Finnish ICMIF member LocalTapiola Group has announced it will donate EUR 1 million to support coronavirus relief around Finland. Support will be immediately directed to the Finnish Red Cross for the launch of a nationwide helpline.

“Through the donation, we support the important work of the Finnish Red Cross to meet the need for help caused by the coronavirus epidemic throughout Finland. The epidemic is a distress for the whole of Finnish society, and now everyone is required to stretch and act in order to emerge. As a life security company, we want to be able to solve this extraordinary social crisis together with reliable and knowledgeable partners”, says Juha Koponen, Chairman of the Boards of LocalTapiola General and LocalTapiola Life.

LocalTapiola’s donation has helped, among other things, a nationwide helpline opened by the Finnish Red Cross on 1 April. Trained volunteers from all over Finland answer the helpline for questions about the coronavirus epidemic. LocalTapiola’s support enables volunteers to be recruited, trained and employed to help people living in isolation and avoids face-to-face meetings. The support also ensures the well-being of volunteers and helps those who need it.

“With the help of LocalTapiola, we are able to invite more volunteers than before and also take care of our volunteers. We have estimated that this is more of a marathon than a sprint. At present, no one can accurately assess what kind of help people need and how long the need for help will last. Already we are hearing reports that people are worried about their well-being and that the recovery phase also requires volunteer forces”, says Kristiina Kumpula, Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross.

LocalTapiola Group’s EUR 1 million support for coronavirus-related assistance is primarily channelled to the Finnish Red Cross. The support is provided by LocalTapiola Mutual General Insurance Company, LocalTapiola Mutual Life Insurance Company, LocalTapiola Finance, LocalTapiola Asset Management, LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management and the Group’s regional companies.

The LocalTapiola Group is a company owned by its customers, whose profits are used to promote the well-being of different regions of Finland as part of the Group’s responsibility work. The Finnish Red Cross has been a partner in LocalTapiola’s Corporate Social Responsibility since 2002. The goal of the cooperation is to promote the safety, health and well-being of people and communities, and to prevent loneliness and exclusion.

Image source: The Finnish Red Cross