There was great gratitude at Børns Voksenvenner when the association received word that the "Fonden Sol og Strand Margit og Kjeld" foundation had decided to donate 100,000 kroner.

This donation means a great deal to our work. We are struggling to keep up with the demand from children looking for an adult friend, and now we have the opportunity to devote more resources to recruitment and the process of matching a child with an adult friend, says Camilla Garder, recruitment and partnership consultant at Børns Voksenvenner.

The association, which was established in 1990, has activities in around 60 municipalities. Over the years, it has managed to create more than 5,000 friendships, and these friendships forge very meaningful bonds between children and adults, says Camilla Garder.

– Having an adult friend means the world to a child. This is someone who voluntarily chooses to spend time with the child without expecting anything in return. We know from experience that an adult friend strengthens the child's well-being in the here and now and gives them the social tools to participate in communities in their youth and adult life, in the education system, in the labor market, and in community life, she says.

Thorough preparation

The target group is children and young people who, for one reason or another, lack an extra adult in their lives. This could be children who, due to divorce, have lost contact with one of their parents, children with illness or disabilities in their immediate family, or children who have lost a parent.

"When we receive an inquiry from a child or parent, we try to find a match with an adult. We take great care to create the right match to ensure that we lay the foundation for a good, long-lasting relationship," says Camilla Garder.

There are no requirements that you must have a professional background to become a volunteer at Børns Voksenvenner. The most important thing is that you want to and are able to spend a few hours each month with a child and, of course, that you can provide a child protection certificate and a criminal record check.

"In order to run our association, we need financial support, such as that provided by Sol og Strand, but we also need human resources in the form of volunteers. We need more people to become adult friends, and we are talking about ordinary people with spare time, says Camilla Garder, adding that the volunteers will undergo training to prepare them for the task.

A dream come true

In 1979, Margit and Kjeld Andersen established Sol og Strand A/S. The couple has now transferred ownership to a foundation based on a desire to preserve and develop the company in Danish hands and to support charitable and local causes.

"With this fund, we have secured the future of Sol og Strand , which we have always referred to as our 'third child', and we have realized our dream of helping to make a difference for others," says Kjeld Andersen.

"We are delighted to be able to support an association such as Børns Voksenvenner, which does so much to ensure the well-being of children and young people. Hopefully, this donation will help to ensure that more children get an adult friend," says Margit Andersen.

In total, the fund has donated just under three million kroner this year, and this amount is expected to increase in the future.

"The fund is a guiding star for the employees of Sol og Strand A/S, and we want to make a difference in the world around us by supporting local and charitable causes. The better we do at Sol og Strand, the greater the impact on the foundation and its work, says Per Dam, CEO of Sol og Strand A/S.