Giving back to society
As part of valuing social responsibility, DAF is keen to give back to society in many ways. This is illustrated by donations, sponsorships, and the DAF ‘Helpende Handen’ Foundation. Young people are offered the opportunity to do an internship within our companies to gain working experience and to be better prepared for their later job.
Ergon cooperation
Giving back to society also means offering rewarding job opportunities for people with occupational disability. Around 350 colleagues are employed at the PACCAR Parts Distribution Center through DAF’s cooperation with Ergon. The collaboration started small in 2001, with just 15 employees, and has grown each year making DAF the largest in social employment in the Eindhoven region by 2024.
In 2024, the Ergon DAF Academy was started in collaboration with the Municipality of Eindhoven and Ergon. In total, 28 people were offered the opportunity to learn the Dutch language, as well as advanced logistic skills with the goal to create a steppingstone towards a job at the DAF factories or in the PACCAR Parts Distribution Center. Beside these people, 40 refugees (with work permits) were offered the opportunity to learn the Dutch language, as well as advanced logistic skills. They can enter the Ergon DAF Academy direct after receiving their residence permit.
Sponsoring
To strengthen relations with the local community, DAF sponsorships include the annual Marathon Eindhoven and the Brabantse Dag Heeze (theater parade). In the area of music and culture, DAF is a founding member of the openair stage ‘Hub van Doorne Muziekkiosk’ in Eindhoven, making performances accessible for all. DAF also sponsored the South Netherlands Philharmonic orchestra of the Netherlands. DAF supported the ‘DAF Traffic Fund’ (DAF Veilig Verkeer Fonds) for youth traffic education and is a founding member of the Ontdekfabriek, which allows young people to discover the wonderful world of technology. DAF is also a sponsor of ‘De Jonge Onderzoekers Eindhoven’ (The Young Researchers), solar and electric racing teams from the Delft and Eindhoven technical universities, and the e-racing team of the Hub van Doornecollege in Deurne.
Volunteering work
DAF is a founding member of the foundation ‘Samen voor Eindhoven’ (Together for Eindhoven). This enables DAF employees to have the opportunity to do voluntary work at local charity organizations during working hours. In 2024, one activity per month as organized on average.
In 2023, the DAF ‘Helpende Handen’ (DAF Helping Hands) foundation was established, stimulating DAF employees to contribute to the Eindhoven region by supporting local charities. Employees can nominate charities and support them through voluntary work, project funding or goods. Donations were made to the Foundation ‘(z)onder dak’ for the organization of a large Christmas dinner and four local charities received donations as well. The collection of deposit cans and bottles provides continuous income that DAF Helpende Handen uses for donations. DAF employees gave the elderly from the region a beautiful nostalgic afternoon and the annual collection of winter coats, sleeping bags and toys for local foundations was once again successful.
Donations
To support education, DAF donated to the University Funds of both Eindhoven and Delft. DAF national sales organizations are encouraged to send proposals for local donations in their countries too (over 20 of these were granted in 2024), varying from a contribution for the purchase of an AED device for a school in Belgium to a donation to a children’s hospice in Austria. Hundreds end-of-life laptop and desktop computers were delivered to ‘Close the Gap’, an initiative that bridges the digital divide by providing high-quality, pre-owned IT devices donated by European companies to educational, medical and social projects in developing and emerging countries.
PACCAR Foundation
DAF is a PACCAR company. The PACCAR Foundation is a private foundation formed in 1951. The Foundation generally directs its grants to organizations in communities where PACCAR has a significant presence. Grant recipients include universities, hospitals and programs for the arts and economic education.
Corporate social responsibility at Leyland Trucks
Also Leyland Trucks in the UK has significant focus on local community engagement in order to give back to society.
Employees at Leyland nominate various projects to be supported, including schools, sports teams, and providing disability equipment to aid those with complex needs. In addition, Leyland has a Volunteering Policy, which allows employees to request up to two paid leave days annually to support a local charity or cause of personal significance.
Leyland Trucks achieved the Disability Confident status which confirms their aim to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace for individuals with disabilities, striving to eliminate barriers and ensure equal opportunities for all.
By signing the Armed Forces Covenant and achieving bronze status, Leyland Trucks reaffirmed their support to the transition from military to civilian life and actively provide employment opportunities for service members, their partners, and spouses.
Leyland Trucks was a 2024 panel member at the Inclusion Summit, run by the Careers Hub. The focus of the Summit was to explore how employers can support those with disability or additional needs in the workplace.
Leyland Trucks Helping Hand is the employee led charity at the Leyland site in the UK. It has operated for 30 years and has donated over £1M to local good causes. Employees organize and participate along with friends, suppliers, and customers in a wide range of activities to raise money. The activities this year included walking, hiking, running, and cycling events, and witnessed the third year of the annual ‘Truck Pull Competition’. Donations are requested by employees and are often causes that are close to their heart.
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