Springer Nature in Heidelberg supports local charities at annual Christmas St Nicholas Market
Over 26,000 euros have been raised for three women’s and children’s charities based in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region
Heidelberg, 11 January 2018
Once again, the traditional St Nicholas Market held on December 7 at Springer’s Heidelberg office raised an impressive sum for good causes. Thanks to the dedicated work of Springer Nature employees in Heidelberg and the active support of the management, a total of 26,400 euros were raised. This year, three charitable organizations in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region will equally share the proceeds: the “Kinderplanet” at Heidelberg University Hospital, the “Frauennotruf gegen sexuelle Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen e.V. Heidelberg,” which works to combat sexual assaults against women and girls, and “Aufwind Mannheim e.V,” a charity that supports children living in poverty. Each charity will receive 8,800 euros.
The sales stands organized by the employees and the Works Council created a festive atmosphere in Heidelberg’s Tiergartenstraße. There were plenty of culinary delights, including homemade cakes and waffles, as well as tempting soups and cheeses, and the vast array of crafts such as jewelry, jams and origami made Christmas shopping a pleasure. Springer Nature colleagues and their friends and families were able to browse the second-hand toy and book stands, while a tombola featured attractive prizes. The market itself raised 13,200 euros, a sum that the management matched – as it does every year –bringing the grand total to 26,400 euros.
The St Nicholas Market has been a fixture at Springer for almost 30 years, and the money raised each year is used to support local projects and charities.
“The St Nicholas Market isn’t just a much-loved pre-Christmas tradition for our employees and their families. The hard work and commitment of the colleagues and the Works Council highlights the company’s ties with the local community in Heidelberg. Social engagement in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region is also an important part of Springer Nature’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. We are especially delighted to be able to support good causes in the region with the St Nicholas Market in Springer’s 175th anniversary year,” says Birgit Kolb, HR Director at Springer Heidelberg.
The “Kinderplanet” at Heidelberg University Hospital was founded in 1995 and is financed by the “Aktion für krebskranke Kinder e.V. Heidelberg,” a charity for children with cancer. The Kinderplanet enables parents to concentrate on the needs of their sick child, while their other children are looked after by trained staff. This childcare is available to all siblings aged 0 – 15 of patients from all departments of the University Children’s Hospital, and is free of charge for parents.
Launched in 1978, the “Frauennotruf gegen sexuelle Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen e.V. in Heidelberg” promotes sexual empowerment for women and girls. The project „Kein Raum für Missbrauch“ focuses on the prevention of sexual harassment and targets children and teenagers. The first school to partner with this project is the “Geschwister-Scholl-Schule” in Heidelberg-Kirchheim. The project phase will include trainings for school staff, as well as workshops and informative events for parents and pupils.
The charity “Aufwind Mannheim e.V.” has been combating child poverty in Mannheim since it was founded in 2007. Alongside homework supervision, workshops and summer camps, it offers support for parents and single parents in difficult situations. The charity currently supports 25 children and their families in the Mannheim suburb Neckarstadt.
Photo: from left to right:
Stefanie Baldes (Kinderplanet), Jörg Schreiber (Chairman Works Council Springer Heidelberg), Birgit Kolb (HR Director Springer Heidelberg), Susanne Falk (Frauennotruf), Peter Strasser and Man-Thi Tran (Works Council members), Stefan Semel (Aufwind e.V.) | © Springer Nature
- About „Kinderplanet“ am Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
- About Frauennotruf gegen sexuelle Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen e.V. in Heidelberg
- About Aufwind Mannheim e.V.
Springer Nature advances discovery by publishing robust and insightful research, supporting the development of new areas of knowledge, making ideas and information accessible around the world, and leading the way on open access. Key to this is our ability to provide the best possible service to the whole research community: helping authors to share their discoveries; enabling researchers to find, access and understand the work of others; supporting librarians and institutions with innovations in technology and data; and providing quality publishing support to societies.
As a research publisher, Springer Nature is home to trusted brands including Springer, Nature Research, BMC, Palgrave Macmillan and Scientific American. Springer Nature is also a leading educational and professional publisher, providing quality content through a range of innovative platforms, products and services. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals and resources reach millions of people.
For more information, please visit springernature.com and @SpringerNature.
Melanie Lehnert | Springer Nature | Communications
tel +49 6221 487 8122 | melanie.lehnert@springernature.com
