Social responsibility and community engagement forms a cornerstone of our sustainability efforts at Kindred Group. This is why over the last two years, through our popular Unibet brand, we have been on a mission to support the Dutch Center for Stem Cell Donors, Matchis. These one-off initiatives began to raise awareness about the urgent need for stem cell doners have been successful in encouraging a wave of new registrants, many of which being men, the targeted demographic of Matchis.
Kindred covered the costs of processing new doner registrations during the campaign, contributing to the incredible impact that Matchis performs daily to save lives, finding suitable stem cell doners for patients in desperate need of transplants.
Stem cell transplants are a last resort treatment for many patients who are no longer able to produce healthy blood cells due to a variety of life-threatening diseases. Only 30% of patients have access to a compatible doner through a relative, leaving a large proportion relying on the kindness of the general public to donate.
Lennart Kessels, General Manager of Kindred Group in the Netherlands, commented on the initiative’s success, “The previous football season brought significant attention to the vital work Matchis does. We wanted to build on that momentum by continuing our support for another year. Through this campaign, we not only raise awareness but also offer a real chance for those in need of a stem cell transplant.”
Manager of Donor Relations and Communications at Matchis, Bert Elbertse, also states that while football has been an excellent platform to highlight stem cell donation, the need for donors remains urgent. “Kindred’s customer base, which also includes men in their mid-twenties to early thirties, is especially valuable to us. This campaign serves as a reminder and an invitation for those who have considered becoming donors to take the next step. It is also a great example of how two seemingly completely different organisations work together and, in this case, can save lives.”