THE VODAFONE FOUNDATION PROVIDES CZK 4.6 MILLION IN SUPPORT FOR 50 YOUTH-RELATED PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CZECH REPUBLIC

An Internet magazine for youth, assistance while looking for employment after being released from prison, a mad workshop, and 47 other projects have been awarded grants through the Vpohybu program of the Vodafone Foundation, receiving a total sum of CZK 4.6 million. The majority of the winning projects are being carried out by young people up to the age of 26, which is one of the conditions for participating in the project.

“Through the Vpohybu grant program, we want to support young people in various regions of the Czech Republic in order to enable them to do what they enjoy doing independently, and, at the same time, develop themselves and their surroundings,” says Inga Kaškelyte, Director of the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation, adding, “This year we are announcing the results of the second round of the Vpohybu program. In both rounds we provided an overall sum of CZK 12.5 million in support of a total of 112 projects throughout the Czech Republic.”

The Vpohybu program focuses on supporting individual initiatives of young people and communities. The objective of the program is to develop a sense of responsibility and nurture the skills of young people, both of which are important to their leading an independent life and to future employment (for non-profit organisations and young people up to the age of 26).

The most interesting projects awarded in this year’s Vpohybu round include:

Deelay.cz, Internet magazine for youth (CZK 70,000 Kč, throughout the Czech Republic)

• Online lifestyle magazine for young people
• Has the objective of informing, entertaining, inspiring creative activities, and educating youth
• The project is being led by a group of secondary school students under the guidance of Marek Brumlich

New generation, connecting youth to cooperation in helping underdeveloped countries (CZK 111,000, Czech Republic)

• The project enables high school and college students to learn how they can help
• Proceeds from activities arranged by students go towards helping children in Kenya, Guinea, and Benin
• The project is being carried out by the Dialog Humanist Centre

Gressus, a step towards a new life (CZK 45,000, Opava)

• The project helps people who have been released from prison orient themselves in the job market
• Carried out by students of Ostrava University, the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, under group leader Alžběta Banšelová

Development of creativity and entrepreneurship in students (CZK 295,336, entire Czech Republic)

• Project of mini-enterprises (student companies) that are to develop on a small scale of real economic activity, run in the same manner as real firms
• Organized by Junior Achievement

Skate in the Park – Skatepark (CZK 200,000, Votice)

• Construction of a skate park where young people can spend free time in Votice
• Carried out by youth from Votice, under the guidance of Lucie Krubnerová

Mad Workshop (CZK 50,000, Veselí nad Moravou)

• Development of skills and education of children and youth in several artistic fields (dramatic arts, music, and visual arts)
• Leader – Michal Blažíček, Palacký University in Olomouc

Support of the development of students of stage art (CZK 148,000, Brno)

• The project enables students to produce stage settings independently
• Students of stage art in Brno have founded the BURANTEATR group, under which the project is being carried out

Junior Internet (CZK 50,000, from Prague to the entire Czech Republic)

• An Internet competition for talented youths who are actively involved with the Internet
• Connecting young people with handicaps
• Carried out by Together Czech Republic

Workshopping (CZK 130,000, Prague)

• Four year-round street art workshops – juggling, beatbox, graffiti, and streetdance
• Carried out by the Tolerdance civic association

155 projects registered for the second round of the Vpohybu program. Of these the Supervisory Board of the Vodafone Foundation chose to support 50 projects in nine regions of the Czech Republic: North Bohemia (CZK 576,000), Central Bohemia (CZK 541,000), East Bohemia (CZK 222,000), South Bohemia (CZK 365,000), West Bohemia (CZK 100,000), Vysočina (CZK 360,000), North Moravia (CZK 215,000), South Moravia (CZK 230,000), Prague (CZK 1.5 million). In addition, through the Vpohybu program the Vodafone Foundation also supported three projects whose activities are taking place throughout the entire Czech Republic (CZK 505,000)

The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation

The Foundation was created in 2005 and focuses especially on providing support for young people (the Vpoho and Vpohybu grant programs) and connecting communication technologies to assistance for those in need (the Vpohybu grant program). The Foundation is financed by Vodafone Czech Republic and the Vodafone Group Foundation, which coordinates Vodafone’s charity activities globally. The founding of a local Vodafone foundation and investments into charity projects is mandatory for all Vodafone branches. The Vodafone Group was rated as the world’s most socially responsible firm in 2006 (http://www.accountabilityrating.com).