As a large organisation we understand that we play an important role in society, and that is why we want to demonstrate that we support international and local initiatives that contribute to children being able to grow up in a safe and healthy environment.
To make an important impact in the countries where we source our products and operate, we partner with the global charity SOS Children’s Villages. They work to keep families together, to provide alternative care when needed, to support young people on their path to independence and to advocate for the rights of children. Since 2018, we have sponsored a child or village in Asia for every one of our stores and DCs. To increase local involvement, we also donate to local programmes in the European countries where we have an office. As our store network grows, so does the number of villages we support.
Our donation of €25 per month per child contributes to covering the daily costs of these children and to their villages – this includes food, education, medical care and sports and play. Every store receives a box with information about their sponsor child and an address to correspond to. A lot of our colleagues love to be actively involved in this project and keep in touch with their sponsor child. In 2022, Action sponsored 1,999 SOS Children in Asia, Poland and Czech Republic.
Every country office donates €10,000 to SOS Children’s Villages projects in their country. Together with the local SOS initiatives, our total donation in 2022 amounted to € 689,700, benefiting a total of more than 12,500 children.
Action has recently partnered with the Cruyff Foundation, which shares our ambition to help children and young adults. The Cruyff Foundation develops sports activities for children all over the world, with a focus on children in need. We plan to partner and co-invest in several new “Cruyff courts”, which benefit the local neighbourhoods and communities through improved quality of life.
‘’Johan Cruijff had the dream after his football career to develop children through sport and started, now 25 years ago, the Cruyff Foundation. Together with ACTION, we can offer families, for whom sport is not always obvious, space, tools and resources to sport and exercise. Together we make the difference,” says Niels Meijer, General Director of the Cruyff Foundation.
The war in Ukraine affects us deeply. As a retailer operating in many different countries in Europe, it is our responsibility to act. That is why Action decided to donate 1 million euros to UNICEF to help people, especially children, affected by the conflict in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.
In addition, Action helps directly in Poland, supported by Polska Akcja Humanitarna (PAH). We provided families with essential goods such as raincoats, soap, toothpaste, flashlights, diapers and water bottles, and we offered storage capacity in three of our distribution centres. Our Polish colleagues collected €2,300 amongst themselves to donate to PAH. Action decided to double this amount, because we were incredibly proud of our colleague’s generosity.
Colleagues in Poland decided to work together with OTTO Poland to employ Ukrainian refugees. We gave support to the refugee centre in Warsaw EXPO, and once a week we sent them our goods. Additionally, we supported hundreds of Ukrainian orphans who ended up in a Mother and Child Home and provided soldiers in the east of Ukraine with clothing, food and drinks.
Czech Republic
In addition to the donation in goods by Action, customers and colleagues gathered over €4,500 in goods, which were distributed to nearby refugee centres by People in Need. Two Czech Store Managers, Zuzana Pilátová and Renata Zbořilová brought two containers with goods to 150 refugees housed by SOS Children’s Villages.
Austria
Action supported 2,500 infants and 5,000 adults with aid packages containing personal care products in collaboration with Caritas, a local charity organisation.
Germany
Action Germany supported the Red Cross with school supplies for fifty kids between 6 and 13 years old who fled Ukraine.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the organisation ‘Vluchtelingenwerk’ took care of 2,000 refugees, and we supported them by providing them with personal care products. In addition, we donated 12,500 pairs of underwear for refugees in the border region. At our headquarters in Zwaagdijk, Action donated an entire inventory to temporary shelters which house Ukrainian refugees. Our colleague Melissa Sprokholt, one of our Assistant Store Managers, volunteered in the refugee centre in Edam and was supported by Action in providing blankets, duvets and pillows. Action also teamed up with the Red Cross, who are active in 40 refugee centres. We provided sanitary pads, baby wipes and shampoo for 7,500 people.
All in all, Action sent tens of thousands of articles to People for People for refugees in refugee centres. Our support doesn’t stop here. We take every occasion we have to help the Ukrainian people, whether they are still in Ukraine or in other countries across Europe.
Read more about our partnerships