EMA staff give time and gifts to neighbours at Christmas
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is spreading some Yuletide cheer among its surrounding communities, with a number of activities taking place in the weeks ahead.
All year round, the airport plays an active role in towns and villages its operations affect most, awarding £533,289 in grants for local groups and projects, providing 130 engagement opportunities and colleagues giving 3,427 hours volunteering locally in the last year.
In the run-up to Christmas, this neighbourly approach involves providing gifts, volunteers and even arranging visits from Santa for local communities. Already EMA has gifted 190 tickets to the ‘Snow White’ Pantomime at Loughborough Town Hall to families from Cobden Primary School in Loughborough. On the day of the performance (Saturday 30 November), Santa gave out gifts for all the children to make the day even more magical.
Airport volunteers also joined One Kegworth volunteers a week earlier to create a fabulous festive experience for over 75-year-olds living in Kegworth. It’s an event EMA helped to pay for, with a grant to One Kegworth from the Community Sponsorship Fund. Guests were treated to afternoon tea and entertainment at the Yew Lodge in Kegworth and at the end of the event received goody bags provided by EMA. This Sunday (December 8), volunteers will join One Kegworth volunteers to put together and then deliver Christmas hampers to all over 75-year-olds living in Kegworth who were unable to attend the Christmas tea party.
Santa and his elves will be arriving in an airport fire engine at a number of schools with chocolate treats for the children in the coming weeks. These are Cobden Primary in Loughborough on Monday 9 December, Kegworth Primary School on Thursday 12 December and Brackenfield SEN school in Long Eaton on Friday 13 December.
As always, EMA has also lit up its Air Traffic Control tower with festive messages, put up its Christmas Tree in front of the terminal and spruced up the check-in hall with Christmas decorations.
EMA’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We love Christmas at the airport and our staff who give customers a warm welcome all year round are always keen to volunteer for our programme of Christmas activities.
“Children and elderly people in local communities will benefit from gifts and visits from Santa and his helpers, while our decorations at the airport will help customers taking breaks over the festive season to get into the Christmas spirit.”