Vildarbörn - About Special Children Travel Fund

The purpose of the fund

The Special Children Travel Fund was founded in 2003, with the goal of supporting children living with long-term illnesses and in difficult circumstances. Allocations from the fund are made twice a year, on the Icelandic First Day of Summer in April, and the First Day of Winter in October.

The next allocation will be on April 25, 2024, for applications sent in before March 1, 2024.

Illustration of a child with a cuddly toy looking out an airplane window

The Special Children Travel Fund was founded in 2003, with the goal of supporting children living with long-term illnesses and in difficult circumstances. Allocations from the fund are made twice a year, on the Icelandic First Day of Summer in April, and the First Day of Winter in October. <br> <br> The next allocation will be on April 25, 2024, for applications sent in before March 1, 2024.

Patron of the fund

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland, is the patron of the Special Children Travel Fund.

Funding

The Special Children Travel Fund has mainly been financed in three ways:

1

With Icelandair's founding contribution at the start of operations and with the generous ongoing support of Sigurður Helgason and Peggy Helgason.

2

With donations by members of the Icelandair Saga Club, who can donate Saga Points to the fund via their Saga Club account on the Icelandair website.

3

With spare change that passengers place in envelopes provided in the seat pockets of Icelandair aircraft, which are collected by flight attendants at the end of each flight.

Other contributions

The Special Children Travel Fund has also received contributions from various companies throughout the years, and we would like to thank them specially for their generosity.

Evaluating the applications

The Special Children Travel Fund receives hundreds of applications each year. The travel fund's professional group carefully reviews and evaluates all the applications, as there are many factors to consider. The board wishes that applicants understand that the number of travel grants depends on the funding amount.The fund is operated under Act No. 19/1988 on funds and organizations operating according to a confirmed charter.

The Special Children Travel Fund receives hundreds of applications each year. The travel fund's professional group carefully reviews and evaluates all the applications, as there are many factors to consider. The board wishes that applicants understand that the number of travel grants depends on the funding amount. The fund is operated under Act No. 19/1988 on funds and organizations operating according to a confirmed charter.

Board of directors

Sigurður Helgason

Chairman of the Board,
Former CEO of Icelandair

Peggy Oliver Helgason

Ergotherapist

Ásgeir Haraldsson

Chief and Faculty Chairman,
Children's Hospital Iceland

Anna Ólafía Sigurðardóttir

Clinical Nurse Specialist,
University Hospital of Iceland

Dóra Elín Atladóttir

Director of the Special Children
Travel Fund, Icelandair

Tómas Ingason

CCO,
Icelandair

Stefán Hreiðarsson

Director of the State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre

Guðrún Bryndís Guðmundsdóttir

Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,
Children Mental Health center

Professional group