Gold Coast Airport is spreading the love this Valentine’s Day by giving local groups a chance to sharein $50,000 of grants, with the launch of Queensland Airports Limited’s 2023 Community Benefit Fund.

Since the fund was launched in 2016, it’s provided over $200,000 in funding to local groups within the communities Queensland Airports Limited supports across the Gold Coast and Northern NSW, Townsville, Mount Isa and Longreach.

Now in its fifth year, it’s focused broadly on the categories of health and wellbeing, safety, education,environment and sustainability, arts and culture, indigenous affairs, and other community benefit initiatives.

Queensland Airports Limited Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said the business is pleased to relaunch the initiative, which paused for three years during the pandemic.

“What better day to relaunch this initiative than Valentine’s Day, because it allows us to play a part in advancing the region we support, by helping to fund grassroots initiatives that will benefit local communities,” Ms Charlton said.

“The Community Benefit Fund was designed to complement our corporate sponsorship portfolio, by providing funding to smaller local groups that may not have the resourcing to compete for corporate sponsorship,” Ms Charlton said.

Grants are typically $1,000 per initiative; however, each application will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

“The grants could be for anything from new equipment for a sporting club, funding to help a community group organise an event, or a volunteer organisation that needs financial support to launch a health or safety initiative,” Ms Charlton said.

Applications close on Tuesday 14 March 2023.