– We are happy and very grateful for this donation, which concretely allows us to extend the hours of our telephone counseling, says the director of the National Association against Eating Disorders and Self-Harm, Laila Walther.

Until now, the telephone counseling has been open for inquiries Monday to Thursday from 4 PM to 7 PM. The donation allows the association to extend the hours to 9 AM to 7 PM on Mondays.

– We have tentatively kept open on Mondays from 9 AM to 7 PM, and we have received a lot of inquiries. We experience parents calling who need help after a challenging weekend with a child who is struggling. We have many children and young people contacting us because they have also had a tough weekend and need help. With this donation, we can already announce that in 2021 we will be open every Monday from 9 AM to 7 PM, and we can also assist school classes that are working on a school project and need information – something we have not been able to do before, says Laila Walther.

The association receives around 5,000 inquiries annually, and that number has been steadily increasing in recent years as young people place greater demands on themselves. Not least in 2020, which has seen extraordinary busyness due to COVID-19.

– Many young people feel increased pressure to be perfect, and when they feel that they are not succeeding, it can result in loneliness, worries, self-harm, and eating disorders. Furthermore, COVID-19 has meant that we are receiving more inquiries from children and young people who are severely affected. They feel lonely because they have not been able to go to school, engage in leisure activities, and go out, etc.

Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental transitioned to foundation ownership in 2019. According to plan, "Fonden Sol og Strand by Margit and Kjeld," which is currently under construction, was not supposed to start distributing funds for charitable purposes until 2022. However, the fund's board has decided to distribute one million already this year.

– This is the first time we are distributing from the fund, and the board has selected a total of ten organizations, each receiving 100,000 kroner. This time, the selection has been based on the wishes of the fund's founders, Margit and Kjeld Andersen. Going forward, distributions will be based on applications we receive, says the fund's chairman, Jens Stadum.

The couple Margit and Kjeld Andersen are pleased that they now have the opportunity to realize a dream they have had for many years for Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental A/S, which they founded in 1979. The couple started by renting out their own summer house, and the company now manages the rental of around 6,500 Danish holiday homes, making it one of the largest Danish rental agencies.

In November 2019, they transferred ownership of Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental A/S to the commercial foundation, which aims to support charitable and local causes. From 2022/23, the expectation is that the foundation will be able to distribute up to 75 percent of the profits from Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental to these purposes annually. Thus, by choosing to rent out your summer house or book a holiday stay through Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental, you are indirectly helping to make a difference for others.

The company calls this "Holidays with a Good Heart," and it is entirely in line with Margit and Kjeld Andersen's wishes and hopes for the business.

– By establishing this foundation, we ensure that our life's work of renting out Danish holiday homes continues in Danish hands and is not sold to, for example, a foreign capital fund. It is very gratifying that we can distribute funds already this year, and we are pleased that the foundation's board agrees to support the National Association against Eating Disorders and Self-Harm, as untreated eating disorders can be deeply debilitating, say Margit and Kjeld Andersen.