Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/326223
Events 38 maltatoday, Sunday, 8 June 2014 HSBC Malta's Maxicredit enhanced to offer funding for small businesses HSBC Malta's Maxicredit propo- sition has been enhanced to offer greater funding opportunities for small business owners needing a business loan of up to €100,000. Maxicredit loans can now be used to finance the purchase of fixed as- sets for business purposes and en- able borrowers to spread the repay- ment over the lifetime of the asset, normally up to a maximum term of 10 years, but in certain cases up to a maximum term of 25 years. More generally Maxicredit pro- vides customers with the oppor- tunity to unlock the value of their home, which in most cases would also be their biggest investment. The difference between the market value of the property and the out- standing balance of the home loan is known as equity. Maxicredit al- lows property owners to tap this equity and use it as security for a medium or long-term loan. "HSBC Malta's enhanced Max- icredit proposition provides a stronger and more comprehensive platform from which to meet our customers' needs. Through it HSBC Malta is offering another unique solution in support of the economy by supporting small business own- ers who are backbone of the Mal- tese economy and the main source of new jobs in Europe," said HSBC Malta's Head of Customer Value Management James Hewitson. "Maxicredit provides customers with an opportunity to borrow at a lower interest rate and a longer term than with an unsecured loan, opening up innovative and afford- able funding solutions that maxim- ise the full potential of their invest- ment. So whether they are looking to buy a luxury car, a pleasure boat, fund education costs overseas, or invest in business, customers may benefit from borrowing at a very competitive rate and repaying the loan over a longer term," said Hewitson. The current Maxicredit variable rate is 4.75%. Customers also have the option of fixing the interest rate on their Maxicredit loan for 2, 3 or 5 years. For more details visit HSBC Mal- ta's website www.hsbc.com.mt, call Customer Service on 2380 2380, or visit any one of HSBC Malta's branches in Malta and Gozo. Kayak for Charity 2014 getting ready for the big day THE Kayak for Charity 2014 team is currently in full drive training, pre- paring for the forthcoming, never- attempted round trip Malta-Sicily- Malta by kayak in aid of Inspire, the Foundation of inclusion. Supported by Frank Salt Real Es- tate, this challenge translates to a course of more than 100 nautical miles (190 km), which will be pad- dled non-stop by the two-man team Andrea Scorcia and Ian Laferla, on board of a double kayak. As a warm up to the event, this week they will be circumnavigat- ing the Malta Archipelago; 110 km of non-stop paddling which will last approximately 18 hours and which is a mighty challenge in itself. Albert Gambina and Dorian Vas- sallo, two kayak enthusiasts who decided to put their love for the rela- tively unfamiliar sport to good use, with the idea of getting more people to know about it and at the same time help people in need, founded kayak for Charity in 2008. They have been paddling for worthy causes ever since and funds collected over previous challenges have exceeded €65,000. Whilst still a budding organiza- tion, Kayak for Charity is very active in promoting and assisting philan- thropic causes. Only last year, Albert Gambina and Dorian Vassallo fol- lowed St. Paul's trail from Malta to Rome, paddling 600 nautical miles in three weeks in aid of the Commu- nity Chest Fund. Inspire, the charity benefitting from this year's challenge, is a non- profit organisation leading the way in providing therapeutic, educa- tion and leisure services to persons with disabilities in Malta and Gozo. Among many other noble initiatives, Inspire engages people with disabili- ties in sports activities and trains them for the Paralympics. "We are very excited about sup- porting this local event which brings together sports and altruistic ele- ments, and we are committed to help the organisers reach out as many out there as possible, with the hope of collecting the much needed funds for Inspire Malta," said Douglas Salt, Director at Frank Salt Real Estate. The public is invited to follow the group's Facebook page https://www. facebook.com/KayakForCharity for more info or to make a donation. From left to right, Albert Gambina, DS, il, Andrea Scorcia, Nathan Farrugia, Dorian Vassallo Vodafone Management team learns how to live ecologically at Bahrija Oasis On a sunny day, the senior man- agement team of Vodafone Malta headed to Bahrija to learn about permaculture and rolled up their sleeves to help Bahrija Oasis, a living research and development ecological farm run by volunteers with the feeding of the animals, composting, building tripods from bamboo for trelises and helping out in the kitchen. Bahrija Oasis is a research and development project promoting permaculture systems, forestry and integrative science design while promoting today's green technolo- gy with ecological land based living through a sustainable vision. It is also a showcase for the Per- maculture Reasearch Foundation Malta, a voluntary organisation which works in the field of perma- culture, food security, agro forestry and creative ecology. "It's so great that we had the op- portunity to experience the prin- ciples of permaculture first hand," said Jason Pavia. "We saw how the oasis is a ref- uge for Maltese endemic species of plant and animal life and how the vibrant and thriving land is a living example of how science, sense and sensitivity can combine with nature to create a f lourishing environment teaming with biode- virsity. It was truly an experience that will be treasured forever," he concluded. Permaculture is a holistic design philiosophy and the art and science of creating community eco-systems in which plants, animals, human beings and all forms of ecological diversity interact to produce pro- lific, ecologically sound and regen- erative systems that can support themselves and life indefinitely. The focus of permaculture is to design and establish societal sys- tems that provide for humanity's material and non-material needs such as food, water, shelter, energy and health in a way that is symbiot- ic and synergistic with the Earth's natural balanced ecosystems. Kate Gerwin crowned Bols Bartending World Champion 2014 KATE Gerwin of the USA has been awarded the prestigious title of Bols Bartending World Champion 2014, following a sensational Bols Around the World grand final on Tuesday 20 May in Amsterdam. This highly-anticipated finale was webcast live to a global audience for the first time on bols.com. As well as being live-streamed at 16 Bols Around the World live-stream par- ties, riveted bartenders logged on personally to witness the eight final contenders battle head-to-head and have their bartending skills put to the ultimate test. Scrutinised by a six-strong inter- national judging panel, finalists were tasked with demonstrating they are the world's most visionary bartender, an innovator focused on creating the next trend in bartending. The action packed 1½-hour event also featured the newest and most innovative flair show by world cham- pion tandem flair artists, Tomek Malek and Marek Poluszny and can be viewed on bols.com and also on youtube/Bolsbartending. Kate prevailed with her outstand- ing cocktail, 'Brown chicken, brown cacao', made with Bols Cacao Brown, Bols Natural Yoghurt, spiced almond milk and walnut bitters. The inspi- ration behind her drink came from a classic cocktail in the USA, which started in her hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota with the oil boom. In addition to being named Bols Bartending World Champion 2014, Kate's prize package includes a 10- day global bar tour and a guest bar- tending shift in top bars in four cock- tail capitals of the world. She wasn't the only winner, however, as the global webcast audience voted for their favourite bartender to win the Audience Award, which they gave to Frédéric Lafontaine from Canada. Kate Gerwin says, "I don't think there are any words to describe how I'm feeling. I am honoured. I have been on the most incredible journey here with Bols, together with the judges, the past winner and especial- ly the other competitors. "Even though we have been com- peting hard against each other we helped one another all the time and the judges have been so positive. I am thrilled with the prospect of repre- senting Bols for a year. I hope I can do this incredible historic brand the justice it deserves because it has been instrumental in not only my career but that of so many bartenders' ca- reers." The eighth annual competition at- tracted the most extensive pool of in- novative entries the contest has ever seen, with over 3,000 entries from 76 countries. Eighteen semi-finalists embarked on a four-day intensive Bols experience in Amsterdam show- casing a breadth of skills, before the group was narrowed down to eight finalists. All Bols Around the World finalists will become Bols Ambassadors in their own region and will be trained extensively at the Bols Bartending Academy. Additional information can be found at www.Bols.com and at www. facebook.com/bolsbartending.