National Network for Children, one of BBLF's member organisations, presented its mission and activities to the responsible business community
Another promising edition of the Meet BBLF Success series of events was held on 17 February. National Network for Children, one of the BBLF member organisations, presented its causes and activities to the responsible business community. The event was hosted by a BBLF member company, UniCredit Bulbank, which has been issued a Child Friendly Company" certificate by NNC. Representatives of more than 20 companies and representatives of civil society organisations took part in the discussion.
Anton Panayotov, BBLF Deputy Chair and CEO of Alaric Securities, opened the event: "The Meet BBLF Success series of special events is designed to encourage members to share their successes, entrepreneurship, innovation and social commitment. We are delighted to have responsible companies and the National Network for Children, a reputed civic organisation with an outstanding track record meet today to discuss partnership prospects and contribute to the well-being of children in Bulgaria. We are confident that cross-sectoral cooperation is an asset for both parties and for thecommunity, too."
The National Network for Children (NNC) is an alliance of over 120 civil society organisations and supporters from all over the country working for the children of Bulgaria. The Network is an active advocate for children's rights and for improving the lives of families.
NNC Executive Director Georgi Bogdanov presented the goals, initiatives and current partners of the organisation (presentation in Bulgarian). "Every day we fight for the children of Bulgaria, we work for systemic changes and for changing attitudes, and our member organisations support 200,000 children and 100,000 families a year", he said.
Georgi Bogdanov spoke about one of the tools developed by the NNC especially for businesses, namely the "Child Friendly Company" certificate and its three pillars - corporate policies in the field of human resources, CSR and public relations.
Lyudmil Spasov, Corporate Partnerships Director, said: "Business and the civil sector need to go hand in hand to succeed in making Bulgaria a better place for our children."
The meeting was also attended by representatives of NNC partner companies which have already earned the Child Friendly Company certificate. Adelina Peeva, Sponsorship and Events Manager at UniCredit Bulbank: „The certificate is a very good tool to use in CSR policies and projects. The audit procedure we went through was quite solid and useful for our company."
"We are extremely honoured to hold the NNC Child Friendly Company certificate. Until now, our activities for children have been fragmented, but now the area has become more familiar and child-focused programmes have become our strategic goal. I recommend every company to consider such a step", Kremena Georgieva, Corporate Communications Manager of Kaufland Bulgariasaid.
"The certificate validates processes and public commitments", Teodora Bakardzhieva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Donors Forum said. In her words, the certification process is an opportunity to restructure and focus companies internally and align their understanding with that of professional organisations. "It is important for every consumer to be able to quickly and safely navigate the choice of partners and products and the certification helps to make this choice," she added.
The event continued with a cocktail reception and conversations in an informal setting.
