Fifteen years ago, FTSE selected UNICEF as our official corporate charity partner. With UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation, we could identify a number of strategic synergies with our own global presence and our commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainable market development.

In that time the partnership has evolved, moving beyond providing funds for their work in protecting the rights of children worldwide, to one where we are working together to move forward on issues such as climate change, disease prevention and the protection of children. On climate change, we’ve supported UNICEF with their agenda in calling for businesses, organisations and individuals to take responsibility for environmental change. In a joint letter to The Guardian in December, prior to the COP17 climate summit in Durban, Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive at FTSE and David Bull, Executive Director at UNICEF UK, cited the importance of mitigation and adaptation in building a climate-resilient world for children and urged businesses to take action.

Our long-standing partnership also extends to our staff who are actively involved in the process of choosing which projects to support, raising awareness of UNICEF’s mission, and experiencing projects first hand in the field. Engaging our people with our partnership and the support FTSE gives is critical to its success. Mark Makepeace, UNICEF UK Vice President, has been instrumental in encouraging other corporations to get involved with UNICEF and has joined several field trips himself to see UNICEF’s work in action.

FTSE has contributed a total of over £3 million to UNICEF’s life changing work sponsoring a number of different projects including two HIV and AIDS prevention projects in Mozambique.

Our commitment in 2011 has been helping to save the lives of the most vulnerable children in Northern Sudan who live with the risk of acute malnutrition. As part of this project, 200 frontline help workers have been trained and are providing nutritional and health support to communities, and over 100 health facilities will be equipped with the tools and resources to save children’s lives. This sustainable intervention will continue to transform lives for generations to come. UNICEF also plays an essential role in responding to worldwide emergencies such as the East Africa food crisis and the Japan Tsunami in 2011. UNICEF coordinates relief efforts and provides urgent, life-saving supplies where they are most needed. A portion of FTSE’s financial contributions is unrestricted, which means that it can be directed towards these unpredictable disasters in the most needed areas when it really counts.

“UNICEF is extremely proud of our fifteen year partnership with FTSE, which incorporates both fundraising and advocacy and helps to transform children’s lives. Every four seconds, today and every day, a child dies from a preventable cause. With the continued commitment and support of FTSE, UNICEF can change this. Both UNICEF and FTSE understand the power of a global presence. UNICEF is delighted to benefit from the long term support of global partners, which help us achieve our mission to reach every child, no matter where they live.”

david bull | executive director | unicef uk

We believe that sustainable market development has an important social dimension and we look forward to continuing to work with UNICEF in the future to support their projects worldwide. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org