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Corporate volunteering managed by the Santander Bank Polska Foundation

Corporate Volunteering Policy

GRI:

[103-1, 103-2, 103-3] for aspect: social involvement and public policy

The bank’s employees eagerly participate in social activities. The terms of their engagement are set out in the ”Corporate Volunteering Policy of Santander Bank Polska” which defines three areas of volunteering projects:

supporting education and development of science,
promoting equal opportunities,
building a civic society.

The policy also describes the monitored indicators and procedures of volunteering activities, including the organizational units in charge of the projects, i.e. the Santander Bank Polska Foundation and the Public Relations Department in collaboration with the HR Department. Since 1 January 2019, each employee of Santander Bank Polska has been allowed 8 hours a year which can be spent on volunteering activities.

Corporate volunteering in 2018

In 2018, a major increase was recorded in the number of volunteers and campaigns organized by the employees of Santander Bank Polska. Even our Management Board got involved in a corporate volunteering project in the Children’s Hospital in Niekłańska Street, in Warsaw.

GRI:

[Custom indicator 18] Number of employee volunteers engaged in corporate volunteering projects during the year under review
[Custom indicator 19] Number of beneficiaries of volunteering projects/ year

Thanks to the e-platform for volunteers, the interest of the employees of Santander Bank Polska in corporate volunteering significantly rose.

Number of the bank’s employees engaged in volunteering projects:

Total amount allocated by the Santander Bank Polska Foundation to corporate volunteering projects (k PLN):

Volunteering projects

We support local communities together

The rebranding of the bank in 2018 was an opportunity to show local communities that we are an organization that knows and responds to their needs. In order to demonstrate our commitment, each of the regions organized a local volunteering project:

the North Macroregion: The ”North Helps” charity run with the participation of Michał Gajewski, the bank’s CEO, employees of the region and associated companies. The goal of the run was to provide support to a Hospice Foundation.
the South Macroregion: A team of volunteers launched a project for children in the childraising facility in Miechowo and children’s home in Bochnia. The volunteers renovated and redecorated the recreation rooms of both facilities.
the Central Macroregion: A team of volunteers provided support to the Children’s Home in Szamotuły. The volunteers cleaned the grounds of the facility, planted flowers and helped to assemble furniture.
the West Macroregion: A project from children’s homes associated with an art competition. The winners met for the final stage of the competition at Grapa Ranch.
the East Macroregion: A team of volunteers set up a garden on the grounds of a children’s home in Warsaw and developed the rest of the grounds. The children also visited the bank’s branch in Galeria Północna shopping centre.

By Us for Others

The volunteers from Santander Leasing took part in the By Us For Others campaign. Together with their families, they staged a play for children from the children’s home for the fifth time. The project involved the whole process of staging of the play, from writing the script, raising the money, renting the venue, arranging the costumes, the props and the stage design and acting in the stage performance.

Christmas Fair

In November 2018, our employees participated in a workshop at which they produced Christmas gifts and decorations which were later put up for sale at a Christmas Fair in December. The overall goal of the workshop and the fair was integration of the employees of Santander Bank Polska and promotion of the Group’s values. The money raised was handed over to support the children of a deceased colleague.

Planting Trees for Independence

As part of a huge campaign of tree planting in the Lipusz area destroyed by a powerful storm, our volunteers planted more than 800 trees. In 2017, a huge whirlwind passed through the region of Pomerania completely destroying many hectares of forests. We have decided to help the nature by planting new trees. The campaign was also supported by Santander TFI whose employees planted trees in exchange for customers’ resignation from paper statements.

The More People, The Bigger The Forest

Thanks to a project of the bank’s volunteers executed in partnership with the Aeris Futuro Foundation and the management of Ojcowski National Park, in April 2018 6,000 new beech trees were planted on the grounds of the park. By organizing the campaign we wanted, first of all, to attract the attention of the public opinion to an urgent need to care for the environment around us and encourage active participation in pro-environment activities. More than 2 million bank customers are already using Santander mobile and Santander online and in this way contribute to protection of Polish forests. Resignation from printed statements generates great savings of paper. In order to thank our customers for their environment-friendly decisions, we decided to plant trees.

A Great Adenture in Dźwirzyno

Our volunteers organized a summer camp for children from poor families. The trip was an opportunity for the children to learn independence and responsibility and to develop their social, psychological, emotional and physical skills. The children also developed their creativity at specially organized classes. The volunteers from Santander Bank Polska supported the organization of the camp and took an active part in the classes with children.

Fit Senior

In 2018, our volunteers organized dedicated sports classes for seniors from Senior Club no. 82 and Nordic walking sessions in the green areas of Poznań’s Old Town. The project is of long-term nature and its additional goals are to support social inclusion, integration of seniors and the habit of regular exercise. The volunteers from Santander Bank Polska helped to prepare the venue and equipment for the seniors.

International Poznań Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament

The international tennis tournament under the Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour is one of a series of 160 tournaments organized worldwide for tennis players on wheelchairs. In 2018, the tournament was held for the third time on the tennis courts of Warta Poznań of the oldest tennis club in Poland operating continuously since 1914. Our volunteers who organized the event encouraged people with disabilities to lead an active life and practice sports which is one of the best forms of rehabilitation, both physical and psychological.

All activities with the participation of Santander Bank Polska volunteers are coordinated by the Santander Foundation.

Did you know…?

In 2018, our corporate volunteering programs (including skill-based volunteering) had 25,270 beneficiaries in total.
In 2018, the number of volunteers in our bank increased from 580 to 1,300.
145 corporate volunteering projects were executed in our bank in 2018.

Being a volunteer and doing something you have never done in your life. Trusting the people you have never worked with before and communicating with the audience you know very little about… For some of us it would be easy, for others difficult or even impossible. And for the volunteers from the Santander Bank Polska Foundation who demonstrate a rare combination of professionalism and commitment it is an absolutely natural thing to do. The ”Safe To Know” project implemented in partnership with the Santander Bank Polska Foundation is highly appreciated by school students and teachers. Thanks to the well prepared contents and materials and the method of communicating the messages, the goal of the program has certainly been achieved and the audience gained valuable knowledge about the basic safety rules. When people truly want to engage and do something for others, no obstacle can stop them since the motivation to act comes straight from their hearts. A true need to help people always motivates others and encourages them to take up new challenges.

Superintendent Michał Królikowski and Intendent Szymon Witczak from the Regional Police Department, Precinct no. 1

The Santander Bank Polska Foundation supports the Festival of Enchanted Songs organized by Anna Dymna’s ”Mimo Wszystko” (Despite All) Foundation for a number of years. We are happy to observe how well the cooperation between our volunteers develops. Together we show that when you have a common goal and you are open to others, the work becomes much easier. Volunteers learn from each other and help and support each other. It is a very special feeling when you look at an important manager from a big bank working hand in hand with a student in a green T-shirt. Everyone is needed and everyone can learn something new. The work of all the volunteers is very important to all of us.