CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

At Henkel, Corporate citizenship is our way of “Making society future-fit”. Our activities are designed to empower people through education to obtain the skills and competencies needed to develop innovative ideas, sustainable behaviors, and new digital solutions that will put them in a position to master future challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Together with our employees, pensioners, customers, consumers, partners and charitable organizations, we are committed to making a lasting contribution to society worldwide, above and beyond our business activities. We work together to actively contribute to social progress and give back to our communities contributions that improve our society and adhere to our purpose and corporate values. 

Deeply embedded in our corporate culture is the drive and character of Corporate Citizenship to go beyond our core daily business and make a voluntary social commitment. With these efforts, we are letting our communities know with more than words that we are Pioneers at Heart for the Good of Generations.

Henkel’s commitment is based on three pillars: volunteer engagement by our employees, partnerships with charitable organizations, and emergency aid with focus on natural disasters and pandemics. Discover the three areas in which we organize our engagement.

Corporate Citizenship UK & Ireland

In the UK, the Henkel Hemel Hempstead office supports local charity, DENS, which houses, supports and empowers vulnerable single homeless people, and others in crisis, to transform their lives. Colleagues volunteer, raise money and take part in events for this charity. 

At our Winsford and St Neots sites, other local charities are supported.

In Ireland, teams have a wide variety of charitable causes that they support, from coaching junior Irish football teams to taking science out into the community and helping to build bikes for children. Below are just three examples of many showing how Henkel colleagues in the UK & Ireland give their time to community initiatives.

Nurturing the next wave of young scientists and technologists

In 2020, for the sixth year running, Henkel Ireland showcased its scientific skills by participating in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, to engage young people from all over Ireland into the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

BT Young Scientist aims to raise young people’s engagement in the critical subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Each year, approximately 50,000 people attend this event, which is targeted at students aged 12-19, to showcase innovative science and technology projects. 

Scientific finesse was in abundance for the sixth successive year as Henkel scientists wowed visitors with many inspirational and interactive experiments. The team are always happy to explain the science behind the experiments and talk about the company's tradition of technology and innovation leadership.

Matthew Holloway, R&D Director & Head of Rapid Systems, said: “This is Henkel’s opportunity to give something back to the community and help to get children interested and inspired by science. The team in Dublin loves promoting what we do and engaging with the Young Scientists via discussion and demonstrations.  This year we focused on the technologies developed on the Dublin site like Cyanoacrylates (Superglues) and Anaerobics (Threadlockers). We also showcased our activity in 3D printing.”

Green thumbs up for building a ‘Sensory Garden’ 

Volunteers from the Hemel Hempstead office joined forces with DENS, to help build a sensory garden and plant flowers in some newly installed raised flower beds at The Elms, a purpose built 44 bed temporary accommodation unit for single homeless people. 

The team arrived eager to get to work with weeding, digging, planting flowers, making two scarecrows and a sensory garden. A mixture of hard work combined with fun and great teamwork led to a lovely afternoon and an unforgettable experience. 

Chris Bloomfield, who is a volunteer himself and oversees the gardening, was impressed by the work carried out. He felt that “the team did a really outstanding job in the garden and it looks so much better for all their hard work”.

New bikes for children in need

In summer 2018, Dublin R&D staff bought and assembled twelve children’s bicycles to donate them to Barnardos – a charity that cares for vulnerable children and young people.

Riding a bike is a joy and presents a wonderful bonding opportunity for children and their parents. Teaching your child to cycle is something most people take for granted is often a missed experience for families who can’t afford a bike.

Our Dublin R&D team used their DIY skills and a lot of passion for creativity, when they set their minds to building bikes. They added balloons, streamers and other decorations. The assembled bikes were double-checked by a professional and then donated to Barnardos.

Claire Rooney, Corporate Fundraising Executive at Barnardos, attended the event and very much appreciated the initiative, saying: “We receive lots of donations around Christmas but there are fewer contributions during the year. People forget that children also have birthdays.” 

Social Partnerships

We take responsibility  for the good of generations. Building on the integrity inherent to a family-owned business, we leverage the unique Henkel spirit by entering into social partnerships in the communities where we live and where Henkel operates to support social initiatives and public institutions. We realize ideas and programs that answer societal problems and challenges. We do this worldwide ­– in our functions on a corporate level as well as through our brands,  business units and in our regions.

girl holding sustainability teaching materials

We strive to ensure the future readiness of society through education, especially in innovation, sustainability, and digitalization. We contribute our time to this cause by providing financial support, product donations, education, and know-how.

Voluntary commitment of employees

Volunteering is the lifeblood of our social commitment. When we get active on personal level, the impact can be life-changing! That is why we support our employees, retirees and teams in their social volunteering activities that contribute to a better world.


The team teaches lessons on the basics of general hygiene – including how to brush your teeth properly.

MIT: Make an Impact on Tomorrow
In 1998, the MIT: Make an Impact on Tomorrow initiative was launched making Henkel one of the first German companies to include voluntary social engagement as a key element of its Corporate Citizenship activities.

Emergency Aid

Henkel provides emergency relief in the event of natural disasters and pandemics by giving immediate aid to people placed in urgent need due to an unexpected crisis.

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Henkel and its employees have donated numerous products and financial support to people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Henkel also supports projects dedicated to helping in the aftermath of natural catastrophes such as wildfires in Algeria, Greece, Italy and Turkey as well as the flood disaster in Western Germany and the Benelux region.