a charity founded on real caring
our mission: to shorten the distance between people and opportunities by giving them the gift of mobility.
meet citizenMovement
what is citizenMovement?
One of our core values is 'real caring', and it extends beyond our walls. We believe in making a difference, even for non-guests. That's why, through citizenMovement, we've donated over 4.3 million EUR to our charity partner, World Bicycle Relief.
take an action to cause a reaction
Imagine the impact of saying 'no' to room cleaning when you stay at citizenM for 2+ nights. Each time, we donate 3 EUR to our citizenMovement Foundation, which supports our charity partner in closing the gap between people and opportunities.
who do we work with?
Since 2018, we've partnered with World Bicycle Relief (WBR) to give people the gift of mobility. A bike can transform lives, covering 4x the distance of walking. While WBR is our main partner, we also support humanitarian charities in times of crisis.
introducing ‘In Their Own Words’
how bikes change lives
citizenMovement talks a lot about the gift of mobility and what it does for a community. But to know the true impact, you have to see it for yourself. Our video series 'In Their Own Words' gives local people in Zomba, Malawi, the chance to explain what a bike means to them.
Patricia’s story
Hard work is nothing new for Patricia. The 16-year-old from Zomba works tirelessly to become a lawyer – but it isn't easy. Getting to school is a problem: it’s 6 KM from her village, so she leaves in the dark with an escort to stay safe from the boys who try to pursue her. Often, she arrives at school late and exhausted. Having a bicycle changed everything. Now, Patricia arrives at school and returns home on time, with extra hours to study and take part in after-school activities.
Lasen’s story
Being a farmer in Zomba is challenging, something Lasen knows all too well. The 41-year-old lived 3 KM from his farm, so transport costs were eating into his profit and impacting his family’s livelihood – and that was before the work day had even begun. A bicycle was the gift that kept on giving. Travelling to his farm is now free and so much quicker. Employing workers, expanding his land and transporting goods to the market also became possible. This means more sales and fewer losses for Lasen.
Gertude’s story
Starting a business without transportation wasn't easy for Gertrude. The entrepreneur sold sun-dried fish and rice from a humble bench before she opened a grocery store with tailoring services. The gift of a bicycle only gave her more independence and made her business more lucrative. Operations are now smoother, transport is cheaper and reinvesting profit into her store is possible. The bicycle is also used by her community to transport farm produce and access medical help when needed.
Matilda’s story
Matilda, a dedicated Health Surveillance Assistant in Zomba, has transformed her community's health outreach. She and her team were formerly disadvantaged by hours of walking, but now use bicycles to get around. This means a more efficient service delivery, improving health outcomes and strengthening community bonds. The bike has also sparked a positive ripple effect in Matilda's own life as it means her family and their neighbours can do daily tasks so much more quickly.
All good deeds start with an idea and a conversation. Send your thoughts, suggestions and questions to citizenMovement@citizenM.com anytime.