Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503087
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JULY 2023 10 COMMERCIAL THE Convenience Shop (Hold- ing) p.l.c. has announced its listing on the Malta Stock Ex- change, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. The Convenience Shop Group has successfully com- pleted its Initial Public Offering (IPO), and this listing opens up new avenues of growth and op- portunities for the company. The Convenience Shop Group was founded 14 years ago by Ivan Calleja and Joseph Pace, with a vision to cater to the modern Maltese lifestyle by bridging the gap in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) retail sector. Since then, the group have come a long way. Calleja and Pace, to- gether with Manuel Piscopo and Kevin Deguara forged a path of growth, innovation, and success, under the leadership of the Group CEO, Martin Agius. Key milestones by end of 2023 include the opening of four ad- ditional franchised stores, the opening of their head office and flagship store in Qormi, as well as a new partnership with the National Lottery. The company's expansion strategy includes reaching a significant milestone of opening its 100th shop by mid-2024, solidifying its presence and bringing con- venience closer to more com- munities. In addition to physical growth, The Convenience Shop Group is committed to enhanc- ing the shopping experience for its customers. In 2024, the company will unveil a fresh and modern look and feel within its shops, ensuring it remains at the forefront of evolving cus- tomer preferences and needs. Looking further ahead, The Convenience Shop Group as- pires to make its first interna- tional placement by 2025, ex- panding its reach and tapping into new markets. During the ceremony, the Chairman of The Convenience Shop Group, Benjamin Muscat, expressed his sincere apprecia- tion to the investors who have placed their trust in the compa- ny through the IPO. He assured that the company is committed to generating consistent re- turns, enhancing shareholder value, and maintaining a trans- parent and accountable ap- proach. The Convenience Shop (Holding) p.l.c. marks listing on MSE with ringing of the bell ceremony The Convenience Shop (Holding) p.l.c. marks listing on MSE with ringing of the bell ceremony Heritage Malta launches its events calendar for summer and autumn HERITAGE Malta has launched its events calendar for the second half of 2023, offering a wide vari- ety of activities and experiences that may be enjoyed by people of all ages. Activities for this year's Student Passport Summer Pro- gramme, aimed at increasing accessibility to our cultural her- itage among children and young teens during their school holi- days, have also been announced. Heritage Malta's calendar for summer and autumn targets the general public as well as sea- soned scholars, with a total of 52 events ranging from edutaining activities intended for families with young children to large- scale and smaller exhibitions, re-enactments, members events, curatorial talks, thematic tours, public lectures, special openings of closed sites, harbour cruis- es, heritage trails and equinox events. The Student Passport Sum- mer Programme, on the other hand, includes various interac- tive hands-on experiences for children of all ages. This year, the themes of the events in this programme are all related in one way or another to natural his- tory, since 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the National Mu- seum of Natural History, which is very popular among children. The events calendar and the student programme were launched at a press conference attended by Dr Owen Bonnici, Minister for the National Her- itage, the Arts and Local Gov- ernment, and Dr Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation. Heritage Malta's Chief Execu- tive Officer, Noel Zammit, said that Heritage Malta's events during the first half of the year sparked great interest and saw thousands of people flocking to the museums and sites under the agency's wing. Heritage Malta is duty-bound to ensure that our nation's stories are preserved for posterity and made accessible for everyone to experience and en- joy, and this calendar of events illustrates the agency's endeav- ours to accomplish this mission. Speaking about the Student Passport Summer Programme, Vanessa Ciantar, Heritage Mal- ta's Assistant Manager for Ed- ucation and Thematic Events, gave an overview of this sum- mer's activities. She said that the programme aims to reach students of all ages and interests. Although the overriding topic is natural history, it will be tackled through different means, such as art, storytelling, model making, virtual reality, talks, and cave ex- ploration. Students and their ac- companying guardians will sure- ly find something that kindles their interest, spurs them to help preserve the natural world, and strengthens their love of learning in a museum setting. Year 6 students from the Vit- toriosa Primary School were present at the press conference, participating in a typical hands- on summer programme activity which involved the baking of tra- ditional Maltese biskuttini. More information about He- riage Malta's events calendar may be accessed here: https:// issuu.com/heritagemt/docs/ hm_events_calendar_july-de- cember_ The full programme of the Student Passport Summer Pro- gramme activities may be ac- cessed here: https://heritagemal- ta.mt/whats-on/ STUDENTS from St Martin's College have achieved global recognition by winning the 2023 Global FinCap Challenge, an in- ternational competition admin- istered by Junior Achievement Worldwide and the HSBC Group. This follows their success in the Malta National Innovation Chal- lenge as part of the JA Worldwide initiative, "Building a Financial- ly Capable Generation". Fifteen teams competed in this year's Global FinCap Challenge which is open to students aged between 12 and 16. The learning experience includes hands-on workshops, an educational app called FinQuest, and local Innovation Challenge events, hosted by each of the fif- teen participating JA locations. The winners of each National Innovation Challenge advance to the Global FinCap Challenge. The Maltese team, representing JA Malta, outshone competitors from around the world with their innovative app concept, Malteasy. The app enhances the tourist ex- perience in Malta by providing information about local events, markets, and experiences, while simultaneously promoting local producers and service providers. The students' journey to victory began with the "Imagine if" chal- lenge, where they were tasked with devising an innovative campaign to stimulate local job creation and entrepreneurial op- portunities. Their success in the National Innovation Challenge in Malta earned them their place at the Global Innovation Challenge. Maltese students triumph in international entrepreneurship challenge