IKEA, Save the Children and UNICEF team up for children
This festive season, IKEA, Save the Children and UNICEF are teaming up to ask customers to join them in helping to improve education for thousands of children worldwide.
Saturday 3 November 2007
Between Saturday 3rd November and Monday 24th December 2007, for every IKEA soft toy purchased in its 237 stores worldwide and 15 stores in the UK, IKEA will donate the equivalent of one Euro (£1 here in the UK). This money will be split between UNICEF and Save the Children.
Money raised by the Soft Toy Campaign will support UNICEF and Save the Children'’s vital education work in nine countries; Albania, Bangladesh, China, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone and Vietnam.
Now entering its third year, the campaign has to-date raised over €6.9million globally. The 2007 campaign aims to raise a further €4million.
Funds will be used to improve schools by:
- providing reading and writing materials
- improving access to water and sanitation facilities
- ensuring that both boys and girls have equal access to a quality education.
"We are proud that IKEA can be a part of giving children access to quality education. Together with our customers, we can make a difference for children that really need it and we hope to reach our goal for four million Euros this year," said Marianne Barner, IKEA Communications Manager and Children's Ombudsman.
"Save the Children wants every child to have the chance to go to school. Education is vital and brings many benefits to children: protection, stability and the potential to lift themselves, their families and communities out of poverty," added Tanya Steele, Director of Supporter Relations and Fundraising at Save the Children UK.
The Soft Toy campaign will be supported in-store via IKEA's radio station IKEA Live, which will feature specially recorded messages from UNICEF Ambassador Sir Roger Moore, Save the Children supporter Edith Bowman and IKEA supporters Colin and Justin. Films highlighting the work of both Save the Children and UNICEF are to be shown on in-store plasma screens.
The soft toys included in the promotion range in price from 49p to £12.99.
