IKEA has teamed up with UNICEF UK and Save the Children to help improve education standards for thousands of children worldwide this Christmas. Between Saturday 1st November and Tuesday 23rd December, for every IKEA soft toy purchased in its 286 stores worldwide, IKEA will donate £1 to UNICEF and Save the Children, funding 16 education projects in 14 countries.
Launched in 2003, the annual IKEA Soft Toy Campaign has raised nearly £8.8 million for children around the world; with this year’s appeal aims to raise a further £342,000 globally. The funds raised will help improve school facilities, provide access to water and sanitation, ensure disabled children have the opportunity to learn, and provide supplies such as books, pencils and writing pads to children and teachers.
Head of Corporate Fundraising for UNICEF UK, Anne Shinkwin, said –
‘Education has the power to transform a child’s life, ending poverty, protecting them from disease and providing them with a future, yet globally millions of children miss out on this basic right. With the continued commitment and support from IKEA, we can ensure that children across the world have the opportunity to learn, to fulfill their potential and to grow into healthy adults.’
This unique partnership will help contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals of Equal access to education for all girls and boys, whilst also building the knowledge necessary to combat disease and eradicate poverty and hunger.
