities across the country.

A team of over 50 people made up predominantly from BAA Gatwick employees but also included members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, International students volunteers from VSO Global Xchange programme and pupils from Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex, teamed up on a project to transform the gardens of care home for the elderly in East Grinstead.

The residents of Littlefair care home worked alongside the volunteers for two days to help create a wildlife haven that included wheelchair access, raised beds, a wildflower meadow, planting of fruit trees and a seating area.

The team are also planning to install bird boxes in the home’s already established courtyard garden and a water butt to collect rainwater for the wildlife garden. BAA Gatwick funded the project, donating £6,000 towards materials and plants.

A total of 16,500 people took part in team employee volunteering projects last year, with four companies being short listed for the final award ceremony. An independent awards panel, made up of representatives from the media, commercial and voluntary sectors, reviewed all the nominations and selected the winners in each category.

Short listed nominees for the 'Best Employee Team' Activity included The Walt Disney Company in London, Vertex Financial Services in Gloucestershire and Norwich Union in Yorkshire.

Accepting the award on behalf of the team, Tim Knott said: BAA Gatwick’s Public Affairs Assistant said: “I’m delighted to accept this accolade on behalf of everyone who worked so hard on the project. As a business BAA Gatwick is committed to volunteering in the local community and we’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with CSV next year.”

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