BERNER Group donates three raised beds and a herb snail to Waldenburg's Kleeblatt kindergarten
More play fun for children: Berner Group employees lend a hand at the construction afternoon in the Finkennest community garden
The 3,000 square meter area of the F.I.N.K. association in Cologne-Vogelsang is a recreation area close to the city where young and old have been gardening, working and playing together since 2016. In order to increase the joy of playing even more, employees of the Berner Group have now exchanged their office workplaces in the Rheinauhafen for work gloves for one afternoon and redesigned the children's play area of the community garden together with the association. The B2B wholesaler, which supplies car repair shops and construction professionals all over Europe with accessories, provided the appropriate tools from its product range free of charge. Building materials were also donated to F.I.N.K. by the family-owned company.
A new children's kitchen, a sandbox and fencing: There was plenty to do for the employees of the Berner Group in the Finkennest community garden. Under the guidance of many committed members of the F.I.N.K. association, they spent an afternoon screwing, sawing and hammering. "For us, the Berner Group's commitment – both in the form of material and product donations as well as helping hands – is a great thing. As an association, we can use every bit of support to make our intercultural community garden more beautiful and usable in a more diverse way, piece by piece. So we really appreciate it," says Ester Yücel, founding member of F.I.N.K. And the work has more than paid off: "The children will be very happy about the new play area."
The construction afternoon was also a complete success for the hard-working helpers of the Berner Group. "It is great to see what we have already achieved together within a few hours. For me and my colleagues the construction afternoon was a special experience. The action clearly showed how important it is – and how much fun it is – to get involved for others and thereby give something back to the community", sums up Maike Walter, Manager Corporate Communications at the Berner Group, who had taken over the sponsorship for the social project.
Social commitment anchored in company DNA
Thinking sustainably and acting responsibly – this is what the Berner Group stands for. Since 2017, the B2B wholesaler has regularly supported social projects at its locations throughout Europe. The special thing about it: The focus is above all on togetherness. The family-owned company not only helps with monetary and product donations, but also grants its employees up to two days of special paid leave to get personally involved in good causes. All projects are intended to have a long-term and sustainable effect. Whether kindergartens, schools or charitable associations – the employees of the Berner Group lend a hand wherever they are needed. The company has already been awarded the "KölnEngagiert" voluntary work prize by the City of Cologne for its great social commitment.
About the Berner Group
The Berner Group is a family-run European trading company. Our vision is: "We keep the world together and moving". This means that we are the central B2B trading partner for all materials in the field of maintenance, repair and production for our customers in the construction, mobility and industrial sectors. With over four channels, we create an integrated omnichannel shopping experience for our customers. In the field of steel and C-parts, as well as in the chemical sector, we are at the same time an innovative manufacturer. We are represented in over 23 countries with over 200,000 articles and around 8,000 employees.
About F.I.N.K. e.V.
F.I.N.K. stands for friendship, interest, nature and culture. Since 2016, the association has been putting these values into practice on a 3000 square metre open space, close to nature in family-friendly Cologne-Vogelsang. The project aims to give people from the area the opportunity to make their own city greener, more sustainable and more social. F.I.N.K. has created a place where all people can meet in respect and openness and get to know each other in order to shape a livable city together.