A select number of members of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) have underlined their increasing commitment to the growth of the Association by becoming its first ‘Sustaining Members’. Seven member companies have signed a declaration at the OutDoor international press conference pledging to support the Association from January 2015 to the tune of an extra €10,000 per year for the next three years, over and above their annual membership fee. This money will be used to finance the running of the Association and support its sustainable growth.
This huge commitment will benefit not only EOCA, but also the entire industry in several ways. EOCA’s enormous growth of over 53% over the last 18 months will be managed in order that it can be continued sustainably. EOCA will be able to continue to promise that 100% of all membership fees will be put directly into conservation projects. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, is the move to 2 funding rounds per year, increasing the amount of money put back into the environment each year.
The seven EOCA Sustaining Members are: OutDoor (Messe Friedrichshafen), Pertex, KEEN Footwear, Nikwax, ISPO (Messe München), Patagonia and the European Outdoor Group (EOG).
Mark Held, General Secretary of the EOG said “As the organisation that founded EOCA, we are immensely proud to have seen the idea grow so successfully, proud of the work that is being done and proud of the team who have made it all happen. We are no longer involved in the day to day running of the organisation as it is fully independent of the EOG, but we are firmly committed to supporting its development wherever we can and are delighted to become a Sustaining Member”
