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Sponda: For Sponda, corporate responsibility means taking concrete action
There is strength in collaboration – this old wisdom applies very well to the volunteer work that is part of Sponda’s sustainability programme. Thanks to the initiative, started in 2022, Sponda’s employees are able to spend 1-2 working days annually doing volunteer work. During 2023, the company’s volunteers did more than 600 hours worth of community work. The community sustainability initiative combines a sense of meaning, the joy of spending time together outside the office and taking concrete action to do something good.
Sponda’s Community Engagement programme features three different areas of sustainability work. One area consists of charity collections, free events and themed days that are actively organised in Sponda’s shopping centres to support the operation of non-profit organisations. The second area includes Sponda’s annual Christmas donation to a charity voted by the employees, as well as other donations. Collections have been organised at Sponda’s office for low-income families, the homeless and refugees, among others.
The third area consists of volunteering during working hours, which has proven to be a very popular way to help. For several years on the Baltic Sea Day, we have rolled up our sleeves and cleaned up litter from the shores of the Baltic Sea together. This August, we cleaned a large area at Laajasalo beach and the nearby forest, as well as removed harmful Japanese roses from the environment. We have also handed out food at Hursti’s Charitable Association and participated in cooking and gardening at the Ronald McDonald House in Helsinki.
Sustainability issues are increasingly becoming part of everyday operations
As more and more companies are becoming aware of environmental issues, they are increasingly becoming part of everyday operations. In addition, a wider audience is becoming increasingly more interested in sustainability. Raising awareness is significant, because it helps in making companies more activate with environmental and climate work.
Through co-operation with Sponda, the John Nurminen Foundation has gained national visibility for the Baltic Sea Day in lively areas where there are potential participants. Active and agile communication between Sponda and the customer organisation is important in order to carry out the event smoothly and ensure that its goals serve both parties in the best possible way.’
When a company is involved in the implementation of communal sustainability, volunteering days can also strengthen the corporate culture. Leaving the office and working together in a new environment invigorates people and offers different perspectives on everyday work. This is well known to the Ronald McDonald Children’s Foundation, who warmly thanked Sponda this spring for the help offered to them. Some of Sponda’s employees fixed the bikes at the foundation’s house, while others cooked for families and a third crew mowed the lawn and raked the leaves.
Joint action creates a sense of community between people. Corporate culture is strengthened by events where employees do things that differ from their everyday work tasks. There is also another aspect to be gained from these events – the joy of working together for a good cause. We want to thank all our partners for letting us participate in your important work!
Pirkko Airaksinen
Head of ESG, Sponda
