Royal Ahrend joins World Rowing's Kafue clean water initiative

For immediate release
Lausanne, 14 January 2016

The World Rowing Federation (FISA) is pleased to announce Royal Ahrend as the first Official Supplier to the Kafue River & Rowing Centre in Zambia.  The Kafue Centre is a unique, multi-purpose facility to be operated by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) which brings together water research, education and rowing.

Royal Ahrend is an international leader in office furniture committed to delivering contemporary and highly sustainable office lifestyles to corporate end-users around the world.

The Company will provide the Kafue Centre with a combination of cash and expertise to design the interior furnishings of the Centre, as well as supply all of the necessary furniture and furnishings to make the design a reality. Royal Ahrend has also committed to organise fundraising events in its key markets that will generate additional funds for the Kafue Centre.

 “As a global company we are fully aware of fresh water issues that face all of us and are committed to the sustainable use of water in the production of our products,” says Royal Ahrend’s Vice President Jiri Kejval. “So it was an easy decision to put our support behind the Kafue Centre. We believe that this collaborative venture will play an important role in a enabling a wider and better understanding of the world’s water challenges and will help to open the door to similar projects that World Rowing and WWF will establish in other parts of the world. On a personal level, as a rower myself, water has always been an essential part of my life and I am committed to this project.”

“Royal Ahrend has enabled us to take a big step towards making the Kafue River & Rowing Centre a reality,” says FISA president Jean-Christophe Rolland, “and for this we are very grateful to Royal Ahrend and, especially to the initiative of Jiri. For FISA and WWF, this project is incredibly important – both for the sport of rowing and world-class water management research and we need this kind of valuable support. Already the rowing community has shown its dedication to clean water through a considerable number of individual donations.”

What is Royal Ahrend?
Royal Ahrend is an international leader in office furniture committed to delivering contemporary and highly sustainable office lifestyles to corporate end-users around the world. Products and interiors are designed to encourage the wellbeing and productivity of the people. Ahrend is present in over 25 countries on five continents, including China, Russia and Dubai. Royal Ahrend delivers furniture and fit out services for office, education, healthcare and retail environments through a portfolio of four leading furniture brands; Ahrend, Gispen, Techo and Presikhaaf. These recognised brands are often leaders in their relevant markets and some look back at a heritage of over 100 years.

What is the KRRC?
The Kafue River & Rowing Centre is a project in Kafue, Zambia developed through the collaboration between the World Rowing Federation (FISA) and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). It is a unique, multi-purpose centre which brings together water conservation, education and sport. It will be the meeting point for all stakeholders on the river to meet in order to seek solutions together as well as be equipped with world class field research facilities with links to water science universities around the world and provide Zambia with a high quality facility to develop the sport of rowing.

Anyone will be able to visit the Centre “virtually” via the Centre’s interactive website and research will be shared openly, thus benefitting the world as a whole. The project is the latest stage of FISA’s ongoing commitment to clean water action initiatives and Kafue was chosen because it is a priority area for WWF, being a freshwater ecosystem that faces a considerable number of challenges and competing water claims.  http://www.worldrowing.com/environment/kafue-river-rowing-centre/

Fundraising campaign
A fundraising campaign for the project was launched in June 2015. Rowers and supporters from around the world have shown their support for the KRRC, which has now received more than 1,100 individual contributions. Olympic and World Champion rowers have volunteered to be ambassadors for the project and are giving their time to support the project and recruit others to get involved.  The campaign for support continues. Donations can be made here: http://www.worldrowing.com/environment/kafue-river-rowing-centre/give

For more Information on Royal Ahrend:
Arnold Struik, AStruik@ahrend.com
Royal Ahrend