IKEA heralds promotion to support UNICEF and Save the Children activities

NEW YORK, 18 November 2005 - In the spirit of the holiday season, all IKEA stores worldwide will donate one euro for each soft toy sold in its 200 stores from November 19 through 24 December 2005 to support UNICEF and Save the Children programmes for children in impoverished countries.

Following the success of the Brum Bear fundraising campaign, this promotion ‘One euro is a fortune… A child’s smile is worth so much’, will support UNICEF child protection, health and education programmes in Asia, Africa and Central and Eastern European countries and Save the Children programmes in protection and education programmes in Asia and Europe

IKEA expects to donate over €1 million (US$1.2 million) to UNICEF programmes through this soft toy promotion.

Over the course of UNICEF’s ten-year long partnership for children IKEA’s support to UNICEF has exceeded US$18 million including a US$2 million contribution to support immunization and child protection programmes in India over 5 years and US$2 million in cash and in-kind donations to UNICEF programmes in tsunami-affected countries.

IKEA’s support has taken several forms, including direct donations, sales of UNICEF greeting cards, marketing promotions aimed at assisting in specific issues, and in-kind assistance.

“The IKEA Group concentrates it corporate contributions to a few select causes. We are proud to continue our partnership with UNICEF to help promote child’s rights and community development projects around the world,” says Marianne Barner, Communications Manager and Children’s Ombudsman at IKEA.

Burkhard Gnarig, Chief Executive Officer of the International Save the Children Alliance said, “The IKEA Christmas campaign is extremely valuable to Save the Children. Not just in monetary terms, but its ability to raise awareness of child protection and education issues which affect so many children around the world”.

UNICEF thanked IKEA for making children issues a priority, and praised the work of Save the Children. “Children deserve to live free of disease and poverty. They have a right to education and protection too. But without special partnerships like this one, we cannot expect children grow up to a healthy adulthood,” said Anne-Marie Grey, Chief of International & Corporate Alliances for UNICEF
* * *

More on UNICEF, Save the Children and IKEA

UNICEF
Since 1946 UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working in 157 countries to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for poor countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

In July 2003, IKEA introduced the teddy bear ‘Brum’ to stores in 22 countries worldwide. IKEA donated two euros from the sale of each bear through August 2005 to UNICEF ‘A Child’s Right to Play’ projects. Sales far exceeded initial expectations with more than one million Brum Bears sold. Overall sales generated more than US$2.8 million in support of UNICEF activities in Angola, Uganda, Russia and China.

Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s largest independent movement for children, working with children in over 100 countries. Save the Children delivers immediate and lasting improvements to children’s lives worldwide. It provides both emergency relief in crisis situations, and long-term programmes in health, poverty, child protection, education, food and nutrition.

IKEA
Established in 1943, IKEA is a global producer and retailer of home furnishings. Its mission focuses on good product design and function at affordable prices. IKEA is highly committed to Corporate Social Responsibility.

There are 226 IKEA stores in 33 countries/territories. The IKEA Group itself owns 202 stores in 23 countries. Turnover for 2005 was 14.8 billion Euro. 410 million people visited IKEA stores last year and the IKEA catalogue was printed in 160 million copies, 52 editions and 25 languages

Contact Information

Kate Donovan

UNICEF media

Contact via E-mail