Skanska sets up a donation fund to support Ukraine

In these unprecedented times, I am warmed by the spirit of our colleagues across Skanska and who especially in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary are doing what they can to help those who have had to leave their homes.

As a maker of homes, we know how important it is for people’s security and wellbeing to have a roof over their heads.

In the relatively short time that has passed since the invasion started, I have seen how colleagues across our markets have had ideas and asked questions on how we can help, both as individuals and as a company. One such example is an office building of ours in Warsaw, which was due to be demolished. This is now being re-purposed and offered to the city as a place to stay for displaced people. I am humbled to see how when put to the test we can come together and find solutions to challenges we collectively face.

As a Group, last week we set up a donation fund for UNHCR and donated 1 000 000 SEK as a starting point. We have now committed to donate a total of 10 million SEK to aid humanitarian efforts, to be divided equally between UNHCR and the Red Cross. Both to help those fleeing the conflict, and those who are unfortunately still experiencing it in their daily lives. These organizations are well established, have as good access lines as one can have in this situation and the ability to scale support.

These donations are an immediate response, to a situation with long-term consequences no doubt. With this in mind, we follow the situation closely to see how we can best respond, and we above all else hope for peace.

-Anders Danielsson
 President & CEO, Skanska Group