Aritco provides accessibility for children

Four Aritco colleagues joined forces to give children and young people with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of movement in the Swedish gymnastics program “Everyone can do gymnastics”. To help make this happen, employees were offered the chance to do voluntary charity work during paid working hours.

“It feels great that Aritco gives us the opportunity to help these children do something they love,” says Katarina, who in her daily work is a Logistics Manager at Aritco.

The initiative started with Matilda, who works with project management and process development at Aritco. Her children are active in a gymnastics group, Järfällagymnasterna, and she discovered that the training for children with disabilities, “Everyone can do gymnastics”, was closed because there was no leader. She had an idea!

“It’s so important that all children, whatever their ability, are allowed to move. I realized that Aritco has the opportunity for volunteer days, and that I might be able to use that to restart the gymnastics group. But we needed more helping hands.”

It turned out that three other Aritco employees were parents or leaders in the gymnastics association located close to Aritco’s head office in Stockholm, Sweden. Suddenly, they were four: Matilda, Julia, Martin, and Katarina.

Matilda contacted HR Manager Rick Middel to raise the issue of flexibility in the employee benefit of voluntary work, as the gymnastics training oftentimes occurs in the evenings and weekends. The request was approved by Aritco’s management team, who were proud of the four passionate and committed employees.

“This is a fantastic initiative, and we are proud to be an employer enabling “Everyone can do gymnastics” in collaboration with Järfällagymnasterna. We take great responsibility for creating a better world for everyone, and this initiative fits in perfectly with our own philosophy,” says Middel.

Aritco builds products that open possibilities and create accessibility for people around the world. With secure platform lifts with beautiful Scandinavian design for public spaces and homes, it is possible for people with mobility issues to experience more spaces. Aritco’s dedication also includes offering employee development, helping partners succeed in their local market, and contributing to the world through targeted charity activities (Aritco is, among other things, a long-standing partner of Solvatten).

The group “Everyone can do gymnastics” consists of children who love to do gymnastics, but lack a sense of belonging in other groups. They have different types of disabilities, such as cognitive and/or physical disabilities. The group meets weekly for playful movement. Katarina describes the feeling of being a leader for the group:

“I get a lot of energy from the children. Seeing their joy. One child doesn’t talk, but you can’t mistake her feelings when you hear her squeals of joy! Imagine that it takes so little of yourself to make someone else so happy.”

Martin works with purchasing at Aritco, and he also has children in the gymnastics association. It was a given for him to contribute to the group’s resurgence. Julia, who works in the production of our lifts, is the only one in the newly formed leadership group who is actively practicing gymnastics herself. She also has experience in leading two other gymnastics troops in the association.

Leading a sports team with individuals who have varying and sometimes major limitations in their physical and mental abilities is a new experience for everyone.

“The most important thing for us at the beginning is to learn to understand each child’s abilities and needs. We’re still learning. We have been allowed to participate in various training courses and networking sessions in the association, and each child needs to have a parent or assistant present at the training,” they explain.

Matilda, Julia, Katarina, and Martin belong to different departments at Aritco. But their assignment with the gymnastics group has given them a new context to hang out together.

“Of course we know each other as colleagues, but we don’t work together on a daily basis. Now we have a common interest,” Matilda says and smiles.

The four colleagues put the red jackets on and leave the office. It’s Wednesday, and it’s time to go on a heart-warming mission. A mission that all four describe provides energy, laughter, togetherness, and extended teamwork that they incorporate in both their work at Aritco and in their private life.