At Farnborough International, being part of the local community means more than hosting world-class events. It’s about giving back, opening doors and creating positive experiences all year round. In 2025, we were proud to build on our community commitment with an inspiring programme of volunteering, education, skills development, creative industry support, sponsorship and hosted events across the region.
Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and they enjoy staying busy. This year, Farnborough International colleagues donated an impressive 385 hours of staff time to volunteering, supporting local charities, schools, and community organisations.
From inspiring young people at the Salesian College Careers Fair and two careers events at Farnborough Sixth Form College to hands-on support at Yateley Industries and the Phyllis Tuckwell Retail Warehouse, our teams were out in the community making a real difference. Staff also supported the much-loved One Day at Christmas, helping bring festive cheer to those who need it most, and took part in the Sticky Wicket charity cricket match during the summer, supporting community fundraising.
Supporting skills, education, and the future workforce remains a key focus across the business, particularly within the creative industries. In 2025, the team actively supported the local creative economy by hosting creative roundtables, Creative Catalyst events, and welcoming Hampshire County Council and Rushmoor Borough Council meetings and networking events to the site. These gatherings helped bring together industry, local authorities and creatives to share knowledge, opportunities and ideas.
We also played a key role in launching and supporting the Hampshire and Solent Film Office, helping to maximise filming opportunities across the region and drive economic growth through inward investment from film and television productions. Alongside this, we supported national initiatives such as ScreenSkills Discover Month and Adobe-funded skills programmes, helping local people access high-quality creative training and career pathways.
Our commitment extended beyond hosting, with team members taking on mentoring roles across the sector, including acting as an FCoT Media Industry Advisor, Film London Mentor, and supporting students at Farnborough Sixth Form College. These mentoring relationships help nurture emerging talent and strengthen links between education and industry.
Welcoming the community onto our site is another important part of our approach. Throughout 2025, we hosted a wide range of events, including One Day at Christmas, council meetings, the SATRO Student Challenge and the CMP Fundraising Quiz. We also opened our doors to the next generation, welcoming over 100 local students and teachers for behind-the-scenes tours of the award-winning venue and Farnborough International Studios, showcasing the wide range of careers available across events and the creative industries.
To further support local skills and businesses, we developed a dedicated local suppliers page and local crew page on the Studios website. These are being actively promoted across our marketing channels to maximise opportunities for local talent and suppliers, while also encouraging inward investment from productions filming on site. We also promote local amenities to everyone who comes to the site, helping to extend the economic benefits of production activity across the wider area.
In addition to large-scale initiatives, we continued to support community connection in smaller but meaningful ways. Following our Women in TV and Film panel event, we regularly hosted coffee mornings for parents working in the film industry, creating a supportive space for connection, shared experiences and peer support.
We were also delighted to help families and young people enjoy memorable experiences. British Motor Show family tickets were donated to local schools and charities as raffle prizes, while six families (32 people) with seriously ill children were treated to a special VIP day out at the British Motor Show, delivered in partnership with Box4Kids.
Our commitment to the community is further strengthened through local sponsorships. In 2025, we proudly supported the FAST Museum, Music in the Park (Farnborough Rotary), Aldershot Picnic and Pop, and a series of Rushmoor Borough Council events, including Victoria Day, Armed Forces Day, Frost Fair and Christmas Cracker. We were also pleased to confirm our sponsorship of Farnborough Football Club for the 2025–26 season, continuing our support for local sport and community spirit.
From volunteering and education to creative industry growth, sponsorship and unforgettable experiences, 2025 has been another fantastic year of community engagement for Farnborough International. We look forward to building even more meaningful connections and continuing to support our local community in the years ahead.
