UBN Supports Hartekind
UBN Employment Agency not only offers people opportunities in the job market, but is also deeply committed to social causes.
Ever since our founding in 1991, we have been committed to supporting talented athletes and charities that make a difference. In recent years, UBN has supported organizations such as Stichting voor het Kind, Stichting Heartbeat, Cure for Cancer, Spinning for Life, the Food Bank Gala, and KWF.
Normally, the employees choose a charity together each year. In 2026, our anniversary year, owner Willem de Groot took the lead and made the choice himself. A choice that comes straight from the heart: the Hartekind Foundation.
Hartekind Foundation
Every year, 1,500 new parents learn that their baby’s heart is not entirely healthy. Their child is one of more than 25,000 children with heart conditions in the Netherlands—children born with a heart defect. About two-thirds of these children must undergo one or more life-saving surgeries shortly after birth. In addition, children with heart conditions often have a shorter life expectancy and face limitations due to heart failure, arrhythmias, and/or brain damage. And every year, 150 children with heart conditions still die, making congenital heart defects the leading cause of death among children under 15.
That is why the Hartekind Foundation is fully committed to increasing the chances of survival for children with heart conditions and improving their quality of life. The Hartekind Foundation funds vital research, organizes and supports events and initiatives for this purpose, and provides information to parents. In this way, we work together with you toward a world where children with heart conditions can simply be children, free from worry!
A charitable cause with a personal touch
The Hartekind Foundation is no stranger to UBN. Two years ago, our employees selected this charity as their cause, following a nomination by our colleague Amber Frumeaux, who has a child with a heart condition herself. Her personal story made a deep impression and demonstrated just how important this work is—not only in terms of statistics, but above all in terms of people’s lives.
Our colleague Amber Fruneaux would like to tell her story herself:
Today, I’d like to share my story with you and explain why I wholeheartedly support the Hartekind Foundation.
In October 2020, we were confronted with the harsh reality that our little girl has a heart defect, and that’s where the Hartekind Foundation comes in. This foundation, which is dedicated to research on congenital heart defects in children, holds a special place in my heart. Pulmonary valve stenosis—this means that the heart valve between her right ventricle and pulmonary artery was narrowed, requiring immediate treatment. At just three months old, Lennon underwent a cardiac catheterization at the LUMC, a profound experience for us and for Lennon alike.
Today, she’s doing great and has even been cleared to go two years without seeing her cardiologist. But our journey doesn’t end here. Lennon will remain under the care of her cardiologist at the UMC for the rest of her life. Thanks to organizations like the Hartekind Foundation, research is constantly being conducted that can improve not only my daughter’s life, but the lives of all children with congenital heart defects. They are working to ensure that these conditions are no longer the leading cause of death among children.
As a parent, I am incredibly grateful for the work of the Hartekind Foundation. That’s why I’m also so thrilled that UBN will be committed to supporting this charity this year. Together, we can make a difference; together, we can offer hope to children and families dealing with heart defects.
Thank you all for your support of this important charity!
In this way, we celebrate our anniversary not only with pride in the past, but also with hope for the future.
Together, we can help increase knowledge, improve care, and give children with heart conditions a better chance at a healthy life. Will you join us?🧡
Financial Support
We are also using all of the activities UBN is organizing during this anniversary year to raise money for charity. The funds we raise this year will support scientific research conducted by the Hartekind Foundation. This is important because it improves the chances of survival for children with heart conditions.
Walking for Euros
It’s not just about donating money—we’re truly committed. This year, our colleagues are organizing various activities.
For example, in February we held a step challenge, during which we raised a whopping €7,765 together!