London Gatwick Accessibility Manager named one of the UK's most influential disabled people
London Gatwick’s Accessibility Manager, Anna-Ruth Cockerham, has been named in the UK’s top 100 most influential disabled people and the only UK airport representative, on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list.
London Gatwick’s Accessibility Manager, Anna-Ruth Cockerham, has been named in the UK’s top 100 most influential disabled people and the only UK airport representative, on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list.
The awards - the UK’s leading recognition for disabled leaders, trailblazers and change-makers - are publicly nominated and judged by a panel of 25 disabled champions including international business leader Dr Shani Dhanda, Chief Executive of Paralympics GB, David Clark and Coronation Street actor Cherylee Houston.
Anna-Ruth Cockerham, Accessibility Manager, London Gatwick said: “It’s an honour to be recognised among a group of such influential and inspiring people from across different sectors, all doing fantastic work to enhance accessibility and the lives of disabled people. I’m proud to be in a position to help the journeys of so many people at London Gatwick and ensure our passengers and staff have a positive experience.”
Mark Johnston, Chief Operations Officer, London Gatwick said: “We are incredibly proud of Anna-Ruth being recognised among such an influential group of change-makers. Her determination and tenacity in driving positive change for accessibility at London Gatwick has resulted in several projects coming to fruition in recent months, enhancing the passenger experience and ensuring the airport continues to be an industry leader in terms of accessibility.”
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This year, Anna-Ruth and London Gatwick have:
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Relaunched Accessibility Days
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Run regular familiarisation days alongside Guide Dogs UK for puppies in training
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Partnered with AccessAble to launch a series of bespoke Detailed Access Guides
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Become the UK’s first airport to receive Airports Council International’s (ACI) Level 1 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation, recognising its commitment to accessibility services through its strategy, policies, and initiatives.
Additionally, the upgraded London Gatwick railway station last November opened with a number of accessibility enhancements, including larger lifts with braille and embossed control buttons, hearing loops on all platforms, and doubling of the station concourse and widening of platforms to make the station easier to move around, particularly for those using wheelchairs.
With 41 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15 million people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2 billion sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. Vinci Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
The world’s leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports operates more than 70 airports in 14 countries. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by providing its investment capacity and its know-how in optimizing operational performance, modernizing infrastructure and managing their operations and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to have committed to an international environmental strategy in 2016, to achieve the goal of net zero emissions across its entire network by 2050.
For more information:
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With decarbonization central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition. Headquartered in New York, GIP has offices in Brisbane, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Singapore, Stamford and Sydney.
GIP has approximately $115 billion in assets under management. Our portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of approximately $71 billion and employ over 116,000 people. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our investors' capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
Linked news
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London, UK, 30 September 2024
London Gatwick first UK airport to earn ACI accessibility accreditation
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