Timbo Africa Foundation will partner with FC Volendam

 Timbo Africa Foundation and FC Volendam have joined forces for a special collaboration. FC Volendam’s newly established sustainability platform will adopt the Timbo project and tell and activate its appealing story towards a wider audience. To add extra strength to this approach, Timbo will be visible at the back of the shirt from the kickoff of the 2022-2023 season.

Timbo Africa Foundation was founded in 2009 and has a unique approach. Timbo supports and sets up projects to protect and conserve wildlife and nature throughout Africa. As an essential part of its approach, Timbo thereby supports the communities where it operates and encourages local initiatives. She does this by i.e. providing young people with education and training, creating employment opportunities and encouraging local entrepreneurship. Timbo is convinced that the active involvement of local communities and leaders is crucial to the success of its projects.
In doing so, Timbo enters into long-term partnerships with these local communities to enable the long-term conservation and expansion of protected areas.

‘Project fits with our principles’

 FC Volendam chairman Jan Smit is enthusiastic about the cooperation. “During the founding process of our new sustainability platform, we came into contact with Albert Hartog and his team and were introduced to the Timbo Africa Foundation. The project of the game reserve in Botswana and all the challenges involved fits seamlessly with the principles of sustainable development and talent development that are the pillars of our new platform. This is a project we believe in and a story we want to help tell through our platform and the power of soccer. This is why we have chosen to ‘adopt’ Timbo as our first project right now, even before the platform is launched.”
Director of Strategy and Education Ruben Jongkind explains how this will take shape: “Starting this season, we are going to link appealing stories and initiatives and develop various activities. This will not only increase awareness for Timbo, it will also give FC Volendam as a sustainability platform more and more ‘purpose’. We can’t and don’t want to give everything away right now, but after the launch of our platform it will become more clear to everyone what we intend to do with this.”

‘Very special’

Albert Hartog, founder of Timbo Africa Foundation, is very happy with the cooperation with FC Volendam. “We find it very special that FC Volendam has set up its sustainability platform and is starting its first collaboration with Timbo. As different as we are, local bonding, talent development and future-oriented are both paramount for us.” Hartog explains that both partners also share a growth ambition: “Thanks to the cooperation with FC Volendam, Timbo now gets a great platform to present itself to a large audience. This exposure is important for us, as we are very keen to further expand our projects in the field of nature conservation and supporting local communities in Africa. In doing so, we also know the power of soccer as a connector. For example, we also sponsor youth soccer tournaments in the community and regularly play with the staff and guests on the sand landing. We therefore look forward to a great partnership!”