Partnership between Fazer and SOS Children’s Villages continues – co-operation enables building new types of children’s villages
The three-year partnership agreement between Fazer and SOS Children’s Villages was renewed in the end of March. The co-operation has continued for 40 years. During the next few years, financial support will be directed especially to the Children’s Villages in Espoo and Vantaa, representing a new type of children’s villages where foster homes are integrated into the rest of the population in the neighbourhood. Fazer supports SOS Children’s Villages’ child welfare work also in other countries.
There are 17,000 children in Finland who cannot safely live in their own homes, and one out of ten children grow in unsafe conditions. SOS Children’s Villages promotes the well-being of families in many ways. During the next three-year partnership agreement between Fazer and SOS Children’s Villages, Fazer’s financial support will be directed to the Children’s Villages in Niittykumpu, Espoo and Kivistö, Vantaa which represent a new type of children’s villages: instead of a separate, tight community, foster families live in regular urban environments, however near each other. Donations from the past few years were mainly directed at Finland’s first children’s village of the new kind in Vuores, Tampere.
“With this partnership, we want to help children and youth get a safe home. Fazer is Finnish family-owned company that traditionally has taken care of the people around it. Supporting children’s villages of the new type is something we are proud of. This partnership has offered us irreplaceable experiences, and our employees participate with all their hearts”, says Fazer Group’s SVP, Communications & Branding Ulrika Romantschuk.
Last autumn, Fazer’s employees could choose where the Group’s Christmas donation would be directed. Fazer’s donation of 50,000 euros enabled SOS Children’s Villages to hire a family worker to support families with children in Vantaa in need of help.
Partnership enables much good
The partnership between Fazer and SOS Children’s Villages began on a Midsummer in the late 1960’s, when a bakery manager from Fazer contacted the newly opened children’s village in Tapiola, Espoo and asked whether Fazer could send the families any treats for Midsummer. Since then, the partnership has grown deeper and developed. There are numerous forms of co-operation, ranging from Fazer employees’ voluntary garden work and donating Mignon eggs to be painted at Easter to arranging big events and considerable financial assistance. Youth from SOS Children’s Villages have also been offered summer jobs at Fazer.
”Fazer’s partnership means a lot to us. We are extremely pleased with the fact that one of Finland’s strongest brands wants to accompany us in supporting the welfare of children, also in the future. Our partnership has created a great deal of joy and tangible results”, says Managing Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Finland Marja Pajulahti.
Fazer supports SOS Children’s Villages in Finland, Russia and Sweden. Through Sweden, the funds will be sent to Ecuador which is an important cocoa-producing country for Fazer. In Russia, Fazer supports children and youth in the region of St Petersburg.
Additional information:
Liisa Eerola, Director, Confectionery Communications & Group Partnerships, tel. +358 44 710 8860
Fazer’s media phone is open on weekdays 8:00 - 16:00, tel. +358 40 668 2998
Emails are in the form firstname.lastname@fazer.com
Fazer Group
Fazer is an international family-owned company offering quality bakery, confectionery, biscuit and grain products as well as food and café services. Fazer operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. Fazer’s mission is to create taste sensations. Fazer’s success, ever since its establishment in 1891, has been based on the best product and service quality, beloved brands, the passion of its skilful people and the Group’s responsible ways of working. This year marks Fazer’s 125th anniversary and 150 years from the birth of Karl Fazer, the founder of this successful Group. In 2015, Fazer Group had net sales of more than 1.5 billion euros and nearly 15,000 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.
Makes the world taste good
