Robert Walters Belgium raises 7,762 EUR for SOS Children's Villages

23/10/2017

Every October, Robert Walters staff members from around the globe participate in a joint effort to raise money for a chosen local charity during the Group’s annual Global Charity Day. This year, the Robert Walters and Walters People offices in Belgium supported SOS Children’s Villages’ activities in Belgium. Gardening, painting, baking, our staff members raised funds and volunteered at SOS homes to make SOS homes look their best and allow children feel more at home.

SOS Children’s Villages worldwide

No child should grow up alone. Active in 134 countries, SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest charity working with orphaned and abandoned children. Their mission? To enable every child to belong to a family and grow up with love, respect and security.

SOS Children’s Villages in Belgium

When the physical and emotional security of a child is in danger, alternative caring may be required. The SOS Children’s Village Chantevent and the family home l’Alouette in Marche-en-Famenne provide a new home to over 40 children. In Liedekerke, the Simbahuis provides temporary care and support to families who are unable to provide a secure home to their children. Due to the refugee crisis in 2015, over 5,000 children arrived in Belgium alone. A small family shelter home was established in Kraainem to offer refugee children the chance to grow up in a loving and secure environment.

How did Robert Walters and Walters People Belgium contribute?

During our annual charity week, which this year took place from October 9^th to the 13th, our teams in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Groot-Bijgaarden and Zaventem partook in a range of fun and team oriented activities to help raise money inside and outside our organisation.

Cleaning, gardening, painting , staff members volunteered at SOS shelter homes to make the houses look anew. Özlem Simsek, Director at Walters People Belgium, explains: “Cupboards were tidied, bedroom walls were painted, trees and edges were trimmed, donated clothes were sorted and desserts were prepared for children to have upon their return from school.” In their main office located in Brussels, we volunteered to help SOS staff members catch up on various administration backlog. For every colleague helping out, Robert Walters/Walters People donated 100 EUR to SOS Children’s Villages.

Antoine Biot, Director at Robert Walters Belgium, continues: “To help refugee children in the Kraainem home learn French, we searched in our network and were able to find a former teacher who will give them French lessons in the upcoming months pro bono. We also contacted a few clients and suppliers who kindly supported our fundraising with donations of their own. This joined effort allowed us to raise a total amount of 7,762 EUR.”

How will SOS children benefit from our donation?

All proceeds will go towards the renovation of the Chantevent homes in Marche-en-Famenne which 43 children call home. Tom Moons, Head of Partnerships & External Communication at SOS Children’s Villages explains: “This SOS village exists since the seventies and is urgently due for some repairs: roofs need to be replaced and 5 bathrooms need to be renovated. Thanks to the efforts of Robert Walters/Walters People staff members, their clients and their suppliers, we will be able to fund part of these urgent renovations.”

Check out our charity page to find out more about our annual charity action or visit the SOS Children's Villages website to find out more about their activities and how you can help.