Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1443447
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JANUARY 2022 14 COMMERCIAL APS Bank supports the extension of equity sharing scheme ON Wednesday 12th Janu- ary 2022, APS Bank signed an agreement with the Ministry for Social Accommodation and the Housing Authority for the extension of the Equity Shar- ing Scheme to now be availa- ble for individuals and couples aged thirty or older. The event was held at the Aula Magna at the University of Malta Vallet- ta Campus. The Hon. Roder- ick Galdes, Minister for Social Accommodation made the in- troductory speech, followed by Leonid McKay, CEO of the Housing Authority and Liana DeBattista, Chief Strategy Of- ficer at APS Bank. The scheme is targeted to- wards aspiring buyers with a limited pool of assets, who fall short of being able to access the homeownership market, yet also ineligible for social accommodation. The proper- ty will be jointly owned by the buyer and the Housing Author- ity. The buyer must have a 10% down payment on the value of the property to be purchased, while the remaining equity will be split between the buyer and the Housing Authority. Ms De- battista, commented, "We have always been very innovative in the field of social banking and ready to work with the relevant parties to develop products and schemes to support our customers to purchase a prop- erty. This is an integral part of our strategy. Apart from that, this is our job, our role in the community and also part of our social soul as bankers." To view the recording of the press conference please visit the Bank's Facebook page. For more information about the Equity Sharing Scheme please visit apsbank.com.mt/equi- ty-sharing-scheme. Left image: Liana DeBattista, Chief Strategy Officer at APS Bank. Right image: Leonid McKay, CEO of the Housing Authority, Hon. Roderick Galdes, Minister for Social Accommodation and Anthony Buttigieg, Chief Banking Officer at APS Bank Atlas donates specialised Braille printer to the Malta Society of the Blind ATLAS Insurance has once again demonstrated it is close to the community it serves and is sensitive to the needs of NGOs by donating €2,000 to the Malta Society of the Blind towards the purchase of a specialised Braille printer for the Society to use in its premises in Santa Venera. Braille is a system that enables people who are blind and vis- ually impaired to read and write through touch. It was devised by Louis Braille in 1821 and consists of raised dots arranged in "cells." Each cell represents a letter, a word, a combination of letters, a numeral or a punctuation mark. The aims and objectives of the Malta Society of the Blind are driven by the long history of the Society and its dedicated board members. Its ambitious goals stretch from assistance and emo- tional support for individuals, to being a voice for the blind and partially sighted in society. Joseph Micallef, Treasurer for the Malta Society of the Blind and also an Atlas employee said: "The equipment, funded by At- las, will be of great help for people without sight, especially children, who never visualised the written word. This will allow them to have better access to literacy by reading and writing, instead of simply listening to audio books. On behalf of the Malta Society of the Blind, I thank Atlas for its generous donation. It makes me incredibly proud to work for an organisation that is on the fore- front when it comes to support- ing the community." He added that the plan is that, COVID-19 permitting, the Socie- ty will start opening up the prem- ises on certain days of the week for its members to meet up and have a friendly chat and make use of facilities like the internet. The Malta Society of the Blind is also planning to equip its offices with computers to be used by its members. Matthew von Brockdorff, Man- aging Director and CEO of At- las Insurance said: "Recently, on 4 January, the world marked World Braille Day and this was the perfect occasion to be of help and assistance to a key NGO like the Malta Society for the Blind. The fact that this Braille printer will be at the Society's premises for its members to print mate- rial for free when required gives us a great sense of satisfaction and optimism that, as an organ- isation, we can make a difference to people's lives. We are extreme- ly proud to be helping a worthy cause which is close to the heart of one of our colleagues." Meanwhile, Atlas organised a webinar for #TeamAtlas on 5 January to raise awareness on helping the blind and visually im- paired. The session, delivered by Mariana Falzon Grech - Secre- tary of Malta Society of the Blind, featured an introduction on the Society, the work it does and the challenges it faces. She gave an overview of the dif- ferent types of visual impairment and blindness, as well as some do's and don'ts on how to help and interact with people who are visually impaired. Information on the way Braille works was provid- ed and how it is still an important communication tool and learn- ing aid for youths, even in today's technology-driven society. From left: Matthew von Brockdorff - Managing Director and CEO of Atlas Insurance and Joseph Micallef, Treasurer for the MSB during the virtual presentation of the Braille printer to the society