Kindred Partners with Dutch Matchis to Promote Stem Cell Donor Registration

Kindred Group plc, in collaboration with Dutch Matchis, the Centre for Stem Cell Donors, is launching a campaign to raise awareness about stem cell transplantation and the current shortage of donors. As part of this initiative, Kindred’s leading brand, Unibet, will be encouraging its customer base in the Netherlands to consider registering as potential stem cell donors. This project is a significant part of “Unibet Impact,” an initiative driven by Kindred in the Netherlands.

Kindred, via its flagship brand Unibet, has entered into a partnership with Dutch Matchis, an organization committed to providing the most suitable stem cell donors for seriously ill patients in need of transplantation. Kindred and Matchis share the goal of motivating individuals from Kindred’s extensive customer base in the Netherlands to sign up as potential stem cell donors. Throughout the duration of this campaign, Kindred has committed to cover Matchis’s expenses for processing new donor registrations.

This project underscores Kindred’s sustainability strategy, where a strong focus is placed on enhancing social engagement through collaborations, initiatives, and active sponsorships. This approach is a central component of the ‘Unibet Impact’ program in the Netherlands.

The urgency of stem cell donation cannot be overstated. For hundreds of patients, stem cell transplantation offers the last chance of survival. However, only about 30% of patients find a suitable donor within their family circle. Hence, it is crucial to have a broad and diverse registry of potential stem cell donors. Through this campaign, Kindred and Matchis aim to bring us closer to that goal.

“This football season, there has been a lot of attention in Dutch football for the important work that Matchis does daily. It’s an honour to launch this unique campaign with Matchis and support them. ‘By players, for players’ is our Unibet philosophy, and I hope that, by launching this campaign, we will be able to not only raise awareness for stem cell donations but also help those in need of a stem cell transplantation, says Lennart Kessels, General Manager, Netherlands, Kindred Group.

“Stem cell donation has received a lot of attention in recent months via the football clubs. Many people, especially men, have registered as stem cell donors. It is great that we can reach so many people through this campaign. Many of them will probably have heard about stem cell donation through football in the past year, so this is a reminder to those who may have already thought about it and hopefully now decide to sign up as stem cell donors”, says Bert Elbertse, Manager Donor Relations and Communications at Matchis.