Month: July 2022

The HSBC Malta Foundation sponsored the winners’ prizes for the High 5 Junior Mathematicians Challenge 2022. The initiative is organised by the Science Centre Pembroke and aims to challenge talented mathematics learners in primary school years 5 and 6 and strengthen pupils’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

A total of 65 students from different schools across Malta and Gozo participated in a series of workshops and collaboration-based activities organised in the STEM Camps, sponsored by the HSBC Malta Foundation, at the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra.

The winners of the challenge are: Matthew Fenech from Maria Regina College Naxxar Primary; Zakariah Licari from De La Salle College; Nathan Tedesco from St Nicholas College Attard Primary; Gianluca Shead Farrugia from St Benedict College Safi Primary, and Rakela Debono from the St Ignatius College Siġġiewi Primary.

Furthermore, six other students have been presented medals and certificates for their outstanding work: Dave Caruana from Archbishop’s Seminary; Luigi Borg from St. Paul’s Missionary College; Wayne Muscat from Theresa Nuzzo School; Kaarthik Santosh and Kaushik Santosh from St Thomas More College Marsaskala St Joachim Primary, and Jake Bonnici from De La Salle College.

Michel Cordina, Executive Director and Head of Business Development at HSBC Bank Malta, said: “STEM subjects have never been more important than today when emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, are driving digital transformation across all economic sectors. The HSBC Malta Foundation, therefore, is honoured to have supported the High 5 initiative for another year. This is part of an ongoing effort to support STEM education which also includes our sponsorship of the Science Safari, the Hunt, the HSBC STEM Challenge, the Malta Junior Science Olympiad, and the MatemaTikka Award Scheme.”

Desiree Scicluna Bugeja, Assistant Director at the Ministry for Education, said: “The talented participants of this initiative have faced a handful of challenges via workshops and tasks to probe their problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills. The strong collaboration between the HSBC Malta Foundation and the Pembroke Science Centre over several years is pivotal to further strengthen opportunities for gifted students”.

The High 5 Junior Mathematics Challenge offers talented students the opportunity to probe their problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills.

HSBC Bank Malta employees have made use of the Bank’s voluntary leave scheme to participate in two beach clean-ups organised by Nature Trust – Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Malta. Acting on behalf of the HSBC Malta Foundation, the team of employees gathered almost 75 kilogrammes of waste from Għadira Bay in Mellieħa and Għajn Tuffieħa in Manikata.

As part of HSBC Bank Malta’s commitment to the community, the ‘Volunteer Leave Day’ scheme allows employees to apply for a day of leave, which is additional to the regular annual leave entitlement. This day must be used to work for and help communities and NGOs across Malta and Gozo. Volunteering opportunities are also made available to employees through the HSBC Volunteering Platform.

During the two clean-up days, HSBC Malta volunteers collected a wide range of litter and trash from the two beaches, such as construction materials; metal and wooden objects; street signs, cigarette butts; remnants of fishing equipment, nets and ropes; and different plastic waste.

This initiative aligns with the Bank’s unwavering commitment to a net zero future. HSBC is playing a leading role in mobilising the transition to a global net zero economy, not just by financing it, but by helping to shape and influence the global policy agenda. HSBC recognises that our planet urgently needs drastic and lasting action to protect our communities, businesses and natural environment from the damaging effects of climate change.

Glenn Bugeja, Corporate Sustainability Manager at HSBC Bank Malta, said: “These two clean-up days served as a real eye-opener on the work that still needs to be done to ensure we take collective responsibility for our environment. HSBC has always encouraged volunteering as a way for the Bank to remain an integral part of the community and the commitment of our employees continues to deliver real benefits to the community.”

Angelique Lofaro, Honorary General Secretary ay Nature Trust – FEE Malta, said, “Marine debris and litter all have a detrimental effect on our wildlife and ourselves. Whilst clean ups help to reduce the burden in one area, more effort needs to made by every single individual to reduce our negative impact on the environment. We need to reduce drastically our use of plastics, re-use an object as many times as possible, and dispose of it well when we can’t use it anymore. When in nature, we also have to shift to a mentality to leave the area cleaner than how we found it, even if it means picking up litter which is not ours. It may not be our litter, but it’s our planet.”

Atlas Insurance is once again supporting the APS Summer Festival which is set to take place at the University of Malta campus between 20 and the 31 July 2022. This is the third edition of the APS Summer Festival and the second edition that Atlas is sponsoring the event.

Speaking during the launch of the festival, Managing Director and CEO of Atlas Insurance Matthew von Brockdorff said that the company is once again pleased to accept APS’s invitation to support the summer festival, which is becoming a regular fixture of Malta’s cultural programme.

“We are pleased that by extening our support, we are helping to provide a platform which gives opportunities for artists and performers across a variety of genres. At Atlas, we are committed to contributing to the community in which we operate, through our various initiatives in the areas of sustainability, heritage, sports & wellbeing – and in this case the arts and culture which are an important cornerstone of our overall ESG strategy and very much in line with our purpose beyond profit,” Mr von Brockdorff said.

He added that the involvement of Atlas started during the pandemic and in doing so the company firmly supported Maltese customers, businesses and artists. “As we adapt to the new normal, we are proud to have renewed our support this year, in very different circumstances, but with the same objective of celebrating culture and promoting artistic talent,” he said, whilst congratulating APS Bank for organising this festival.

The series of events forming part of this festival are being organised under the artistic direction of Annalisa Schembri, and in celebration of diversity and the magic of entertainment. The festival will feature headline acts such as the Beangrowers, The New Victorians, Qamar-Qabar, Kantera as well as the Malta Philarmonic Orchetsra. A number of international acts will also feature in the programme.

For more information, one can visit the APS Bank’s Summer Festival website page on https://apsbank.com.mt/aps-summer-festival-2022

One of Izola Bank’s senior executives is about to undertake a mammoth cycling challenge to help raise money for Malta’s Victory Kitchen which is aiming to buy a new refrigerated van to help it keep feeding the hungry.

Josef Frendo, head of Izola’s credit department, will be taking part in the Lepape Marmotte Grandfondo Alpes event on Sunday July 3. Spread over 177km and reaching 5000 altimeters, this incredible course navigates through beautiful but incredibly tricky terrain in the Alps.

Cyclists must scale 4 legendary mountain passes and conquer 3 HC Category climbs. Taking place just after the Tour de France, Lepape Marmotte Grandfondo Alpes is one of the most revered cycling challenges in the world, attracting thousands of avid riders.

A keen cyclist, Josef believes this next challenge will be his toughest yet. ‘This is an event I’ve always wanted to participate in. The training is intensive and learning how to stay focused and energised when you’re that high up in the mountains is no easy feat. But the fact that this is for such a brilliant cause makes the effort worthwhile in every way. We would like to raise the remaining €20,000 to help Victory Kitchen purchase its new refrigerated van outright.’

Rafel Sammut, chef and founder of Victory Kitchen, which currently feeds struggling families with around 1,700 meals a week, explains the importance of the van and how the demand for Victory Kitchen’s meals has grown.

‘We first set up Victory Kitchen when we realized how many people were impacted by the Covid19 Pandemic. Now with rising food prices and many struggling to make ends meet, the demand for our services is ongoing. We’ve had a brilliant relationship with eCabs which helped to deliver our meals over the last two years, but understandably this was only an interim solution,’ he said.
‘With Izola Bank’s support and Josef Frendo’s ambition to take on the French Alps, we can close off the purchase of the new refrigerated van and ensure we can keep delivering meals to the hungry around Malta.’

Izola Bank, also one of the main sponsors of the local NGO Foodbank Lifeline Foundation, is dedicated to help ensure that no one in Malta should ever suffer the indignity of hunger. Andrew Mifsud, CEO of Izola Bank explains the background to the bank’s support of such causes: ‘A few years back I had the pleasure of meeting Reverend Kim Hurst who was the founder of Foodbank Lifeline when it was under the patronage of St. Andrews Scots Church. We discussed at length the fact that Malta had no official foodbank providing food directly to people in need and the alarming number of people on the cusp of the poverty line struggling to stock their cupboards.’

Andrew continues: ‘Not to mention Rev. Kim herself witnessing people going through bins looking for thrown away food to eat. A hungry society can’t function as well as it should. We believe no one should suffer like this. Supporting Victory Kitchen is a natural extension of our efforts to help keep the hungry in Malta fed.’

Josef Frendo’s progress will be shown on both Victory Kitchen and Izola Bank’s Facebook and Instagram pages for those wanting to follow the run up to the challenge.

Those wanting to donate can do so directly to Victory Kitchen via Revolut to 99441950 or via Izola Bank to IBAN: MT48IZOL66110000000001001000001 BIC: IZOL MTMT