Corporate Social Responsibility in Action

Austria is a rich country – we always rank near the top in any EU wealth comparison. At the same time, many people in our midst live in poverty or are at risk of poverty. Unfortunately, one quarter of this group that is particularly affected are children.

That is why SIGNA and Nathalie and René Benko have long involved themselves in the Tiroler Kinderschutzverein, in Prof. Siegfried Meryn’s “Sag Nein zu Krank und Arm” (“Say No to Sick and Poor”) association, in the Tiroler Kinderkrebshilfe (Tyrol Children’s Cancer Aid) and in the Kitz Charity Race. With annual donations amounting to over one million euros, we jointly demonstrate a great sense of social responsibility.

From the very beginning, there was this desire to make a difference for disadvantaged children and their families – exactly where help is needed most, and in a way that improves living situations quickly, concretely, and in an unbureaucratic way.

Every year, around 70 children and adolescents with cancer are treated at the Innsbruck University Hospital. Cancer is an enormous burden, not just for the young patients themselves but also for their parents, siblings, and the entire surrounding constellation of people that has to deal with this terrible situation. The “Verein Kinder Krebshilfe für Tirol und Vorarlberg” (“Children’s Cancer Aid Association for Tyrol and Vorarlberg”) has set itself the goal of supporting these young patients and their families in every way possible. These projects include financial support for the affected families, improvement of the common areas in the pediatric oncology department, and care and support for families during therapy periods. It is particularly important to give children and young people a perspective for the future, beyond the recovery phase.

The project offers professional guidance and support in the form of education and training opportunities and counselling sessions for career choices down the line.

SIGNA is supporting the construction of a new educational center at the Pears Jewish Campus in Berlin. The new building will accommodate 500 children and provide a meeting place for people of all ages. It is being built on Westfälische Straße in Wilmersdorf directly next to the Chabad Education Center which opened in 2007. A child’s daycare center, an elementary school, a high school, a sports hall, a library, a youth club, and a hall for large events are going to be constructed on a site covering approximately 7,000 m². The project is financed by the German Federal Government, the State of Berlin, as well as various foundations, private sponsors, and other donors. SIGNA’s contribution will be focused towards the 550m² sports hall, which will also be used for events.

The Pears Jewish Campus will welcome people of all religions. It will not only meet the needs of children but will also provide a venue for seminars and conferences for students and adults alike. In addition to a wide range of leisure facilities, there will also be a further education and training center for teachers. The new building is expected to open in 2023.

Cape 10 – House of the Future and Social Innovation in Vienna’s tenth district is a modern center for people with health or social problems, particularly children and adolescents. Designed by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU to be open and transparent, the building for health and social facilities provides space for a health center run in cooperation with the Vinzenz Group, the Max & Lara child development project, a Vienna homeless day center and a low-threshold outpatient clinic for homeless women, mothers and their children, which provides help without any red tape and irrespective of social status. The use of the building can be adapted to visitors’ and guests’ individual needs. There are catering and event spaces modelled on the feeling of a village square. The KIDS CHARITY FOUNDATION supports the CAPE 10 project because it was impressed by the idea of providing help and advice to those in need in as many ways as possible, all in one place, in an uncomplicated way and with no red tape.

The KITZ CHARITY Trophy charity race was created over 20 years ago by the WWP event and advertising agency and the patrons Didi Mateschitz, Bernd Pischetsrider and Gerhard Berger. The race takes place every year on the Saturday afternoon of the legendary “Streif” weekend after the spectacular men’s downhill race is concluded. Racing legend Bernie Ecclestone traditionally serves as the race director. With the proceeds from this charity race (a donation of over 150,000 euros) and with the help of Dr. Klaus Reisch and Evi Klinger, around 20 farming families in Tyrol who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own can be supported every year.

The families remain anonymous while they receive assistance; they struggle with their worries and fears and an uncertain future. SIGNA since 2009 and The KIDS CHARITY FOUNDATION support this project because it is often children that are affected the most.

Children often lack opportunities to engage in winter sports activities in their private or school environments. The Snow Tiger Project provides these opportunities for children who would otherwise hardly have a chance to do so. In addition to skis and snowboards, specially adapted winter sports equipment such as skibobs and biskis is available to enable as many children and adolescents as possible to participate. Aside from sporting activities, the development of social skills and competences is another important goal of this project. At the end of the winter season, a final week’s session is held where over 100 physically disabled or socially disadvantaged children and adolescents from all the institutions participating in the project come together and have fun in the snow. The aim of the KIDS CHARITY FOUNDATION is to support a project that gives children access to sporting activities and promotes physical exercise.