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Giving back

Making a difference and inspiring lasting change

Introduction Community Fund Give As You Earn Out in our communities Charity partnerships Site-based charity support Related stories

Giving back

Passionately supporting our local communities and charity partners

We are committed to giving back and making a positive impact in local communities and with charity partners. Our employees are proud to dedicate time, resources, and passion, to making a difference and inspiring lasting change.

From financial support and fundraising, to mentoring opportunities and the sharing of expertise, giving back is a priority company-wide and goes from strength to strength each year.

Community Fund

We want to help employees make a positive difference in the places where they live and work, building strong, sustainable communities.

The Community Fund is our internal grant scheme, which gives financial contributions to the causes employees are directly involved in. The Fund also allows for match funding requests.

In 2025/26:

  • £130,000 donated
  • 138 charities and community groups supported via the Community Fund
  • From Ayrshire to Dorset, Cardiff to Kent
  • Supported causes include animal sanctuaries, schools, healthcare services, heritage groups, sports clubs and many more

Giving back to the community has always mattered to me, I love seeing kids and young people enjoying the great outdoors, away from screens and immersed in nature.

 

Thanks to the Community Fund, we're helping them learn practical, hands-on skills, build confidence, and connect with the world around them.

Antti Hamalainen

NATS Employee supporting Little Acorns CIC

With the money that NATS donated, we have been able to sponsor another three pizza nights.

 

We are really looking forward to providing a bit of assistance to an incredible charity. Thanks again for your help supporting such a great cause.

Shaun Greenham

NATS Employee supporting Sophie's Legacy

I would like to extend our sincere thanks for your generous funding.

 

Your support directly contributes to the development of young people within our unit, helping us to provide a structured, disciplined and rewarding environment where cadets can grow in confidence, leadership and teamwork.

 

We are truly grateful of your investment in the future of our cadets.

Jon Newbrook

NATS Employee supporting Volunteer Cadets Corps

Thanks to funding received from NATS, we were able to purchase vital wicket-keeping equipment and new bowling machines, giving the junior teams the edge they needed to clinch their league titles!

Gareth Bennett

NATS Employee supporting New Milton Cricket Club Juniors

Give As You Earn

The NATS payroll giving initiative.

Give As You Earn is our payroll giving initiative; a way employees can donate to UK-registered charities and good causes directly from their salary, before tax.

Every month, our employees donate more than £25,000 through GAYE, providing charities with a reliable income and enabling long‑term support for the communities they serve.

Top 5 charities supported through Give As You Earn:

  1. Cancer Research UK
  2. Macmillan Cancer Support
  3. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
  4. RNLI
  5. UNICEF

In 2025/26 our employees donated over £280,000 via Give As You Earn.

Thanks to our employee's support of the Give As You Earn initiative, we have been awarded five stars by Payroll Giving in Action Ltd, and achieved the Gold Quality Mark by the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations (APGO).

Out in our communities

Our teams thrive when they can make a difference and being hands-on in the community is just one way we like to give back. Teambuilding activities that also benefit local charities is a rewarding way to make a real impact. Employees can apply for a corporate financial donation to help cover the costs of a teambuilding activity or borrow equipment from site-based ‘equipment libraries’ in support of gardening, decorating and litter picking activities.

We had such a brilliant day volunteering at Mencap, painting sheds, fences and benches with the team. It was great to lend a hand, meet the amazing staff, and chat with some of the people who use the charity every day. A really rewarding experience!

Sofia, International Affairs

Our employees have tended grounds at schools and heritage sites, collected litter from woodland and beaches, wrapped presents at Christmas, and built countless flat-pack items over the years.

Whether it’s bringing joy to terminally ill children in Singapore or preparing and delivering meals for those in need, we are committed to making a positive difference wherever and however we can.

Charity partnerships

We have two corporate charity partners, Aerobility and the Jon Egging Trust, who we have proudly supported since 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Both charities, whilst rooted in aviation, offer a deeper level of giving to those they serve.

Aerobility

Aerobility make the wonder of flight possible by offering disabled people the opportunity to fly an aeroplane. They encourage disabled people to take the controls and think, "If I can fly an aeroplane, what else can I do?".

Each year, Aerobility support around 1,000 terminally ill and disabled people to take to the skies, making everything else in life feel more achievable. Their work helps people overcome barriers, challenge perceptions and discover new possibilities.

NATS is one of our longest supporters and we are so grateful to everyone for all the support over the years.

On behalf of the 1000s of disabled flyers at Aerobility you have helped, I would like to thank you.

Mike Miller-Smith MBE, CEO

Jon Egging Trust (JET)

The Jon Egging Trust (JET) was formed in memory of Red Arrows pilot, Jon Egging, whose dream it was to support young people overcome adversity. Our partnership sees us work directly with 12–15-year-olds across Hampshire, Dorset and the Midlands through JET’s Blue Skies programme.

We host around 100 young people each year on workplace visits through JET, focusing on key themes such as communications, leadership, resilience and employability skills.

Our young people are always inspired by NATS – understandably so, their work helping to control the UK’s airspace is fascinating. We are inspired by them too.

Their dedication across every part of the company to making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged young people, through the use of their time and resources, enables us to do our work. We are grateful for all of their support.

Dr Alex Brown, CEO

Site-based charity support

Employee-led panels spearhead fundraising and hands-on support for site-selected local charities, nominated and voted for by locally-based employees.

Our UK offices support:

  • HIOWAA

    Visit charity website

    Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) - selected by our Whiteley Centre employees, the local air ambulance service delivers advanced critical care to those involved in serious incidents, within minutes, giving them the best chance of survival and recovery when they need it most.

    Photo credit: Tim Wallace

  • The Connection

    Visit charity website

    The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields - created to tackle homelessness in London, this cause, chosen by our London team, offers long-term, personalised and practical help to rough sleepers, enabling them to leave the streets and rebuild their lives.

  • The Micah Project

    Visit charity website

    The Micah Project - chosen by our Prestwick Centre employees, this charity supports Ayrshire families through practical, stigma-free help with clothing, food, skills training and wellbeing initiatives, while building community connection and helping reduce waste.

  • Sophie's Legacy

    Visit charity website

    Sophie’s Legacy – this Hampshire-based charity, championed by our Swanwick Centre, supports families with seriously ill children in hospital through practical and emotional help, while also campaigning to improve how the healthcare system cares for them and their families.

Our International offices support:

  • Arc

    Visit charity website

    Arc Children’s Centre (Singapore) – a specialist day-care charity that supports children with cancer and serious illnesses, helping them to learn, play, and feel like children despite their medical challenges.

  • ImpactHK

    Visit charity website

    ImpactHK (Hong Kong) – a homelessness charity that combines practical support with kindness and long-term rehabilitation, helping people move from life on the streets to stable housing and develop new skills.

  • Dubai Foundation for Women and Children

    Visit charity website

    Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (UAE) – a charity that provides protection to women and children from domestic abuse. They offer safe shelter, care packages and long-term support to help them rebuild their lives.

  • Loreto Convent School

    Visit charity website

    Loreto Convent School (India) – an educational facility supporting young females in the Delhi region to develop academically whilst embedding strong moral values in their students.

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