A topic that has kept us busy throughout the year is sustainability. As early as March 2022, the articles of association of codecentric AG were officially amended. Since then, they have included a clear commitment that codecentric pledges responsibility towards all its stakeholders, meaning it also wants to uphold the interests of the environment and society. In the course of this, we decided to send only digital cards to our business partners at Christmas and to forgo gifts as well. Of course, we all enjoy small tokens of appreciation, especially in the run-up to Christmas, but as is often the case: the cards end up in the bin sooner or later, the gingerbread assortment that was sent doesn't suit everyone's taste and gets passed on, and the little advent calendar is only half opened before being thrown away in the new year.
Instead, we decided to donate to non-profit organisations in the spirit of sustainability – in the name of codecentric's employees and their clients. To this end, our employees were able to suggest organisations that are personally close to their hearts. The board of codecentric, Rainer Vehns, Verena Deller, Lars Rückemann and Stefan Riedel, selected three of them. It was not an entirely easy choice, as board member Stefan Riedel describes: "As a member of the board, I am very proud of the diverse suggestions from our employees, who also told us that they are personally involved. This shows us on the board once again how important it is to our employees to make an impact beyond their work. We have chosen three organisations that have a local impact on issues that are very relevant to us as a society overall."
Our Donation Recipients
We would like to give a personal voice to the employees who, through their suggestions, are sponsors for the organisations, explaining why codecentric's donations are well placed there.
kinderherzen Foundation Munich
The foundation is dedicated to children with heart conditions and their families from Munich and Bavaria. It initiates pioneering research, implements necessary therapeutic measures and enables minimally invasive and gentler procedures for children with congenital heart defects at the German Heart Centre Munich.
The foundation was proposed by our employee Kathrin Schaugg at the Munich location: "Social responsibility is a fundamental guiding principle of codecentric. As a company, we are generally committed to supporting young people beyond our core business and promoting innovation and research. The kinderherzen Foundation shares this basic attitude. The focus on research and therapy, with the goal of improving treatment options for children with heart conditions, is an innovative approach that we can identify with strongly. I am therefore very pleased that codecentric is supporting the kinderherzen Foundation Munich with a donation."
To the kinderherzen Foundation
FeM Girls* House Frankfurt
The FeM Girls* House Frankfurt protects, supports and advises girls* and young women* who are affected by psychological, physical or sexualised violence. FeM unites under one institutional roof the areas of counselling and therapy, refuge, emergency accommodation, meeting space and empowerment. The flexible range of services enables the educators* and psychologists to respond individually to the different needs of girls* and young women*.
Our employee Myriam from Frankfurt is the sponsor for the donation from codecentric AG and also a private donor. She explains: "Protecting young girls from psychological and physical violence and giving them the opportunity to develop self-determinedly should be a matter of course in our country. However, anyone who looks more closely at the issue of violence against girls* and women* will quickly realise that safe spaces for women* and girls* are in short supply in Germany. The FeM Girls* House Frankfurt has set itself the goal of closing this gap and giving young people a chance to start a life free from violence and self-determined. I am personally very pleased that codecentric AG is supporting the Girls* House as part of this year's donation campaign."
DRK Kältebus Karlsruhe
The DRK Kältebus ("cold bus") brings help to the streets in the truest sense of the word. In many places, those affected seek refuge in so-called winter emergency shelters during the cold season. However, there are also many people who, for various reasons, do not wish to use the winter emergency shelter services and remain on the streets. The Kältebus therefore distributes hot tea, sleeping bags, blankets, emergency blankets and clothing along changing routes – depending on reports from the social welfare office, street workers or calls via the Kältebus hotline. The helpers also point out the support services offered by the Karlsruhe Housing Assistance programme, among other things.
Our colleague Sabrina Martiensen from the SouthWest region also supports the Kältebus privately and describes why social responsibility starts right on your own doorstep: "It is important to me to offer support locally where it is needed and to bring about positive change through concrete actions on the ground. I appreciate the variety of ways to support the Kältebus through monetary, material or time donations. This gives everyone the opportunity to actively contribute to helping people who find themselves in difficult life situations. With smaller, local projects like the Kältebus, it is possible to see the direct impact on how the funds are used. This creates transparency and gives me the confidence that my help is being used effectively. The non-profit Kältebus project allows me to make a direct contribution, step by step, to improving the living situation of people in need. It is a practical way to take action and have a positive impact on the community."
We thank the sponsors for their donation impulses and are pleased that we can support local organisations in their positive work. We would also like to encourage everyone who has not yet decided on their charitable cause for the end of the year to consider these organisations when making their decision.