Action wishes to make a significant positive contribution to people’s lives, beyond our role as a supplier of essential and good quality products at the lowest price. As a rapidly growing retailer, we consider ourselves part and partner of society. As children are our future, we particularly aim to support children. We also support local community activities in the countries where we operate.
To make an important impact in the countries where we source our products and where we operate, we partner with 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 distribution centres. To increase local involvement, we also donate to local programmes in the countries where we have an office. As our store network grows, so does the number of villages we support.
In 2021, we sponsored 1,737 children growing up in an SOS family in a children’s village in Asia, Poland and Czech Republic. Our donation of €25 per month per child contributes to the daily costs of these children and to their villages – this includes food, education, medical care and sports and play. In short: everything that a child needs to grow up.
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 year 2022 has started, with developments that again are affecting all of us in many different ways. In this ever changing world in which the terrible news on the war in Ukraine dominates the headlines. The war in Ukraine affects us deeply. As a retailer operating in many different countries in Europe, it is our responsibility to act. Therefore, Action decided to donate EUR 1 million to UNICEF to help people affected by the conflict inside Ukraine and in neighboring countries, among them many children.
In addition, Action helps directly in Poland, by using our logistics and warehouses to provide needed supplies and by supporting Polska Akcja Humanitarna. We already have sent a truck full of needed supplies to Ostróg in Ukraine, the sister city of Bieruń Poland, where we have a logistic centre.
In Czech Republic, our colleagues work closely together with People in Need to give direct support. We organize a collect of needed supplies in our stores, that People in Need will distribute to refugee centres.
We are also giving direct support to a small number of employees from Ukraine and their families where needed.
In the Netherlands We provided bedding, covers and pillows for a refugee centre in Edam (90 people), one of our employees is volunteer.
At Action we care and our hearts and thoughts go out to all those who have been touched or who are concerned about family and friends in the region.