FC Bayern München AG and SOS Children’s Villages worldwide have signed a global cooperation agreement lasting several years. The aid organisation, which operates in 137 countries, will support FC Bayern in strategically developing its social sustainability in Germany and around the world, making it even more visible. FC Bayern will support the important and valuable work of SOS Children’s Villages worldwide with its national and international brand strength.
"Arena of Change“ at the FC Bayern Campus
At the start of the cooperation, the children’s villages under SOS Children’s Villages worldwide will set up a special care programme for pupils aged between eight and 14 for a 24-month pilot phase. The home of the project will be the “Arena of Change” at the FC Bayern Campus. There, children and young people can learn to deal with the growing demands of our time and are to be motivated to have a positive impact on society.
With the “Arena of Change”, FC Bayern and SOS Children’s Villages worldwide will make a contribution to the sustainability goals of the United Nations, because the partnership project will specifically implement three of the 17 goals: health, education and reducing inequality. The programme is aimed at children in Munich of all social groups, including vulnerable children, and will be organised and managed by specially trained and selected SOS Children’s Villages worldwide staff.
"SOS Children's Villages and FC Bayern fit together perfectly“
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern München AG: “The cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages worldwide is an important and necessary step for FC Bayern. By concentrating on just a few projects, we want to have an even more sustainable impact. We held the first talks with SOS more than two years ago. With each meeting, it became clearer how well we fit together. In addition, with our partner SOS Children’s Villages worldwide, we can incorporate social responsibility into our internationalisation considerations in a targeted manner. I’d like to thank our president, Herbert Hainer, for his support. It’s essentially down to him to say what’s allowed at the Campus, and he fulfilled our wish to locate the “Arena of Change” at our academy. I’d especially like to thank Petra Horn from the SOS Children’s Villages worldwide board. Ms. Horn has ideally accompanied our vision of making social sustainability more effective and visible. SOS is a top brand in the international league of aid organisations and fits perfectly with FC Bayern.”
"Social responsibility has always been very important to FC Bayern“
Herbert Hainer, FC Bayern München president and chairman of the FC Bayern München AG supervisory board: “The partnership with SOS Children’s Villages worldwide fits perfectly into the new orientation of the sustainability strategy at FC Bayern, which the board resolved in 2019 with a view to the future challenges in sport, especially in football and in our society in general. Social responsibility has always been very important to FC Bayern. As general manager and president, Uli Hoeneß always acted according to the principle that those who succeed must keep an eye on the weaker members of our system and help them. This will not change. The financial and non-material support provided by the football company, the club and FC Bayern Hilfe e.V. in recent years has been enormous. That’s why we have decided to orient our social sustainability in such a way that we are even more recognisable in the digital communication society with special projects tailored to FC Bayern. We are looking forward to working with SOS, to the new experience with the “Arena of Change” and to the mutual exchange of ideas.”
"A new and innovative project“
Petra Horn, member of the SOS Children’s Villages worldwide board: “I am very pleased to have a strong partner like FC Bayern München at our side. Together, we have developed a completely new and innovative project. In the “Arena of Change”, girls and boys will be given the opportunity to grow “together” and learn from professionals. Here they benefit from the motivational and inspirational environment of FC Bayern. In addition, sport, especially football, is of great importance in the SOS programmes. It teaches team spirit, respect, fair play and much more. This is the perfect basis for sustainable cooperation and for real added social value. I’m looking forward to a long-term cooperation and I’m very excited to experience the impact on the participating children myself.”
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children’s Villages worldwide is based in Munich and focuses on family strengthening, education, health and children’s rights. The international arm of SOS-Kinderdörfer supports around 1.5 million children and their families in 137 countries. The mission statement of the aid organisation, founded by Austrian Hermann Gmeiner in 1949, is: “We give children in need a family and help them to shape their own future”.
The “Arena of Change” project at the FC Bayern Campus is currently unique in Germany.
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