New Zealand (Commonwealth Union)_ AA Insurance has teamed up with the children’s charity Variety to offer beds to thousands of New Zealand kids with insufficient or no beds of their own through its ‘Beds for Kids’ campaign. The statement follows the publication of fresh statistics from Variety indicating that 28,000 New Zealand children are hospitalized annually due to avoidable diseases induced by improper sleeping conditions.
According to Susan Glasgow, chief executive officer of Variety, around 77 hospital admissions each day is a terrible figure. These youngsters are from our most impoverished communities. They are sleeping on the floor, on sofas, on moldy mattresses, or with siblings, which exposes them to the spread of viruses and other dangerous ailments. In total, 41% of these youngsters have moldy bedding, 18% do not have a mattress, and 24% have no bed at all.
As the major partner of the Beds for Kids project, AA Insurance has started its ‘Dream Beds’ campaign will auction eight beds designed by New Zealand children on TradeMe from October 14 to 20. Variety will use the funds to purchase additional beds and bedding for children in need. The advertisement urges individuals to view a bed as something that influences a child’s potential, as opposed to merely a piece of furniture.
“As the lead partner of Variety’s Beds for Kids programme, AA Insurance hopes to help more Kiwi kids fulfill their potential, starting with a good night’s sleep. It is important that every New Zealand child has a bed of their own, and we are proud … to bring this dream to life for hundreds of children across Aotearoa,” Richard Park, AA Insurance general manager, said.
AA Insurance is a New Zealand-based, independently governed partnership between the New Zealand Automobile Association and the Suncorp Group. The organization provides house, contents, automobile, and small business insurance. The firm, founded in 1994, underwrites its own insurance and provides directly to New Zealanders.
