Barncancerfonden – Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation

In 2017, we initiated a partnership with the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation (Barncancerfonden) that involves the production and sale of 150,000 LED reflectors to raise money to fight child cancer. These reflectors can also protect and save lives in traffic.

About the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation

The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation is the single largest financier of childhood cancer research in Sweden - entirely without contributions from the state, municipality or county council. This can only be done thanks to generous contributions from private individuals, companies and organizations. The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation is approved by the Swedish Fundraising Control, which ensures that the money always goes to the right purpose. Want to make a donation? The plusgiro number of the childhood cancer fund is 90 20 90-0.

Take a moment to read our article published in our internal magazine Insight in 2017.

REFLECTORS THAT GIVES LIGHT, HOPE AND JOY!

Ahlsell has been working with the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation for several years and has carried out a number of different activities to fight against childhood cancer. In 2017, a main partnership was initiated where the production of an LED reflector both strengthened the cooperation and developed Ahlsell's social responsibility.

Our hope is that the LED reflectors will become a great seller and that the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation can exceed its collection targets, says Magnus Nordstrand, purchasing director at Ahlsell.

The vision of eradicating childhood cancer is something most of us can relate to. Among non-profit organisations, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation has a strong brand. This has been one of the main reasons for Ahlsell when choosing to becoming one of the main funding partners.

Most companies that cooperate with the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation usually make a campaign or fundraising where the money goes directly to the fight against childhood cancer. This year's collaboration with Ahlsell looks a little different. By bringing the core business into the collaboration, Ahlsell has been able to help the Child Cancer Foundation to produce 150,000 LED reflectors that will now be sold on and bring money into the fight against childhood cancer.

We wanted to find a product that both is functional and that can save lives in more than only one way, says Elinor Westerberg, Key Account Manager Company Collection at Barncancerfonden. A reflector is something that everyone needs, it came up early in our discussions.

In the beginning of 2017, Ahlsell's central sourcing department was commissioned to look globally for purchasing LED reflectors. From experience, Ahlsell knew that such production was to find in Asia, as Ahlsell also has an office in China. It was a natural step to start looking for suppliers there.

We have never worked with this type of product before, which meant that we needed to do a completely new type of sourcing, says Dick Petersén, International Procurement Director at Ahlsell. We have put a lot of effort into finding suppliers in China that keep the measure both in regards to ethic and security. The requirements for this type of product are very tough. Not least because reflectors are mainly used by children. Many suppliers can, however, produce reflectors, but it is thanks to our CSR work that we have been able to create added value.

During the spring 2017, three factories with some thirty people have been involved in the work. From order to delivery, it has only taken six months to produce the LED reflectors. The reflectors have now been transported across the oceans and reached Sweden and Ahlsell's logistics center in Hallsberg. From here, they will be distributed to retailers all over Sweden.

We are pleased that we have been able to use our organization and our knowledge to contribute to the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. At the same time, we are given the opportunity to spread information about our sustainability work and social responsibility in our purchasing work, which in turn can lead to even more satisfied customers, says Magnus Nordstrand, Ahlsell.
It feels very safe to cooperate with Ahlsell who has experience of production in China. They have stepped up their manufacturing and have helped in how the product has been modified according to our needs. In addition, they take the entire cost of 50,000 reflectors and contribute with the distribution to our resellers. It is an incredibly large and important initiative that we are very grateful for, ends Elinor Westerberg, Childhood.

Benefits of the cooperation between Ahlsell and Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation

We contribute to research to prevent and cure childhood cancer. We contribute to developing a sustainable and safe product that increases safety in traffic. We get a very good reference point for our responsible purchasing work. All positive, and we hope that save lives by doing this.