This follows a number of successes for the town, including the recent decision from the Government to approve airport growth. This significant development will create hundreds of new jobs for Luton, providing a much-needed economic boost. We were also delighted to welcome Jet2 to Luton, offering several European destinations and employing several local people. This growth benefits our economy and community, offering new opportunities and a brighter future for Luton.
We were very sad to see the closure of Vauxhall, but our town has shown its true spirit by working hard to support the affected employees. We've put on a number of job fairs and employability events to help them secure other work locally. We will continue to work with Vauxhall to ensure the history and heritage are not lost from Luton. As part of the VE celebrations, we will be hosting one of the Churchill tanks in St. George's Square. This will be supported with a full programme of activity from lighting the beacon through to our cinema days in the town centre.
For those readers who follow Love Luton, will know that we are celebrating our 15th anniversary. This is a huge milestone for the partnership. Over the years, we have recognised more than 1200 individuals and organisations through our Luton’s Best Awards, we’ve awarded more than £750,000 to charity and community initiatives and touched thousands of people through our Love Luton Run Fest.
This event brings the community together; year on year, we hit record entries and continue to grow. We are one of the only places in the country bucking the trends with growing running events. It also attracts a number of runners from further afield, and quite often, we have people flying in to take part. If you don't fancy competing, we have several volunteering opportunities. To find out more about RunFest, visit our website www.loveluton.org.uk/runfest/
Each quarter, we also recognise charities and groups through our community award campaign. The aim of the fund is to provide financial awards for projects and initiatives run by groups working in the local community for the benefit of people in Luton. The end of the next quarter is fast approaching, so if you have a project or initiative that you need some funding for, please visit our website and apply www.loveluton.org.uk/community-award-fund/
I would like to conclude by wishing you a very Happy May. I hope to see many of you at the VE celebrations and the 49th annual carnival.