Burberry Donates to UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal
LONDON — Burberry said Thursday it is donating to UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal, helping the organization’s efforts to ensure millions of people from vulnerable communities around the world have equal access to vaccines.
Burberry said donations from the brand and from the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund will go toward “the transportation, storage and safe administration of COVID-19 vaccine doses in low-income countries.”
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The company did not specify how much money it was giving to the charity appeal.
UNICEF is the world’s largest vaccine buyer, and already vaccinates almost half the world’s children against preventable diseases.
Through the Global COVAX Facility, UNICEF is working on the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in modern history. The charity is collaborating with manufacturers and partners, aiming to make available 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines across 190 countries by the end of 2021.
“We believe everybody should have equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Marco Gobbetti, chief executive officer of Burberry. “UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal is helping provide it, protecting families and communities from the devastating impacts of the virus. We are proud to continue our support for the relief efforts by helping UNICEF in their mission to provide vital resources for vulnerable communities around the world.”
Steven Waugh, executive director of the U.K. Committee for UNICEF, said Burberry’s support “is critical to help ensure rapid and equitable access of COVID-19 vaccines — irrespective of a country’s wealth.”
He added that by supporting UNICEF, Burberry is helping the overall effort to procure, and deliver, “2 billion life-saving vaccines to all 190 countries participating in the COVAX Facility, including those already facing humanitarian challenges.”
COVAX is co-led by Gavi, a global vaccine alliance that aims to create equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries. Other COVAX leaders are the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization. COVAX wants to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
Burberry said the donation to UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal continues the work of the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund, which was set up as a global emergency relief appeal last April.
Contributions from Burberry colleagues, partners, customers and suppliers have been directed to support relief efforts globally, including the procurement and distribution of emergency PPE, donating to food banks and providing essential health care and social services to those most vulnerable around the world.
Burberry said it has leveraged its global supply chain over the past year, manufacturing and sourcing more than 160,000 pieces of PPE, which it donated to Britain’s National Health Service and healthcare charities.
In addition, it provided funding to support the development of the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine and donated to charities dedicated to tackling food poverty to help meet the most immediate medical and community needs.
The Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund was launched as an emergency relief appeal last April to help those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and support communities most impacted by the crisis. The appeal is open to Burberry colleagues, their friends and family, and third-party suppliers.
All funds raised by the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund are directed to support relief efforts globally, from procuring and distributing surgical masks, gowns and other protective equipment to providing funding to food banks and healthcare charities.
Projects supported include providing PPE to hospitals in Europe and Africa, providing essential health care and mental health support services for communities across Asia and the Americas, and funding for food charities.
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