A community wellbeing charity in Stansted Mountfitchet has received a new year boost thanks to a £50,000 grant from Stansted Airport Community Fund (SACF).

The flagship award to Touchpoint Stansted is part of a £90,000 pot of donations pledged to a 13 local charities and community groups in Essex and Hertfordshire at the fund’s latest quarterly meeting.

The charity’s successful application will help fund the renovation of its aging building in the village so it can continue serving the community for decades to come.

Paul Chambers, founder and chair of Touchpoint, said: “We are delighted that SACF has chosen to support us through their Flagship Award.

“Our current premises are operating at capacity and desperately need updating. This award is a vital contribution to our project to enable us to return an adjacent community building to public use and significantly enhance the services that we offer. We see this as a game changing moment for our charity and its future sustainability.”

A special event on Friday, January 12, marked the donation with special guests Kemi Badenoch MP, Cllr Maggie Sutton, Cllr David Carter, Community Fund representatives and the airport’s Managing Director, Gareth Powell.

Speaking at the event on Friday, Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s managing director, said: “Part of being a good neighbour is giving back to our local community and bringing lasting benefit to those most impacted by the airport’s operations.

“The SACF is one such way that we do this, offering grants to local community groups and charitable organisations. We have committed an annual contribution of £150,000 to the fund between now and 2029 and this is topped up with any fines for noisy or off-track aircraft.

“The fund is open year-round for community awards, offering grants of up to £5,000 as well as an annual flagship grant of £50,000. It is my pleasure to be here this morning, with our local MP, to see this flagship grant being given to Touchpoint, which I know is a well-regarded organisation that supports the community through the wide range of services that it offers, as well as serving as a hub for many other community groups to use as well.”
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