The agreement spans the period until 2011, and will contribute NOK 3 million to Save the Children’s activities in Norway and internationally in addition to individual donations from Hydro employees who through a special support scheme.

“Children represent the future, which is why we support Save the Children,” says Head of Communication Inger Sethov, adding that Hydro’s core principle of sustainability is essential to all its activities, be it products and research or in exercising its social responsibility.

Gro Brækken, who heads the Norwegian branch of Save the Children, stresses the importance of Hydro as a long-term supporter of the organisation, and praises the commitment of the company and its employees.

“We are proud and happy to have a large and socially conscious company such as Hydro on our side,” says Brækken.

Hydro’s cooperation with Save the Children goes back to 1986, when employees started a support scheme on their own initiative whereby a fixed sum deducted from their salaries was donated to Save the Children-projects.

This initiative from Hydro employees was then turned into a Save the Children scheme also open to other companies, and today the scheme counts more than 100 Norwegian businesses.

“We have supported Save the Children over several years. It started out as a grassroots initiative in Hydro, and in addition to the cooperation agreements our employees at several plants have entered individual support agreements,” Sethov says.

Hydro has in addition to the support from the company and its employees contributed with relief support through Save the Children, such as in connection with the tsunami that hit Asia in 2004 and the earthquake in China earlier this year.