Reckitt Benckiser Pledges $15 Million to Save the Children's "Million Brighter Futures" Initiative

PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Reckitt Benckiser (RB) plc, a world leader in household, health and personal care (with U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, NJ) and parent of Clearasil, Lysol, Woolite and other iconic brands has partnered with Save the Children to launch "Million Brighter Futures" – a new multi-million dollar fundraising drive to raise money for vulnerable children in some of the world's most impoverished countries.

Through the initiative, RB pledges to increase funds raised for Save the Children to $15 million by 2015. This secures vital funding for the charity's child and maternal health programs in Angola and Tanzania; their flagship child domestic workers program in India; and Save the Children's emergency instant-response work around the world.

"Million Brighter Futures could mean the difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of children," said Douglas Rouse, Corporate Partnerships Director at Save the Children. "Everyone at Save the Children is extremely grateful for the support RB has given us over the last eight years. They have allowed us to reach large numbers of children who desperately needed our help. It's such fantastic news that RB is demonstrating its continued commitment to our growing global partnership by launching the 'Million Brighter Futures' initiative, and we are so excited to be working with them going forward."

RB's relationship with Save the Children began with a $150,000 donation in 2003 and has since grown into a great example of a long term, strategic partnership.  

RB staff raises funds throughout the year, and in offices around the world, taking part in activities including treks, walks, fun runs, marathons, bike rides, bake sales and even book sales in aid of Save the Children.

"The chance to help Save the Children improve the life chances of children in countries we may not otherwise be able to reach is something we fully embrace," said Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, SVP Global Corporate Communication and Affairs at RB. "It's clear to see from the fantastic fundraising efforts of our staff that the cause is extremely important to all of us here at RB and that's why we are confident that it won't be long until we will smash our target of $15 million to provide a Million Brighter Futures for vulnerable children across the world."

For more information about the program, go to http://www.rb.com/our-responsibility/a-million-brighter-futures.

In addition to the Million Brighter Futures Campaign, RB North America sponsors 100 children enrolled in Save The Children's health and education programs in rural areas of the United States, In the United Sates, one in six children lives in poverty.  Save the Children works in impoverished rural communities in Appalachia, the Southeast, the Mississippi River Delta, the Gulf Coast, the Southwest and California's Central Valley – where conditions resemble parts of the developing world.  Save the Children provides early childhood development, literacy, physical activity, and nutrition programming in these communities, as well as emergency relief.

About Reckitt Benckiser (RB)

Reckitt Benckiser (RB) is a world leader in household, health and personal care.

It is a FTSE top 25 company and since 2000 net revenues have doubled and the market cap has quadrupled.  Today it is the global No 1 or No 2 in the majority of its fast-growing categories, driven by an exceptional rate of innovation – typically about 35% of net revenue comes from innovations launched in the prior 3 years. It has a strong portfolio led by 19 global powerbrands which are: Finish, Lysol, Dettol, Vanish, Woolite, Durex, Calgon, Airwick, Harpic, Bang, Mortein, Veet, Nurofen, Clearasil, Strepsils Gaviscon, Mucinex, Scholl and French's, and they account for 69% of  net revenue.

RB people are at the heart of the company's success. They have an intense drive for progress and action and a desire to outperform wherever they focus, including in CSR where the company has the most ambitious corporate responsibility programme in the industry through its Carbon 20 initiative. Headquarters in the United Kingdom, the company employs about 27,000 people worldwide, with operations in over 60 countries and sales in almost 200 countries.

For more information visit RB.COM

CONTACT: Sabrina Michaeli, Porter Novelli, +1-212-601-8163, [email protected]

SOURCE Reckitt Benckiser plc