Helping children get a good start in life

Action wants to contribute to the communities where we operate.
We focus on children, as they are the future and we believe every child deserves a safe and healthy start in life.

SOS Children’s Villages

Since 2018, we have partnered with SOS Children’s Villages, an organisation that provides care and support for children and families worldwide. For every Action store or distribution center opened, we sponsor a child or village – as Action grows, so does our impact. Each year, we also support a local project in every country Action operates, helping communities close to home. Last year, we supported 17,491 children.

Johan Cruyff Foundation

The Johan Cruyff Foundation supports sports and play projects for children worldwide. Through our partnership, we support this initiative by opening Cruyff Courts in communities where Action stores operate. Since 2025, we have opened multiple courts across Europe to give children in the neighbourhoods of our stores a safe place to play, with Cruyff Courts activated by Action in France, the Netherlands, and Spain – with more to come!

Princess Máxima Center Foundation

The Princess Máxima Center is Europe’s largest paediatric oncology centre and a leader in specialised care and research for children with cancer. Through our partnership with the Princess Máxima Center foundation, we support its ambition to strengthen international collaboration between paediatric oncology and research centres in countries where Action operates. By sharing knowledge, expertise, and data across borders, better treatments can be developed, and new opportunities to discover a cure can emerge.

Fairtrade Living Income

Since 2022, all of Action’s own brand chocolate has been Fairtrade certified. This certification enables cocoa farmers to invest in more sustainable farming methods and improve their livelihoods.

In 2025, we took another important step and became the first international retailer in Europe to join the Fairtrade Living Income & Child Wellbeing Programme. This programme supports cocoa cooperatives in the Ivory Coast, helping farmers work towards a living income, implement climate-smart farming practices, and improve the well-being of their children. Every purchase of Fairtrade certified chocolate helps support these initiatives and strengthens communities.

Emergency relief support

During crisis situations, we support UNICEF and the Red Cross in their efforts to assist children affected by natural disasters and conflicts. Children are often among the most vulnerable groups during times of crisis.

TCS Amsterdam Marathon

Since 2016, Action has partnered with the TCS Amsterdam Marathon to support cancer research at the Amsterdam UMC Cancer Center.
In 2025, as a co-sponsor of the event, 750 Action colleagues and suppliers took part in the marathon. Together, they raised funds to support groundbreaking research aimed at discovering new treatments and cures for cancer.

Partnership News

Action makes emergency relief donation to SOS Children’s Villages following the earthquake in Indonesia

31 August 2026

To help those affected by the earthquake in Indonesia, Action is making an additional emergency relief donation to SOS Children’s Villages to help the village we have supported over the years.

Supporting child wellbeing together with Fairtrade

23 June 2026

That is why Action became the first international retailer to join the Fairtrade Living Income & Child Wellbeing Programme. The programme supports three cocoa cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, helping farmers move towards earning a living income while supporting child wellbeing.

Johan Cruyff Foundation and Action opened Cruyff Court Pep Guardiola

10 June 2026

Cruyff Court Pep Guardiola in Manresa has been officially opened. This Cruyff Court is created in partnership with Action and is the fourth court developed together and the first in Catalonia.

Action and the Johan Cruyff Foundation get Amsterdam-North moving with new Cruyff Court

06 March 2026

Action and the Johan Cruyff Foundation share a common goal: getting children moving. We have worked together since 2022, with Action supporting a range of the Cruyff Foundation's initiatives, including FC STRAAT, the largest street football competition in the Netherlands.

Fairtrade puts Living Income into action with cocoa programme in Côte d’Ivoire

26 January 2026

Fairtrade has started the on-the-ground implementation of its Living Income and Child Wellbeing Programme for cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire. This long-term programme marks a concrete next step in its partnership with Action, to help reduce the living income gap for cocoa farmers and strengthen child wellbeing in cocoa-growing communities.

Celebrating store 3,000 with our charity partners

13 June 2025

On 5 June we opened our 3,000th Action store. We celebrated this with our customers, colleagues, suppliers and partners.

Action celebrates 3,000th store with limited-edition tote bag, proceeds donated to charity partners

05 May 2025

From today, customers can buy a limited-edition tote bag in all Action stores across Europe. The proceeds of this special tote bag will be donated to Action's international charity partners SOS Children's Villages and the Johan Cruyff Foundation. SOS Children's Villages and the Johan Cruyff Foundation are long term partners of Action to support children grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

Starting in Paris, Action and Johan Cruyff Foundation build sports courts for children across Europe

04 March 2025

Action and the Johan Cruyff Foundation share a common goal: to encourage children to get active. We established a strong partnership since 2022, supporting various sports initiatives like the largest street football club in the Netherlands for instance.

Action Distribution Centre Zwaagdijk decor for successful charity run

30 January 2023

Sunday 29 January, a charity run was organised to raise money for the Princess Máxima Centrum. Actions biggest distribution centre in Zwaagdijk, the Netherlands was the decor for all runners.

Celebrating milestone together with partner SOS

12 July 2022

Our CEO Hajir Hajji handed a cheque of 100,000 euros to Arian Buurman, CEO of SOS Children's Villages. The money is raised through the sale of big shoppers specially designed for reaching this milestone.

Celebrating opening in Girona, Spain with partnership Cruyff Foundation

08 February 2022

In addition to the opening of Actions new store in Girona, Spain, Action closes a three-year collaboration agreement with the Johan Cruyff Foundation. The Cruyff Foundation supports and develops high-impact sports and leisure projects around the world, focusing on children and young people for whom sport is not an evidence.