To the Youth Fund VDL Foundation donates 25,000 euros to the Youth Fund Sport Friesland page

VDL Foundation donates €25,000 to the Friesland Youth Sports Fund | February 28, 2020

VDL Foundation donates 25,000 euros to the Youth Sports Fund Friesland

On Friday, February 28, 2020, the VDL Foundation donated €25,000 to the Jeugdfonds Sport Friesland (Frisian Youth Sports Fund). The entire donation will be used to benefit children aged 0 to 18 in Friesland who live in families without enough money to join a sports club.

The check was presented this afternoon by Ietze van der Meer, director of VDL Bus Heerenveen, Johan Zwarts, director of VDL Postma, and Jan Karssen, board member of the VDL Foundation, to the Jeugdfonds Sport Friesland.

Jan Karssen: "We receive a great many requests every year from various excellent organizations. It's always difficult to choose from these initiatives. We unanimously agreed that the Foundation wanted to make a substantial donation to Jeugdfonds Sport Friesland. Not only from a social perspective, but also from a regional perspective."

Ietze van der Meer: "The region we're proud of and that we want to serve is being supported in a wonderful way. I'm very happy with that."

Johan Zwarts: "I think it's wonderful that the VDL Foundation has made a donation to the Heerenveen region, where several VDL companies are located. This way, the VDL Foundation's social good is further promoted."

Youth Sports Fund Friesland
The Netherlands is one of the richest countries in the world. Yet, over 272,000 children grow up in families living on a subsistence level—that's a staggering 1 in 11 children. In Friesland, 11,600 children cannot participate in sports. Children who cannot participate don't get the opportunities their peers take for granted. Participating in sports or cultural activities helps them with their physical, mental, and social development. We pay the membership fees/tuition fees for these children and young people, and in some cases, the necessary clothing and equipment. In 2019, the Jeugdfonds Sport Friesland (Friesland Youth Sports Fund) helped 2,611 children participate.

Coby van der Laan, chair of the Friesland Youth Sports Fund: “The Friesland Youth Sports Fund makes it possible for children and young people from low-income families to participate in football, swimming, gymnastics, judo, or other sporting activities. Thanks to the fantastic contribution from the VDL Foundation, we can enable 100 children in Friesland to participate and help ensure that children have the opportunity to develop a healthy and vital lifestyle from an early age. Together, we are committed to a country without child poverty.”

VDL Foundation
The VDL Foundation was established in 2014 by VDL Groep, the industrial family business headquartered in Eindhoven. The reopening of VDL Nedcar in Born was the impetus for this. The relaunch of VDL Nedcar was made possible in part by temporarily deploying employees elsewhere during the factory's renovation, in collaboration with suppliers and the government. With donations to Limburg organizations, the VDL Foundation has shown gratitude to the region and the province of Limburg and given something back in return.
Since 2014, VDL Groep has contributed a fixed annual amount to the VDL Foundation. This amount is used to financially support social projects in healthcare and well-being. The foundation's donation policy was later expanded to include initiatives outside Limburg. The VDL Foundation aims to further promote and realize the idea of "Strength through Collaboration," the motto of VDL Groep. Furthermore, the VDL Foundation's vision aligns seamlessly with the corporate social responsibility that VDL Groep pursues daily.
www.vdlfoundation.com.

In the photo from left to right: Rainer de Groot (coordinator Youth Sports Fund Friesland), Johan Zwarts (director VDL Postma), Coby van der Laan (chairman Youth Sports Fund Friesland), Jan Karssen (board member VDL Foundation), Jan van Zanden (treasurer Youth Sports Fund Friesland), Ietze van der Meer (director VDL Bus Heerenveen), Thijs Spijkervet (secretary Youth Sports Fund Friesland).

Photo: property of VDL Group