Pentland Brands is pleased to welcome a new charity partner, Room to Read, which aims to create a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. The organisation has helped more than 32 million children — in 21 countries and more than 49,000 communities — by providing additional learning support beyond the classroom.
Over the next three years, Pentland Brands will support two major education programmes in Cambodia, helping around 6,800 children, aged 12 to 17, each academic year.
Although education is a human right, 129 million girls around the world are not in school*. In Cambodia, girls face many challenges that discourage learning, such as cultural bias, gender discrimination and safety concerns.
The first programme, Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Programme, will help around 6,400 secondary school girls develop literacy and holistic life skills, giving them the opportunity to lead healthier, happier and empowered lives.
The second programme is an innovative pilot scheme that will work with 400 teenage boys, to foster gender equality. By including boys in the conversation, the pilot hopes to challenge gender norms and create genuine change.
The new charity partnership forms part of the Pentland Brands 100-1-0 positive business strategy to take action for people and our planet by 2032:
– Helping 100 million consumers live positive, active, sustainable lifestyles
– Improving the lives of 1 million people in our communities
– Becoming a net zero business
Room to Read’s UK Development Manager, Mahalia Carroll, explained the long-term impact of investing in girls’ education: “Through our Girls’ Education Programme, we aim to make a large-scale impact that extends far beyond each girl. In supporting our participants in gaining a high-quality education and crucial life skills, we hope to build a new generation of educated young women who can become leaders in their families, communities and countries.”
Sara Brennan, Positive Business Director at Pentland Brands, is excited to welcome the global charity: “We’re proud to partner with Room to Read to empower young people in one of our sourcing regions. Partnerships with impactful charities help us achieve our 100-1-0 positive business goal of improving the lives of 1 million people in our communities by 2032.”
Room to Read joins our other charity partners supporting various causes, from inspiring children to get active, mentoring disadvantaged young people and bringing safe drinking water to developing countries. We commit to donating 1% of our profits to charities every year.
*Source: UNICEF