Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1335208
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 JANUARY 2021 13 COMMERCIAL Frank Salt Real Estate donates €2,400 to The Soup Kitchen IN its efforts to assist local phil- anthropic causes, Frank Salt Re- al Estate has donated €2400 to Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta, a non-profit organisation dedicat- ed to providing free healthy and warm meals to people in need. The initiative was prompted by Maria Falzon, a Frank Salt Real Estate team member who urged the staff to donate mon- ey and food to assist individ- uals, who have lost their jobs or simply cannot afford to pay their rent or feed their families - a problem which was further amplified due to the onset of the pandemic. Thanks to the team's efforts, a generous sum of €2400 was collected. "I was impressed by my colleagues' extreme generosity, especially in times like these," said Ma- ria Falzon. Mr Frank Salt, who presented the donation on be- half of the Frank Salt Real Es- tate Group, said "When my late wife passed away, we requested a valuation of her jewellery and the assessor donated his valu- ation fee to the Soup Kitchen. This is how we got to know about them. We also donated an amount and together with our staff's contribution, we managed to pass on a generous sum". The Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta project is due to open within a month or so and aims to provide a hot, nutritious, well-balanced meal to the poorest of Maltese society. The kitchen which will be based in St Ursula Street, Valletta, will also serve as a place of respite for couples and families going through marital and financial crisis, those suffering from mental illness, those who have a low income and poor families, amongst other issues. Besides feeding the hungry, a range of programs will be organised to nourish the soul and body and empower these people to learn new skills to move with their lives forward as well as break out of isolation. Fr Marcellino Micallef, founder of the Soup Kitchen and a Franciscan Fri- ar, thanked Frank Salt Real Estate for their generosity and appealed to other companies and individuals to follow in the same steps and make more donations to this very worthy cause. "I believe that God pro- vides and Frank Salt Real Es- tate will be another shoulder to lean on and our joy is simply to give the opportunity for those who come, to live life in dignity and also offer them our time to hear their stories, besides pro- viding them with food." Bank of Valletta marks International Education Day AS the world marks Interna- tional Education Day, the role of corporate companies in the ed- ucation sector, especially during the pandemic, has never been so crucial. Bank of Valletta is an avid supporter of education in Mal- ta, this being attested by its various programmes and initi- atives. "Education is one of the main pillars of our Community Pro- gramme and very much at heart for us," stated Charles Azz- opardi, BOV Executive PR & Marketing. "The Bank directs considerable effort in support- ing education programmes for children and youths and also provides affordable financing for higher and further edu- cation. We also organise nu- merous information and ed- ucational sessions relating to financial and investment as- pects both for the general pub- lic as well as for the business community. The Bank actively encourages and supports con- tinuous learning and upskilling for its employees through in- ternal and external train- ing programmes." The Bank has been sup- porting the Read with Me programme, run by the National Literacy Agen- cy, for six years. The pro- gramme, which promotes shared reading experi- ences, focusing on early literacy and parental ed- ucation, has reached over 15,000 children since its inception. In view of the pandemic, Read with Me has now moved from the classroom setting to an online format delivering hours of lively and fun reading experiences to children, parents and car- egivers. "Another project that we re- cently embarked upon, is the setting-up of a multi-sensory room at the Esplora Interac- tive Science Centre. This is a specifically designed space that is specially focused on provid- ing people with a disability the space to make the most out of learning through fun, relaxa- tion and sensory experiences." "Beyond our CSR programme, we also design products that provide accessible and af- fordable financing for further and higher education. Last year, through the BOV Stud- ies Plus+, we channelled €5.5 million worth of funding to aid students and professionals in- vest in their education. We as- sisted 145 students, who might have otherwise been held back by financial barriers, to further their studies towards the ca- reer of their choice." Bank of Valletta is proud of its partnership with a number of groups spanning from stu- dent organisations to business chambers and learning insti- tutes. BOV staff volunteer to share their expertise and knowledge on various topics ranging from soft skills to career manage- ment, financial education, business management, online safety and health awareness on a regular ba- sis. During 2020, the Bank organised and co-hosted over 32 webinars, shared 205 expert articles and 70 educational video clips, making them freely avail- able for all. "As we mark Interna- tional Education Day, we look back with pride at what we have done and the results achieved, in line with our ESG com- mitment to contribute towards inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities. We are proud to say that all our efforts in this area were well spent and this attests to our strong belief that investment in today's ed- ucation will give the Maltese society a much greater return in the future."