With Ashoka, social entrepreneurship at the very heart of our social footprint
Whether they are involved in education and training, health, the fight against social exclusion, Human Rights, environmental protection, social integration or economic development, social entrepreneurs all have the same goal – to bring about deep-seated changes in society, on a large scale.
The Europ Assistance Group sees the social entrepreneurship model as a vital lever for providing the pragmatic, innovative solutions that society needs today. That is why it has chosen to provide generous support to social entrepreneurs, making this a key commitment in its corporate social responsibility policy. In 2010, the Group initiated a 3-year partnership of international scope with Ashoka, an association created in 1981.
A pioneer in providing support to these new flag bearers of responsible citizenship, Ashoka today assists 2,700 social entrepreneurs or “Fellows” in 70 countries. Above and beyond financial backing, Ashoka lends its support in the form of professional aid to enable its Fellows to sustainably develop and strengthen their initiatives.
Between 2010 and 2013, Europ Assistance is supporting a dozen entrepreneurs around the world, selected primarily because of the closeness between their fields of activity and the Group’s core business: health, tourism and home and family services. A good example is Gymsana in Belgium, an association promoting sports and physical activity for the elderly and disabled to enable them to lead a healthier lifestyle.
To help the Fellows grow their activities and give them the means to become genuine catalysts of change, the Group starts by providing support out in the field. Europ Assistance’s own local teams accompany them, providing professional skills, whether of a general (administrative, accounting) or technical nature (in the Group’s sectors of activity). Europ Assistance also offers them access to its network, creating strategic contacts with journalists and financial partners. With regard to financial backing, the Group provides either full or partial funding for the grants Ashoka awards to its Fellows.
At every level, Europ Assistance has embraced the cause, further proof of the Group's ambition to make Care Services a driving force in tomorrow’s world and put social entrepreneurship at the very heart of its social footprint.
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