Sponsorship strategy makes a positive difference

We want to help improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing

We want to help improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing

DS Gruppen wants to contribute to a future where young people are more resilient, have greater self-esteem and are equipped to thrive both in the workplace and in the life ahead of them. We aim to support this through a new sponsorship strategy centred on the societal challenge of young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Figures from The Danish National Health Profile: Midterm Survey 2023 show that almost 35% of young women experience low levels of mental wellbeing, compared with 16% of young men. This primarily concerns Generation Z, born from 1995 onwards. As digital natives, they have grown up during a period marked by considerable uncertainty, social change, rapid development and the COVID-19 pandemic – factors that may have contributed to the growing challenges facing this generation.

At the same time, we take encouragement from the fact that many young people are also defined by youthful enthusiasm and are full of dreams, ambitions and strengths.

Read more about young people’s mental well-being

New sponsorship strategy at DS

New sponsorship strategy at DS

By 2030, around 74% of the global workforce will consist of people born in 1983 or later. We depend heavily on having a healthy, well-functioning workforce and strong customers in the market. Given our industry and the size of our organisation, DS Gruppen has a particular social responsibility. That is why our sponsorship strategy focuses on improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

We have chosen to support and collaborate with organisations that we believe are making a genuine difference and whose work directly supports this cause.

Read more about the workforce of the future

“With the new strategy, we have gained a healthy focus on what DS Gruppen sponsors and why. The sponsorship funds and resources we spend on improving young people’s mental health and well-being create value not only for the young recipients, but also for DS Gruppen and our employees.”

– Tina Woods, Marketing Manager, DS Gruppen

Focus on children and young people

Focus on children and young people

We contribute to Børns Vilkår, which is the organisation behind BørneTelefonen and HØRT. Volunteers are ready to chat and talk with children and young people about everything from problems with family, friends and partners to heavier issues such as neglect, abuse, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

In 2023, the volunteer counsellors had a total of 63,529 conversations with children and young people. And the number appears to be rising.

 

“I am so proud that we are helping to make a difference among young people. We are received very well when we visit the vocational colleges together with HeadSpace. And I am certain that the work we contribute to actually works.”

– Nuun Ebert Nielsen, Apprentice Coordinator, DS Stålkonstruktion

Workshops for young people

Workshops for young people

Along the same lines, we have chosen to support and collaborate with the organisation Headspace, an organisation that also provides free counselling for young people. As part of the partnership, DS Gruppen and headspace run a series of workshops at vocational schools, giving students an introduction to headspace and the support available through its counselling services.

Apprentice Coordinator Nuun Ebert Nielsen plays an active role in our work with headspace. This gives us an opportunity to connect with young people at vocational schools while showing that DS is an inclusive workplace where everyone is given new opportunities.

DS Gruppen and headspace held their first workshop at Tradium in Randers on May 17th, 2024.

“As a photographer, I’ve taken part in many events with headspace, apprentices and interns, and it’s always uplifting to meet Denmark’s young people face to face. But it’s equally heartbreaking to know that up to 30% of the young people I see through my lens are struggling with their wellbeing. That’s why I’m genuinely pleased to work for a company that supports initiatives for young people.”

– Fie Baumann, Photographer DS Gruppen

We support new opportunities for children and young people

We support new opportunities for children and young people

The Julemærkehjemmene residential centres help children who experience bullying, loneliness or other challenges. Every year, 1,000 children are offered a stay at one of the centres, where they form friendships with other children in similar situations. They follow a structured daily routine with healthy meals and physical activity, while also developing mental tools they can take home with them. This helps them continue the positive habits and maintain the self-esteem they build during their 10-week stay. Julemærkehjemmene depend entirely on donations to keep their centres running. That is why DS Gruppen is a corporate sponsor, helping to support the operation of Julemærkehjemmene across Denmark.

We have also entered into a financial partnership with Fonden Bindeleddet, a nationwide organisation that primarily provides mentoring for young people who have had a difficult start in life. Here, they are given a second chance and matched with a mentor who can help them make a fresh start and find their feet in adult life. In the longer term, we plan to expand our collaboration with Fonden Bindeleddet, potentially including employment opportunities at DS for suitable young people taking part in the organisation’s programmes.

Main sponsor of Hobro IK

Main sponsor of Hobro IK

At the start of 2026, DS could celebrate 25 years as the main sponsor of Hobro IK. The sponsorship covers the club’s football teams at every level, right up to the first team. We value the strong sense of community throughout the club and the way sport provides a foundation for an active social life and friendships that can last a lifetime.

Hobro IK also has a dedicated talent programme that places a strong emphasis on the mental wellbeing of young players and on ensuring they feel secure and supported throughout their contract period.

At the same time, we benefit from Hobro IK’s business network, while our employees have the opportunity to attend matches free of charge through an allocation of tickets available for every home game.

Other sponsorships

For a number of years, we have sponsored a wide range of activities, athletes and associations. This year, we have chosen to support the AMBU festival in Hobro, one of Denmark’s oldest town festivals. The profits from the event are distributed among numerous local associations, allowing us to support many different causes in our local community at the same time.

We also have a tradition of donating to Knæk Cancer, which may seem slightly outside our usual sponsorship focus. But here, our thoughts are with our employees, their families and everyone else affected by cancer. We all know someone…

Application for sponsorship

Our sponsorships focus on the societal challenge of “young people’s mental health and wellbeing”.

Do you have a cause that could be a good fit for a partnership with us?
Perhaps together, we can make a difference.

Tina Woods
Head of Marketing & Communications

Send application to Tina

Read about our initiatives for young people’s well-being