London Luton Airport Receives Award For Making Literacy Soar

NLT Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2026 at KPMG

London Luton Airport (LLA) has received the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 Literacy Changemakers Award.

The award was presented at the National Literacy Trust’s Vision for Literacy Business Pledge Awards and recognises LLA’s commitment and contribution to ensure more children and young people can develop the literacy skills they need to thrive.

In a successful first year of its charity partnership with the National Literacy Trust, funds raised by LLA employees and passengers have benefitted 61,000 children, funded over 210,000 new books and enabled the training of almost 240 new Literacy Champions working in local communities.

Earlier this year, LLA Chief Executive Officer, Alberto Martin, joined the National Literacy Trust’s Business for Literacy Council, working with other senior business leaders committed to making an impact on literacy.

Alberto Martin, Chief Executive Officer at London Luton Airport, commented: “Our partnership with the National Literacy Trust exemplifies our ambition to create positive and enduring social impact that extends far beyond the airport boundary. In our first year of our partnership with the National Literacy Trust, we have worked hard to enhance access to books and provided vital funds for the charity, while reaching thousands of children through our community skills development and education programmes. This is just the beginning, and we are excited to continue our work helping to close the literacy gap and creating more opportunities for children and young people across our region. This award is a proud moment for everyone at London Luton Airport and wonderful recognition for the work carried out by our volunteers.”

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “London Luton Airport has made an outstanding contribution to improving literacy outcomes for children and young people, demonstrating a genuine commitment to placing literacy at the heart of their social responsibility work to create lasting impact.

“Literacy underpins social mobility, breaks cycles of poverty and fuels economic growth. Businesses like London Luton Airport have a vital role to play in supporting the literacy skills of the next generation and the development of a future workforce that is inclusive and able to grow.

“Their collaborative approach to help close the literacy gap embodies what the Literacy Changemakers Award was created to recognise. We are hugely grateful for their support and look forward to continuing our work together.”

Highlights of LLA’s literacy initiatives include:

  • Launching a new Charity Champions Committee made up of LLA employees from across the airport and responsible for developing and supporting a calendar of fundraising events
  • Raising £31,500 for the National Literacy Trust in 2025, through fundraising events including the airport’s annual runway run and golf day, charity bake sales and Christmas shopping nights
  • Donating over 1,000 books to local young people via LLA’s Classroom to Careers skills development and education programme
  • Launching an employee book exchange and providing book vouchers to staff across the airport to encourage reading for pleasure
  • Signing the National Literacy Trust’s Vision for Literacy Business Pledge, providing a framework for businesses to play a leading role in improving literacy levels in the UK
  • Contributing to the National Literacy Trust’s Future of Literacy Report in December 2025, shedding light on the vital literacy skills young people need to thrive in modern, digital first workplaces
Skip to content
Send this to a friend
Skip to content
Send this to a friend