May 27, 2019

Edenred mobilizes its 8,500 employees on June 19 in support of local communities
The Group announces a worldwide partnership with the "Imagine" project

On Wednesday June 19, 2019 Edenred’s 8,500 employees in 46 countries will spend their working hours supporting their local communities to celebrate Idealday. This day specially reserved for acts of solidarity was created in 2017, and puts into practice the Group’s three corporate social responsibility initiatives: Idealpeople, which aims to improve quality of life; Idealplanet, dedicated to the preservation of the environment; and Idealprogress, conceived for responsible value creation. On this occasion Edenred is launching a worldwide partnership with “Le Projet Imagine”, an NGO created by Frédérique Bedos. Convinced that "inspiration drives action", this unique NGO has chosen "journalism with hope" as its editorial line. In particular, it highlights the "Humble Heroes" of the world. The challenge consists in taking advantage of the power of the media to spread the desire to act on a large scale and thus promote mass civic engagement.

A worldwide partnership reflecting the Group’s own values

Edenred announces its engagement alongside the non-governmental organization “Le Projet Imagine”, created in 2010 by Frédérique Bedos, who was previously a TV and radio journalist and presenter in France and overseas for over 20 years.

Granted a special consultative status by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the “Le Projet Imagine” NGO creates inspiring audiovisual content for the general public worldwide. Once the public has been sensitized, the NGO accompanies them towards action through programs initiated in schools, cities, prisons and companies so that as many people as possible commit themselves to a more inclusive and sustainable world.

In addition to financial support, Edenred’s partnership with the “Le Projet Imagine NGO” project will take various forms. On June 19, to celebrate Idealday, Frédérique Bedos will meet the Group’s Brazilian staff to discuss the subject of solidarity. An internal competition christened “Edenred Hero” will also be organized in conjunction with the “Imagine” project in the second half of 2019. In this, Edenred employees will be able to defend the merits of an association that they support on a personal basis and win a donation on its behalf. Frédérique will also participate in various Edenred events, raising employees’ awareness of the concept of “engagement”.
“Edenred is an international group that is present in every continent, but we are also very close to our local communities, not only thanks to our solutions, which aim at making the working world a world of progress and vitalizing local economies, but also through our approach based on sustainable development. I am proud of our partnership with “Le Projet Imagine”, which is a fine example of this engagement,” declared Bertrand Dumazy, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Edenred Group.

“Both in their daily routines and also when it comes to celebrating Idealday, Edenred employees can be everyday heroes. We are delighted to have found a partner with whom we share important values such as imagination and respect for others,” declared Frédérique Bedos, the Founder of “Le Projet Imagine”.

More about the partnership

Idealday, a day dedicated to our local communities

Launched in 2017, Idealday enables Edenred employees to carry out acts of solidarity during their working hours, related to the Group’s three sustainable development initiatives: Idealpeople, which aims to improve quality of life; Idealplanet, dedicated to the preservation of the environment; and Idealprogress, conceived for responsible value creation. In total, nearly 70 initiatives will be conducted all over the world on June 19, 2019.

Edenred staff in Mexico, for example, will be fighting to prevent the extinction of the turtles on the coast of Tecolutla by helping the newly-born turtles to reach the sea, in partnership with the Vida Milenaria foundation. In Malaysia, our employees will spend their day at the PKYMS Home, in the company of orphans and elderly people, with whom they will share a meal. In France, some of our employees will be refreshing compost piles; others will be continuing the partnership initiated in 2018 with the “Sport in the City” association, advising young entrepreneurs originating from deprived urban areas.

In 2018, nearly 8,000 Edenred employees and partners had already been involved in some sixty or so initiatives: the laying out by the staff of Edenred Chile of a sustainable garden at a center for underprivileged children; the serving of meals and the collection of clothing for homeless people and refugees, undertaken by Edenred Lebanon; or support activities undertaken by our head office employees with three associations (“Le Carillon”, “Rebelle” and “Sport in the City”).