Community engagement

Case: Tall Ships Race Mariehamn 2024

We are happy to be able to tell you that we are a support sponsor for Tall Ships Races Mariehamn, among other things by giving two young people the opportunity to sail as trainees.

– From Eriksson Capital, we primarily support projects that give young Ålanders an opportunity for meaningful and developing employment, says the company’s vice president Rebecka Eriksson.

The other thing Eriksson Capital is happy to support is projects that strengthen Åland’s attractiveness. Projects that make Åland a place you want to visit, develop and enjoy. In the Tall Ships Race, both of these areas meet, young people are given the opportunity to get to know sailing and other cultures, while Åland gets an event that brings visitors to the island and gives Ålanders the opportunity for jobs, entertainment and exchanges.

– The fact that the Tall Ships Race also connects so strongly to our Åland cultural heritage with the sailing ships and encourages international networking is extra fun. Connecting with history and place to create understanding for oneself and at the same time meeting, learning to understand and cooperating with other nationalities is, I believe, one of the most important things we can cultivate in today’s young people, concludes Rebecka.

We are happy to be able to tell you that we are a support sponsor for Tall Ships Races Mariehamn, among other things by giving two young people the opportunity to sail as trainees. – From Eriksson Capital, we primarily support projects that give young Ålanders an opportunity for meaningful and developing employment, says the company’s vice president Rebecka Eriksson.

The other thing Eriksson Capital is happy to support is projects that strengthen Åland’s attractiveness. Projects that make Åland a place you want to visit, develop and enjoy. In the Tall Ships Race, both of these areas meet, young people are given the opportunity to get to know sailing and other cultures, while Åland gets an event that brings visitors to the island and gives Ålanders the opportunity for jobs, entertainment and exchanges.

– The fact that the Tall Ships Race also connects so strongly to our Åland cultural heritage with the sailing ships and encourages international networking is extra fun. Connecting with history and place to create understanding for oneself and at the same time meeting, learning to understand and cooperating with other nationalities is, I believe, one of the most important things we can cultivate in today’s young people, concludes Rebecka.

Case: The Museum Ship Pommern

One example of our larger, long-term sponsorships for a specific project is the museum ship Pommern. In 2017-2019, the Åland Maritime Museum Trust carried out a comprehensive renovation of the ship and constructed an onboard museum experience called “Pommern – 100 Days under Sail”. Eriksson Capital was the Gold Sponsor of the project. We wanted to support this initiative because we believe that having a modern and engaging museum both enriches the lives of the local people and benefits local tourism. The maritime history of Åland is an important piece of the past that must be preserved for future generations.

Case: The coding club

The coding club Kodarklubben is an example of a project that we have sponsored because it diversifies leisure activities for young people. The club is a non-profit association that hopes to engage youths and children in programming, digital creating and IT in general. During the autumn of 2019, the club put together a team called “Many mandarins” (Många Mandariner) that competed in the international innovation challenge First Lego League. Having won first place in one of the local finals in Sweden, the team qualified for the Scandinavian finals in Denmark, and Eriksson Capital sponsored the team’s trip to the finals. We believe in supporting new and diversified opportunities for young people, also beyond the realm of sports. In addition to encouraging meaningful social contacts among children, the initiative promotes skills in programming and natural sciences, important building blocks for tomorrow’s community

Case: Women’s soccer team Åland United

As many others, we also engage in sports sponsorships, preferably involving youth. Eriksson Capital has sponsored the professional women’s soccer team Åland United from the start of the team in 2004. Between then and 2019, the team has won two gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals in the National League (formerly called Women’s League) in Finland. Soccer is a folk sport that promotes health and a feeling of community. Traditionally, women’s soccer has gained less visibility and gotten less support than men’s soccer, and therefore supporting Åland United felt like a natural choice for us. Eriksson Capital has mainly supported the A-team, but has also engaged in targeted sponsorships of girls’ soccer, for example by supporting summer camps and employing a coordinator for girls’ soccer.