Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have been supporting Hope for Children since 2010, and as a result of these efforts, the company was named Corporate Partner of the Year by Hope for Children in 2017.
On the back of that news, customers and colleagues also supported the charity’s national Head Held High Appeal, which was selected for the UK Aid Match scheme. This meant that every pound donated or raised by the public during the appeal’s three-month period would be matched by the UK Government.
Thanks to the generosity of customers and colleagues, as well as the public and match funding of over £242,000 from the Department for International Development, it has been announced that the Head Held High Appeal raised over £500,000. The UK aid match funding will support education-based projects in rural, northern Ghana. In this region, children are 4 times more likely to be out of school than the rest of the country, and a shocking 1 in 5 are still involved in hazardous forms of child labour.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt relayed her thanks: “Thank you to the generous members of staff and customers at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, who supported Hope for Children’s Head Held High appeal and helped to raise over £500,000.
“Together, we’ve ensured that Hope for Children can help twice as many children who are out of school, to receive text books, uniforms, teachers, and overall – a quality education.”
Murielle Maupoint, CEO of Hope for Children, also personally thanked Jet2.com and Jet2holidays saying: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of all the colleagues and customers at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. Thanks to you, along with our other appeal partners, we will now be able to have a transformational impact on the lives of thousands more vulnerable children in Africa.”
A number of initiatives have contributed to the amount raised by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, including donations by customers through on-board scratch cards, as well as colleague activities such as dress down Fridays, charity skydives, the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, sponsored runs and charity bike rides.
The impact of donations from customers and colleagues at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have been felt by children all over the world. From providing prosthetic limbs to amputee children in Sri Lanka to emergency grants for vulnerable women and children in the UK, the partnership has enabled thousands of children to experience a happy childhood.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We are very proud that our long-term support for Hope for Children has been recognised. It is a fantastic charity, and thanks to the generosity of colleagues and customers, we have helped them make a real difference to children all over the world. I am delighted that the Head Held High Appeal was such a resounding success, with the pound for pound matching by the UK Government making a huge difference, on top of all the great fundraising work by our colleagues and customers.”
Hope for Children is an international charity that passionately believes every child has the right to a happy, healthy and positive childhood. Almost half of the world’s children are vulnerable and living in poverty. Hope for Children are changing this by making a safe and fulfilling childhood a reality for more of the world’s children, from orphans to street children. They are improving their access to education and healthcare, empowering their families to support themselves whilst developing their confidence and self-esteem. Most importantly they are giving them hope.
To find out more about Hope for Children, please visit hope-for-children.org
