Giving something back | Quarterly update

Quarter one did a great job of paving the way for the rest of this year, with a positive start kicking off what already promises to be a bumper year of activity. One of the more significant developments is the establishment of site-selected charity panels; a group of colleagues at each of our three main UK centres – Prestwick, Swanwick and Whiteley – who have pledged to drive fundraising activity for the local causes we support.

In addition to our two corporate charity partners – Aerobility and the Jon Egging Trust – we have also pledged employees support at a more local level to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, the Micah Project and Sophie’s Legacy. 

Joining them are causes local to our international offices, too. The overseas teams have selected to support Arc Children’s Centre in Singapore, the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children in the UAE and Impact HK in Hong Kong. 

The initiative is being rolled out to all NATS sites over the coming months to expand our local support and enhance the positive impact we can have on the communities around us. 

Leading by example, the Singapore team recently spent a day at Arc Children’s Centre, a day-care facility dedicated to supporting children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The team entertained the children, talked a lot about planes and pilots (at the children’s request!) and assisted with tasks and games. 

Our colleagues continued their generosity through the payroll giving scheme, Give As You Earn, where NATS employees can donate to any UK charity or place of worship direct through their salary. Over £64,000 was donated this way in Q1. 

Give As You Earn was also one of the ways the Early Careers team raised over £10,000 in donations during their incredible annual fundraiser for the Jon Egging Trust throughout June and July. The cohort did a fantastic job of raising money to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK. They were even awarded £1,000 in match funding via the NATS Community Fund. 

The Community Fund is our internal funding scheme which supports employees who fundraise or are directly involved with charities and community groups outside of work. Q1 of the Community fund was its busiest on record, awarding 42 applicants with over £36,000. Successful causes to receive funding include Paws2Rescue, Shelter, YoungMinds, RAFA and the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Several teams also took part in teambuilding opportunities for local good causes including a team who spent a day supporting the Rose Road Association with gardening and tidying their grounds. One of our operational teams volunteered with The Micah Project in Prestwick, building flat-pack items, arranging furniture for delivery and sorting clothing donations. Whilst another team supported Youth Options with a variety of tasks including creating raised beds, tidying fences and lots of weeding. 

As always, thank you to everyone who supports the causes that mean so much to us all. With giving something back activities always on our calendar, the next quarter is sure to be another impactful one.