Northern Ireland Hospice has received £6,000 support through an initiative managed by Belfast International Airport’s owners VINCI Airports, as a part of its commitment to supporting local communities.

The VINCI UK Foundation, part of a group of UK-based VINCI companies, supports projects that promote social cohesion and fight exclusion. It awards funding annually to charities which are working to support marginalised and vulnerable people. Local charities based in Northern Ireland are nominated by Belfast International Airport staff for the annual funding programme.

Pictured are (from left) Derek Archibald, the Health and Safety Officer at Belfast International Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, and sponsor for NI Hospice; with Matthew Cunningham, Trust and Foundations Executive at NI Hospice

NI Hospice provides specialist respite, symptom management, and end of life palliative care to over 4,000 infants, children, and adults each year across Northern Ireland. Its vision is to ensure that those living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions – and their families – receive the highest standards of palliative care, both on-site and in the local community, thereby maximising their quality of life.

The £6,000 grant will support a range of services, including medical care and equipment, bereavement support sessions, home visits, and nights of in-patient care.

Derek Archibald, the Health and Safety Officer at Belfast International Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, and sponsor for NI Hospice, said: “I was introduced to NI Hospice by the Ballymena Hospice Support Group members, whom I have known for years. After discussing their needs, I suggested that maybe we at BIA could sponsor them as one of our local charities for 2025. We applied for a VINCI UK Foundation grant in early 2024, and were awarded £6,000. I am very grateful to the VINCI UK Foundation for providing the Hospice with the grant, and I am sure it will provide additional resources for a much-needed service”.

The VINCI UK Foundation, established in 2016, aims to combine financial donations with the practical expertise of VINCI employees to support charities tackling social exclusion. Since then, the Foundation has helped fund over 240 charities the UK and Ireland with over £1.6 m in grants, strengthening the communities surrounding VINCI businesses.

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