Stelios Foundation offers €260,000 to Cyprus ferry victims’ families

The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation announced up to €260,000 in direct financial support for the families of those killed in the ferry sinking off the northern coast of Cyprus. Eight people have been confirmed dead following the sinking on August 30, while another 18 remain missing. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, creator and owner of the easy family of brands and founder and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, “offers his most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones” of those confirmed dead, according to an announcement issued on Monday. Moreover, the announcement said that Sir Stelios “sends his thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of the 18 people still reported as missing as a result of the sinking of the ferry”. As “a small but tangible gesture of support and solidarity towards the affected families”, the foundation is offering a €10,000 cash donation to the next of kin of each person confirmed dead because of the sinking within one month of the incident. The maximum assistance of €260,000 would cover all 26 families if those currently reported missing are confirmed dead during that period. The foundation said the financial assistance is intended “to provide immediate financial relief, a small gesture of help and support to the families facing these tragic consequences”. The money will be paid by bank transfer to the closest living relative of each victim, up to and including the second degree of kinship. To receive the donation, the next of kin must submit a written application proving their relationship to the victim. Details of the application process will be published on the foundation’s website. The foundation has set the order of priority for the closest living relative as the spouse, father, mother, oldest adult child and oldest brother or sister. Applicants will be asked to provide documentation confirming their relationship to the victim, together with their contact details and the bank account information, including the IBAN, to which the assistance will be transferred. The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is a non-profit organisation supporting charitable activities in the six countries where Sir Stelios and his family have lived and worked, namely Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Ireland, Monaco and France. Its initiatives in Cyprus include the Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards and the Youth Entrepreneurship Awards, both of which provide financial grants to their winners. In addition, the foundation’s Food from the Heart initiative provides food to thousands of people facing economic hardship. It also supports vulnerable groups, people affected by major disasters, charitable organisations and university students through scholarships. The foundation has provided similar financial assistance on three previous occasions, including to the next of kin of the victims of serial killer Nicos Metaxas in Cyprus in 2019, the families of those killed in the Mati fires outside Athens in 2018 and the families affected by the Tempi train collision in Greece.