Children and young people’s wellbeing continues to make headlines, and the need for more support is growing. In spring 2024, Insta and Kiilto, two longstanding family businesses, repeated their charitable collaboration for the fifth time in a row. As before, the recipient was chosen by staff vote.
This year, the staff chose to award the donation of €10,000 to the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) in support of its work to promote young people’s mental health. MLL promotes the welfare of children, young people and families. It offers support and organises activities for its target groups, and advocates for them in various public fora.
“The mental health problems facing children and young people are one of today’s main societal challenges. They affect almost all of us on a personal level in one way or another. Kiilto is determined to do its part in bringing about a sustainable future and ensuring the wellbeing of generations to come, so it is only fitting that our staff chose to award this year’s charitable donation to an organisation that promotes the mental health of children and young people. By supporting MLL’s work, we are making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. We also see this as an investment in our shared future,” says Eeva Solja, member of Kiilto´s Board of Directors.
“Experiences of loneliness, challenges at school, and difficulties in friend and family relationships burden the well-being of many children and young people. Children and young people need adults who are interested in them and who provide assistance and support in challenging situations at a right time. MLL offers help to children and young people in various ways to best reach children of different ages and those with varying support needs. For instance, through the Children and Youth Helpline and chat, young individuals can confidentially discuss any topic with an adult, at their own pace, every day of the year. Additionally, the online letter service and appointment chats provide opportunities for long-term support, and on online the YouthNet, besides adult support, peer support is also available,” says Tatjana Pajamäki, Head of MLL’s Support Services
The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) strives to constantly develop its activities. MLL’s work in supporting children, young people and their parents remains relevant. This spring, MLL launched a free service called Lethal Trends, which informs parents about social media trends that could be harmful to their children.
Kiilto and Insta have highlighted the wellbeing of children and young people also in their previous charitable work. Two earlier donations were directed towards Ukraine, and before that, the staff chose to award the annual donation two years in a row to the Youth Mental Health Association Yeesi for providing the group chat support offered through the Sekasin chat service.
Insta Group´s Vice Chairman Niklas Mattsson is extremely pleased that the staff chose to continue the two companies’ support for Finnish children and young people.
“For me, family is everything. Children and young people urgently need more support. This has been made clear in recent years in the media, for instance. For this reason, I’m delighted that our staff chose to use our annual charitable donation to support an organisation that works to improve the lives of children and young people in a meaningful way. We wholeheartedly believe that together we can create a better future for our children and generations yet to come,” Mattsson says.
About the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare
For a hundred years, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) has been working to improve the lives of children, young people and their families in Finland. MLL’s mission is to help bring about a society where children and young people are valued and their welfare is a shared priority. MLL has in-depth knowledge of the lives of families in Finland, and employs many acknowledged experts in different fields. MLL’s support services are built on a strong base of up-to-date scientific research and grassroots-level knowledge of the lives of children, young people and their families.
Additional information:
Eeva Solja
Brand and Communications Director
Kiilto
eeva.solja@kiilto.com or kiilto.com
Niklas Mattsson
Vice Chairman of the Board
Insta Group Oy
niklas.mattsson@insta.fi