One Destination Carbon Fund

British Airways’ unique One Destination Carbon Fund takes customer donations and uses them to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in communities up and down the UK. We are targeting those parts of the UK that need the most help to improve their economic and social well-being. The funds are managed by PURE, a not-for-profit charity, using the UK Carbon Reporting Framework. The money that customers donate can fund a range of projects, for example, helping install solar hot water in community swimming pools, small scale wind turbines for schools or energy efficiency measures in social housing.

Find out more about PURE and donate to the One Destination Carbon Fund

Whatever the project we will ensure our customers money goes to make a very real difference in communities across the UK – better still each project we help support saves carbon so its good for the environment as well as local communities too.

Our Projects

 

Ospreys Leisure Centre – Weymouth

This is located on the UK’s South Coast and is the first project to benefit from the One Destination Carbon Fund. In May 207 the charitable, not-for-profit organisation South Dorset Community Sports Trust took over a former Naval sports centre with the intention of providing recreation and sports facilities for their local community.

Since opening, annual attendances have trebled, as too has essential expenditure, particularly with regards to electricity and gas costs. The Trust has already invested £130,000 in energy saving measures but to keep ahead of increasing energy prices they wanted to install renewable energy equipment.

British Airways customers have funded a 10kW solar array to produce renewable electricity for the centre.

Nigel Williams, the sport centre’s manager commented, “We are very grateful for the contribution made by British Airways’ customers towards the installation of our solar panels. A third of our income from customers is spent on utilities, so this will make such a difference.” The solar panels are expected to save over £125,000 over the life of the project. This will help the centre improve its services to the local community, where they are using the pool to help train disabled people to scuba dive.

 

Our Second Project – Fenham Swimming Pool – Newcastle

Fenham Pool, in Newcastle upon Tyne, has been an important community facility catering for groups of all ages and abilities since 1938. The pool, operated by Newcastle City Council, was closed in 2003, despite some significant opposition from local residents.

Since the closure local people formed a committee and registered themselves as a company and charity with the sole aim of reopening the pool. Surveys were carried out and showed a massive demand from the whole community as well as local schools, residents and health providers.

It reopened in July 2005 as a Community Managed Pool. With help from the One Destination Community Fund the pool has installed a solar hot water system.

Through using renewable solar energy to heat the water the pool will reduce its energy costs and cut its carbon emissions making it both more environmentally and economically sustainable.