Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1260752
18.06.2020 NEWS STUDENTS who open a new Stu- dent Account with HSBC Malta will receive a €50 welcome gift, free online banking, a free Visa In- ternational Debit Card and a dis- counted fee on withdrawals from other banks' ATMs. is offer is available to eligible full-time students aged 16 years and over once their stipend is credited in their HSBC account. Students must also be attending a recognised secondary school, MCAST, sixth form, university or any other established post-sec- ondary or tertiary education in- stitution. is year's student campaign has started earlier than usual due to the unique circumstances aris- ing from COVID-19. is means that the custom- ary school visits, where HSBC employees would visit schools and meet students to discuss the student proposition, cannot take place. Instead the bank will be adopt- ing a fully remote process to open the students' new accounts, which means the students will currently not need to call in at any of the bank's branches, but simply apply online. is process- es was implemented with a view of keeping both customers and employees safe. Gregory Inglott, Deputy Head of Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC Malta, said: "We are really pleased to launch an innovative campaign that is in line with the times and serves our student cus- tomers well in spite of the current situation. Supporting education and therefore students is a key priority for the bank and that is why we launched this new online account opening process. Our aim is to provide students with a strong banking partnership as they pursue their ambitions." HSBC Malta kicks off this year's Student Campaign ON the occasion of World Bi- cycle Day 2020, APS Bank and nextbike Malta Ltd launched an offer to make sustainable travel affordable. 1,500 free 30-minute rides are being offered to new customers on a first come first served basis. According to the World Health Organization, bicycles are seen as an affordable, reliable and sus- tainable means of travel, that fos- ters environmental stewardship and good health, contributing to the reduction of the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and diabetes. To benefit from the offer, people are invited to download the next- bike app, register and then insert the promotion code: WBD2020. Alan Camilleri, Managing Di- rector of nextbike Malta said: "With nextbike being the pioneer in bicycle-sharing in Malta since 2016, there is a huge potential for more people to consider commut- ing by bicycle. e last months have thought us a lot about the need for more sustainable ways of travelling, that addresses people's expectations and at the same time takes care of the environment." Herve Delpech, Chief Strategy Officer at APS Bank noted that, "is collaboration is part of the Bank's efforts to promote initia- tives for our communities to con- tribute towards a more sustaina- ble way of life, making the planet we live on a better place." Nextbike Malta is Malta's orig- inal bike-sharing system having been set up in 2016 and operating a network of 350 bicycles around Malta. e bicycles are rented by app and each rental costs €1.50 for the first 30 minutes and €1 every subsequent 30 minutes. A range of monthly, quarterly and annual memberships are available pro- vide free unlimited 30-minute rentals. Nextbike and APS Bank team up to offer 1,500 free rides MAPFRE staff donate blood THIS month, several employees from MAP- FRE Malta, which is comprised of MAPFRE Middlesea and MAPFRE MSV Life, will be celebrating World Blood Donor Day by do- nating blood towards the National Blood Transfusion Unit (NBTU). MAPFRE Malta recognises the universal need for safe blood, which time after time has played a critical role in both treatments and urgent interventions, and will do its part in helping ensure that a safe and sustainable blood supply is readily available for those who need it. e ability to ensure that there is an ad- equate supply of safe blood is solely deter- mined by the regular donations made by voluntary blood donors. Notwithstanding this, the NBTU in St Luke's Hospital strive to generate public awareness on the matter and ensure that there is a sustainable provision of safe blood supply in the Maltese Islands. e President and CEO of MAPFRE Mid- dlesea, Felipe Navarro, who also participat- ed in the initiative, said the company recog- nises the importance of blood donations. "ese blood donations continue to have a significant impact on many, and often the time, it can be a lifesaving action," he said. "In light of this, I would like to extend my thanks to all other entities and individuals that continue to raise awareness and con- tribute towards this campaign." MAPFRE Malta is also giving some mugs to the NBTU so they can give it to the do- nors as a token of appreciation for their blood donation. is campaign will continue to form part of MAPFRE Malta's corporate volunteering initiatives, which are implemented through Fundación MAPFRE's Volunteers Pro- gramme. For more information on how to donate, visit www.health.gov.mt. From left to right: Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister – Felipe Navarro, President and CEO of MAPFRE Middlesea – Stef Deguara, Senior Marketing Executive at MAPFRE Middlesea