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THE CHESTERFIELD BRAND FOUNDATION

The Chesterfield Brand Foundation is committed to improving work, living, and educational conditions in India.

ABOUT THE CHESTERFIELD BRAND FOUNDATION

The Chesterfield Brand is renowned for its sturdy and high-quality leather bags and accessories. These products are produced in India, a market with which we have collaborated for years. We believe in giving back to the local community in India, not just taking from it. With this in mind, The Chesterfield Brand Foundation was established. With financial resources, such as your donation, The Chesterfield Brand Foundation supports various projects aimed at improving work, living, and educational conditions in the country. Throughout the year, events are organized to raise sponsors and create awareness about the situation in India. We work closely with SAC (Stichting Actie Calcutta) to coordinate these efforts. They ensure the allocation of funds raised and connect us with the local population. Several times a year, we visit these project areas to understand the real needs. Together, we aim to offer these people a chance for a better future. Your donation helps provide school children with healthy meals, educate residents about hygiene, and offer various courses to prepare them for a hopeful future.

Together for a Better India

With your donation, women in Goshaba can attend a computer course, you enable an awareness campaign against human trafficking in Canning, and you provide children with a safe school building and quality education. Together, we make a difference for a better future!

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Koos Hoving, CEO of The Chesterfield Brand:

For over 30 years, I have traveled to the Far East. During these travels, I have frequently visited India, the country where all our products are now made. India has developed tremendously over the past ten years, but I see that there are still many steps to be taken. The living conditions there are not comparable to what we are used to in the Netherlands or Europe. Although the employees in our factories live and work under proper conditions, I look beyond that. For example, to the slums of Calcutta. Together with Stichting Actie Calcutta, I have visited these areas, and these visits have left a deep impression on me. I am incredibly happy and proud that through the success of The Chesterfield Brand, we can give back to India. On behalf of The Chesterfield Brand, we will donate money to The Chesterfield Brand Foundation at various times of the year. With this foundation, we will financially support different projects in collaboration with Stichting Actie Calcutta.

Products from The Chesterfield Brand Foundation

The Chesterfield Brand has developed a unique collection specifically for The Chesterfield Brand Foundation. The proceeds from these items go entirely to charity. This way, you can get a cool item and contribute to a good cause.

Stichting Actie Calcutta (SAC)

Since 2019, we have been involved with Stichting Actie Calcutta (SAC). This foundation has been supporting underprivileged children in India since 1968. SAC aims to give these children a chance at a better future by funding their education. Each year, they support the education of about 12,000 children in village schools or boarding schools. Additionally, SAC annually realizes a large number of projects in India that support education, such as sanitary facilities, school buildings, or solar cell projects.

Solo Bigha Calcutta

We approached this foundation and expressed our desire to support them because we are also active in India and want to give back to the local community. The board of the foundation visited our office to discuss the foundation and ongoing projects. This led us to the Solo Bigha Calcutta project, as our factories are located in the same region as Solo Bigha. Solo Bigha is a slum where approximately 3,000 families live. This slum is not recognized by the local government, and therefore, there is no subsidy or support for the people living there. The area is at sea level, causing residents to wade through knee-deep water during the rainy season. The living conditions are unhealthy: diseases spread quickly, and unemployment is high. Additionally, the majority of the people are illiterate because the children do not attend school.

Projects Supported by The Chesterfield Brand:

Setup and Implementation of Year-long IT & English Courses

Establishing year-long courses offering IT and English lessons is crucial for the development of the area. This project is also implemented by Calcutta Social Projects, an organization dedicated to the development of underprivileged children and young adults in Calcutta. Often, these young people are literally found on the streets and no longer attend school. They organize street schools for young children, provide basic education in schools, and run a sewing workshop for young women. With financial support from The Chesterfield Brand Foundation, Calcutta Social Projects will set up and launch two new courses for underprivileged young adults. These include an IT course and an English language course. There will be 70 participants in the IT course and 20 in the English language course. We will provide materials, space, and teachers' salaries. The objective of this project is to provide IT education to underprivileged young adults, thereby increasing their employment opportunities. The English course is a highly sought-after skill for obtaining jobs, and this course will thus significantly enhance their employment prospects.

School Building

After overcoming numerous obstacles, such as delays due to the pandemic and Cyclone Amphan that struck the city, the community school in Solo Bigha (India) was finally inaugurated on November 13, 2020. The children and teachers are very happy with the new school building!

Vocational Development and Skills Training

This project consists of three smaller sub-projects primarily focused on imparting skills and raising awareness. The Chesterfield Brand Foundation provides financial support to enable the execution of this project. The financial contribution is used for purchasing materials and paying teachers' salaries.

Awareness Campaign for Preventing Human Trafficking in Canning

Mary Ward, together with the government and other organizations, organizes an awareness campaign to enhance the safety of women and girls in this area. Additionally, they provide skills training in various fields, including clothing making.

Beautician Course in Calcutta-Tangra

With the Beautician Course project in Calcutta-Tangra, we enable skills training for girls and young women who have fallen outside the school system. By imparting these skills, the women can improve their financial position.

Vaardigheidstraining in Goshaba

Deze vaardigheidstraining richt zich op het bijbrengen van kennis en vaardigheden rondom hygiëne. Door het verbeteren van hygiëne nemen de kans op ziektes en infecties sterk af. Met deze projecten worden naar schatting zo’n 550 (jonge) vrouwen en meisjes bereikt en geholpen.

Christmas Ornament Campaign 2020

During the Christmas season, as the first initiative of The Chesterfield Brand Foundation, we sold Christmas ornaments for charity. The entire proceeds went to the Red Cross, which will use our donation for COVID-19 emergency relief. We want to thank everyone who supported us, and thereby the Red Cross, by purchasing a Christmas ornament! The Chesterfield Brand matched the amount raised, resulting in a wonderful total of €1,728. The entire amount has since been transferred to the Red Cross.

Computer Training for Underprivileged Youth

Objective of this project: To provide underprivileged youth (especially young women) with better opportunities in the job market. In 2019, Stichting Actie Calcutta (SAC), the partner of The Chesterfield Brand Foundation, established a space in Kolkata (India) for computer training. This included laying a new floor, purchasing equipment, and starting computer training sessions. In 2021, The Chesterfield Brand Foundation was asked to contribute to the costs of these computer training sessions. In this area, young girls receive only a brief education before they must help with household chores and other family work. Once they gain experience, they are expected to seek employment. In the slums, these young girls/women often become the primary breadwinners for their families. By providing teenage girls and young women with computer training, they have better chances in the job market. Computer skills have become even more critical due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The computer training covers several programs: MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, Internet usage, Basic HTML, and Photoshop. They also receive English language lessons. With these skills, young women can later work as receptionists, data entry clerks, customer service representatives, etc. No financial contribution is required from the participants. The total costs of this project are covered by The Chesterfield Brand Foundation.

School Meals for Solo Bigha - Bauke Mollema Ride 2021

During the School Meals for Solo Bigha project, we focused on collecting food packages for school-going children in the Solo Bigha slum. In August 2021, we, along with 41 supporters, participated in a local cycling event to raise funds. The connection between food packages and a sports event was quickly established. “Everyone knows that healthy food and enough exercise are good for you. Proper nutrition helps you function better and bring out the best in yourself. Nutrition is especially important for school-going children. Unfortunately, this is not always a given in India,” said Koos Hoving. We look back on a hugely successful day. With the support of our donors, 153 children can receive school meals for a month. This enables us to make a significant contribution to the primary school we are so involved with.

Back 2 School Project – The Chesterfield Brand Foundation

Education is the foundation of knowledge. We all know that education is crucial for the development of children. Not only does education increase the chances of a better future, but it also keeps children off the streets, where they are at risk of falling into criminal activities. Unfortunately, quality primary education is not yet a given in parts of India. The Chesterfield Brand Foundation is committed to changing this. We contributed to the construction of a new school building in the Solo Bigha slum at the end of 2020. We are extremely pleased that these children now have a safe environment where they can attend school. However, our work is not done. With our new project, we are focusing on the interior of this school. Without tables, chairs, and simple items like pencils and notebooks, it remains challenging to make progress in education. Even with a donation of €1, you can make a difference. Give and help build a better future.

Skills Development Program for (Young) Women

This project focuses on strengthening women's rights and providing economic freedom through skills development for women and teenage girls in India. The aim is to increase the representation of women in various professions and improve their economic prospects. Through vocational training in areas such as tailoring, fashion design, cosmetology, and computer skills, the project seeks to enhance the life opportunities of disadvantaged women and empower them to become self-reliant. Additionally, the project helps these women gain confidence and self-sufficiency for a safer and better future.

School Dropout Prevention Project

This project provides the poorest children in India with the opportunity to attend school or learn a trade, thereby increasing their chances in the job market. Due to a lack of support and shortcomings in the education system, these children often fall behind, ultimately leading to dropout. Together with SAC, TCBF aims to support these children by funding school fees, uniforms, books, and more, ensuring they do not fall behind and preventing early dropout.

The Chesterfield Brand Foundation tijdens De 4 Mijl vanGroningen 2023

Op zondag 8 oktober 2023 hebben 20 deelnemers zich namens The Chesterfield Brand Foundation ingezet om geld in te zamelen tijdens De 4 Mijl van Groningen. De 4 Mijl is een jaarlijkse hardloopwedstrijd die plaatsvindt in de stad Groningen, Nederland. De afstand van de race is 4 mijl, wat neerkomt op zo’n 6.5 kilometer. De race start in aan de Kerklaan in Haren en eindigt op de Vismarkt in Groningen. Voor de wedstrijd lieten onze deelnemers zich sponsoren door vrienden, familie en kennissen. Degene met het hoogste bedrag aan donaties, won een Giftcard van The Chesterfield Brand t.w.v. €150,00. Hierdoor hebben we een bedrag kunnen ophalen van meer dan €4000,00. The Chesterfield Brand heeft dit kunnen ophogen met €1000,00 waardoor het bedrag op meer dan €5000,00 neer komt. Het geld zal gebruikt worden voor de lopende projecten en het opzetten van nieuwe projecten. 

Computer Training and Skills for (Young) Adults

This project focuses on providing computer training and skills to underprivileged youth, aiming to increase their employment opportunities. The project runs throughout the year.