Corporate Social Responsibility

Ülker’s social responsibility approach

 Çevreye Saygılı Üretim

Ülker shapes its social responsibility initiatives mainly around children, inspired by the words of its founder Sabri Ülker: “Everyone has the right to a happy childhood, no matter where they live.”


Ülker’s social responsibility projects for youth mainly focus on two areas: culture and arts. To date, 272 thousand young people have participated in various sports activities, thanks to the Company’s “Football for Children” initiative, which is carried out in collaboration with the Turkish Football Federation, and the Basketball Festivals organized by the Turkish Basketball Federation. Ülker Children’s Film Festival, now an annual tradition, has opened the door to the magical world of movies for some 850 thousand youngsters. Ülker Children’s Art Workshop, which aims to introduce children to arts at a young age, debuted in 2011 as part of the Art Beat Istanbul contemporary art platform. In 2012, young visitors enjoyed the event “Fifty Years of Urban Walls: A Burhan Doğançay Retrospective and Contemporary Istanbul in years of 2012, 2013 and 2014.” To date, nearly 13 thousand children in 4 years learned about contemporary art thanks to the Ülker Children’s Art Workshop. In the future, Ülker plans to continue carrying out youth-focused social responsibility initiatives in the areas of sports, culture and arts.

Culture-Arts

Importance Given to Healthy Nutrition

Sociable individuals who can dream and express themselves

Ülker Children’s Film Festival

Ülker Children’s Film Festival, which was initiated in 2008, is the very embodiment of Ülker’s approach to social responsibility and its focus on the concept of “Children First.”


Ülker’s now annual Children’s Film Festival stems from the idea that large numbers of youngsters across Turkey should receive the same gift at the same time. As this gift is offered on a very special day, April 23rd National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, the Ülker brand becomes part of a festival memory for many of the country’s young people. Since 2008, the Film Festival has reached some 1 million people, of whom 850 thousand were youngsters, and has opened the doors to a new dream world every year.
 
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
33 cities,
123 theaters
49 cities,
133 theaters
50 cities,
158 theaters
55 cities,
157 theaters
62 cities,
157 theaters
63 cities,
158 theaters
62 cities,
144 theaters
1,300
screenings
1,345
screenings
1,580
screenings
785
screenings
785
screenings
785
screenings
720
screenings
125,000
children
130,000
children
140,000
children
110,000
children
155,000
children
155,000
children
100,000
children
80,000
gifts
130,000
gifts
140,000
gifts
110,000
gifts
135,000
gifts
40,000
gifts
125,000
gifts

The Environment

Ülker does not limit its relationship with society at large to production only, but also offers its resources to the public by implementing social responsibility initiatives that focus on environmental issues. The best example of these efforts is the “Prevent” project carried out in collaboration with TEMA Foundation. Ülker is one of the founders of TEMA Foundation, which was established to protect agricultural lands in Turkey against neglectful destruction. Under the “Prevent” initiative implemented by TEMA, Ülker contributed to the development of three villages in Turkey. The project was studied by a group of students from Yale University, and aims to bring Turkish villages to a level matching European standards through years-long efforts. The Holding was publicly recognized by TEMA Foundation for all of its efforts in fighting erosion, primarily under the “Prevent” project.

Environmental education to 272 thousand children

Ülker integrates environmental protection into its social responsibility efforts. For example, to date, 272 thousand children have been provided with environmental education at several events, including the “Football for Children” initiative, which is carried out in collaboration with the Turkish Football Federation, and the Basketball Festivals organized by the Turkish Basketball Federation. The Holding aims to raise the environmental awareness of future generations.


Ülker and Football Infrastructure Projects

More physical activity, more vigor, more health for the younger generation

Through its football infrastructure initiatives, Ülker aims to:
• Increase physical activity in the lives of the country’s youth and make a significant difference in their general welfare,
• Contribute to the physical, social and cultural development of young people,
• Enhance sports investments in a way to touch children’s lives, as part of the Company’s social responsibility approach.

More physical activity, more vigor, more health for the younger generation

Since 2007, the Company has reached some 272 thousand children through several social responsibility projects carried out in collaboration with relevant federations.

Project
Duration
Number of Children Reached
Football Training Centers
7 years
79,000
Football Villages
8 years
4,500
Football Festivals
5 years
162,000
U20 Grassroots Festivals
2 months
1,700
Grassroots Day
5 years
17,300
Basketball Festival
8 years
8,000
TOTAL
 
272,500

Support for Yıldız Holding’s Social Responsibility Projects

Football Villages

The TFF-Ülker Football Villages project aims to bring together talented children from across the country in a football-focused social environment in order to support their social, cultural and personal development.

More physical activity, more vigor, more health for the younger generation

A total of 52 Football Villages have been held over an eight year period:

• 2007 - Van
• 2008 - Sinop, Isparta, Bolu and Sivas
• 2009 - Malatya, Sakarya (2), Sinop, Trabzon, Erzincan, Kütahya, Zonguldak
• 2010 - Kocaeli, Trabzon, Malatya, Sakarya, Sivas, Sinop and Erzurum
• 2011 - Sinop, Gümüşhane, Bolu and Karabük Ovacık (2)
• 2012 - Sinop, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Isparta, Erzurum, Nevşehir, Gümüşhane and Riva
• 2013 - Izmir, Sakarya, Rize, Balıkesir, Sinop, Erzurum, Nevşehir, Elazığ, Isparta and Yozgat
• 2014 - Erzurum (2), Isparta, Nevşehir (2), Balıkesir, Elazığ, Ödemiş Gölcük and Sinop

Five children from the Van Football Village, the first ever Football Village, were selected for the National U15 Football Team.

Ten players from the 2008 Sinop Football Village were selected for the U15 Girls’ National Team, which represented Turkey at the First Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010.

Enes Ünal (born 1997), who received training at the 2009 Sakarya Football Village, became the youngest goal scorer ever after he scored for Bursaspor versus Galatasaray.