London Luton Airport (LLA) has signed the National Literacy Trust’s pioneering Vision for Literacy Business Pledge. The Pledge, now in its tenth year, provides a framework for businesses to play a leading role in improving literacy levels in the UK.  

LLA joined over 100 other UK businesses in signing the pledge to position literacy at the heart of the responsible business agenda, empowering children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the literacy skills they need to thrive. 

The National Literacy Trust was announced as one of LLA’s two new charity partners earlier this year, along with Tokko Youth Hub, a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people based in Luton. Both partnerships will aim to provide skills development opportunities and learning interventions throughout students’ school journeys.  

Alberto Martin, Chief Executive Officer at London Luton Airport, said: “London Luton Airport is delighted to support the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge which aims to break down barriers to opportunity and promote literacy levels. The pledge aligns perfectly with LLA’s investment in skills development and education initiatives that can deliver enduring social benefit across our local communities, along with our support of Luton Council’s 2040¹ vision to build a healthy, fair and sustainable town where everyone can thrive.”  

Last year, a quarter of 11-year-olds in the UK left primary school without the reading and writing skills they need to thrive. The figure is even higher for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Grace Robinson, Head of Partnership Development at The National Literacy Trust, said: “Businesses have a vital role to play in tackling the UK’s literacy gap. The Vision for Literacy Business Pledge galvanizes the business community to take action and help break down barriers to literacy for children and young people living in the most disadvantaged communities. We are thrilled that London Luton Airport have signed the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge and are continuing to support children and young people’s literacy through our three-year charity partnership. Together, we are empowering children with the literacy tools to shape their future.” 

Earlier this year, LLA also announced the continuation of a partnership with not-for-profit social enterprise, Skills Builder,² to develop a range of online educational resources for local schools. The resources are available to download from the LLA website and will be used in a series of ‘Essential Skills Insight’ workshops for local Key Stage 3 students, aged between 11-14 years.  

The workshops form part of LLA’s wider skills, education and outreach programme which aims to reach 2,000 students annually, equipping them with essential skills and insights and an understanding of the career paths available to them.  

The outreach programme also includes an environmental education partnership launched last year with The Forest of Marston Vale Trust to provide local primary school children with first-hand learning opportunities around nature and biodiversity. 

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¹ Luton Council’s Luton 2040 vision was developed in response to Luton’s independent Inclusive Growth Commission, which released its final report in 2019. This report outlined the 12 ambitions for the town based on the unique opportunities and most pressing challenges. In particular, the report identified overcoming poverty and inequality as a central mission that could enable everyone in Luton to thrive sector and key sectors within our economy such as manufacturing, digital and green industries.  

²  Skills Builder partnership is a global non-for-profit social enterprise that works with employers and educators to ensure that one day, everyone builds the essential skills to succeed. Skills Builder and LLA partnered together to develop this tailored programme aligning to the Skills Builder framework ensuring that all students had the opportunity to practise Listening, Speaking, Teamwork, Creativity and Problem-Solving skills. You can find out more about LLA’s accreditation level here Essential Skills in Aviation Workshop.   

About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, carrying over 16.7 million passengers in 2024. The airport is operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a leading infrastructure investment manager. Airlines include easyJet, Wizz Air, Jet2 (flights begin from April 2025) Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The Luton Airport Express is a dedicated train service that allows passengers to travel from central London to the LLA terminal in around 30 minutes. The Luton Airport Express runs from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station and connects seamlessly with the DART, an electrically powered people mover that connects to the airport terminal in less than four minutes.

Last year, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE. 

In 2023, LLA also became only the third major UK airport to achieve Level 4 of the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, demonstrating that it is ‘transforming its operations to achieve carbon reductions in line with global climate goals’. With a maximum score of 100 and a five-star rating, LLA has been ranked as a sector leader for three consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

To learn about the progress London Luton Airport is making across its sustainability programme please click here.

Further information on London Luton Airport can be found here: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/

About The National Literacy Trust

The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that empowers children, young people, and adults with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Literacy changes everything. It gives you the power to shape your future, and without it it’s harder to get where you want to go. For over 30 years the National Literacy Trust has supported schools, families and communities on a local and national level to help people change their stories. www.literacytrust.org.uk  

Contact Details:

London Luton Airport – PR agency:
E: LLA@tinmancomms.com

London Luton Airport Press Office
T: 01582 395333
E: pressoffice@ltn.aero

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/23042025/lla-pledges-to-change-lives-through-literacy