A safe start in Sweden

AstraZeneca is together with a number of companies supporting the initiative "A safe start in Sweden" that has been launched to give fast assistance to those fleeing from Ukraine to Sweden. The initiative is led by Skill Shift Initiative (Beredskapslyftet), Save the Children (Rädda Barnen) and City Mission (Stadsmissionen), who have come together in a joint project with airbnb.org to help as many people from Ukraine as possible to receive a safe first place to stay in Sweden.   

Through Airbnb.org, individuals and companies can offer part of their house or apartment in a safe and quick way during two to four weeks, which will give the responsible Swedish authorities some extra time to find appropriate longterm accommodation.  

Save the Children are responsible for matching the families in need with suitable accommodation, and together with City Mission also match families with volunteers who can support with contacts at public authorities and schools, and deal with safety, trauma and healthcare issues – where needed.  

You can either volunteer to open up your home for a limited period of time, which you choose to do on a private basis, or you can serve as a volunteer locally. AstraZeneca offers all employees in Sweden to take 3 days volunteering time this year on a paid basis with retained salary to support this initiative, but you can of course choose to volunteer more of your private time. 

Offering a place to stay - If you want to open up your home, you can follow the link from www.tryggstartisverige.se. You will then be contacted by someone at Save the Children or City Mission when your home has been matched with a family. You will preferably be able to offer a place to stay for two to four weeks. Staying in a home via airbnb.org is free of charge for those fleeing Ukraine and you will be expected to offer your home free of charge. 

Become a volunteer - If you want to serve as a volunteer, you can go to www.tryggstartisverige.se to register your interest and receive more information. If you choose to use the opportunity of 3 days paid volunteer time, you need approval from your line manager, and the time should be registered in Workday as “Business Continuity – Volunteering”. Once you have signed up in the system, you will be invited to undergo mandatory training (approx. three hours and primarily online). Most volunteers will be helping out as contacts for families, but you can also register your interest in being involved in other activities, such as social activities at the Swedish Migration Agency and asylum centres, language training, etc.

You will find the most frequently asked questions on www.tryggstartisverige.se. 

We are proud to support this initiative and offer our help to the many people who have been forced to leave their home country and seek a safe place in Sweden.