SOS Children's Villages and HSBC form lasting partnership

The partnership will be managed in by SOS Children's Villages United Kingdom with support from SOS-Kinderdorf International in Austria to provide education, healthcare, counselling and shelter to hundreds of thousands of children in care and foster children. The co-operation is truly global in nature, and will serve as the basis for a lasting relationship between local SOS Children's Villages and HSBC offices around the world.

Indeed, one of the main reasons SOS Children's Villages was chosen as the project's main charity partner was the number of countries in which the two organisations have a common presence - 47 in total.

The HSBC Group is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. The Group has around 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.

Dame Mary Richardson, Chief Executive of the HSBC Global Education Trust said, "We think this is going to make a measurable difference in the lives of some of the most marginalised and impoverished members of society. HSBC believes financial institutions have a role to play in helping to integrate youth from disadvantaged backgrounds into the fabric of society, not only to improve the quality of their lives, but also so they can be fully active citizens who contribute to the economic prosperity of their local communities."

The partnership is an exciting opportunity for the SOS Children's Villages, whose educational and community support projects will be financed through the Future First funds. Andrew, Cates, Chief Executive of SOS Children's Villages UK, commented, "I am delighted that our charity has the opportunity of working with HSBC to provide an education, vocational skills and basic but vital support, to ensure a secure future for children and their families for generations to come care, making the world a better place for children."