Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1476201
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 AUGUST 2022 13 COMMERCIAL Frank Salt Real Estate's passion: giving back to the community THE world is today facing tough chal- lenges brought about by climate change, social inequality, pandemics and con- flicts which in turn have affected each and every one of us. Under these prevailing conditions, it is now more important than ever that businesses recognise their responsibility towards their local community and the environment. Thankfully, a good share of Malta's business community is com- mitted to corporate social responsibility programmes and Frank Salt Real Estate is no exception. Since its inception, the company has al- ways acknowledged its responsibility to give back to the local community. Every business has limited funds and Frank Salt Real Estate has set up a special committee to evaluate how corporate funds should be channelled towards a number of wor- thy causes every year. The Group's main focus is on sponsorships of a number of sports clubs as well as NGOs, with a strong focus on the environment. "Our viewpoint is a simple one", says Di- rector Grahame Salt. "We are a local com- pany and have been successfully operat- ing for 50+ years. We therefore feel that we must contribute back. We believe very much in the importance of supporting Malta's youth, in particular through their sport clubs and also supporting environ- mental initiatives around the islands." Sports clubs such as Luxol, Sliema ASC, JUVE Academy and the Royal Malta Golf Club have always been an important part of the local community and Frank Salt Re- al Estate are extremely proud to be able to support these clubs. Sports gives future generations a sense of belonging, encourages people to learn and develop a greater sense of self, whilst promoting an active lifestyle with values like discipline, commitment and team spirit. Frank Salt Real Estate is also a firm believer in social equality, so they have al- so sponsored a sailing boat to be used by people with disabilities who want to expe- rience the joy of sailing. Through their 'Let's Go Environmen- tal Drive', Frank Salt Real Estate aims to contribute towards the wellbeing of Malta's environment and to raise more awareness about the importance of nour- ishing a greener urban landscape. As of 2019, the company has been collaborating with the Swieqi Local Council to ensure that the gardens of Ġnien Esprit Barthet, Ġnien Imħallef Caruana Curran, Ġnien F. X. Ebejer and the Swieqi Civic Centre are well maintained for the enjoyment of the Swieqi and Ibrag residents. Last but not least, by far the largest CSR exercise undertaken by Frank Salt Real Estate to date has been its contribution towards the installation of a new solar PV panel system on the roof of Inspire. Each year these panels are estimated to generate over 253,000 units of power, with annual savings for Inspire of over €43,000 for at least the next 20 years. "Each of us has a part to play. It gives us great satisfaction to be able to support these Local initiatives in a small way and hopefully more and more businesses will be encouraged to get involved and do the same. Let's be proud of the country we live in, support our youth and the envi- ronment we live in and share." Richmond Foundation founder and chair steps down after 30 years THE founder and chairperson of mental health organisation Rich- mond Foundation is resigning as Chair after almost three decades. Anthony Guillaumier founded Richmond Foundation in May 1993 to address the gap in mental health support services in Malta at that time. Today, the Foun- dation is Malta's leading NGO in the provision of community services for people with mental health problems and their loved ones. "Mr Guillaumier has been a key individual throughout Rich- mond's existence and his resig- nation as Chair will mark the end of an era," says Richmond Foun- dation CEO Stephania Dimech Sant. "He will leave a pair of big shoes to fill and we will definitely miss the feeling of robust securi- ty that he conveyed through the trust he imparted to all of us at Richmond. On the other hand, he has imbued us with a sense of vision, the drive to rise to face a challenge and put all our energy into making dreams come true, particularly when it means mak- ing a positive contribution to so- ciety." Inspired by a visit to the Rich- mond Fellowship in UK – from which the Foundation draws its name – Mr Guillaumier hoped to find more information on how to support employees struggling with mental health issues and a close relative who was battling depression. With characteris- tic determination, however, he sought the help of Malta's Minis- try of Health to launch the Rich- mond Foundation – and the rest is history. Richmond Foundation is a member of the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Net- works –Europe (GAMIAN-Eu- rope), the European Anti-Poverty Network, the Malta Federations of NGOs and the Malta Health Network, and was one of the first organisations to voluntarily become ISO certified. Through its formidable team of over 120 highly trained and motivated pro- fessional staff alongside scores of volunteers, the Foundation pro- vides a high standard of quality care to users on an ongoing basis. Mr Guillaumier's near-three- decade tenure as Chair includes many milestone achievements, particularly in the perception of mental health and the range of support services related to it in Malta. "Richmond Foundation served as a catalyst to bring about a shift in the way people perceive mental health in Malta. In fact, today we do not speak of mental illness, we speak about mental health – that is already something completely different," he says. "I step down now as Chair to both focus my energy on a fam- ily medical issue and to pass the baton to young blood, who will bring fresh ideas and energy to the organisation. I'm sad to go, but I also have a sense of pride that Richmond has been the driv- er of huge social change, which has impacted the lives of individ- uals, institutions, governments and even private enterprise. I feel we have made a difference to so many affected by mental illness and we have established a centre that is tirelessly working on dedi- cation, training and promotion of good mental health practice. This will be my legacy," Mr Guillaumi- er concludes. More information about the Richmond Foundation is availa- ble at www.richmond.org.mt.