Month: September 2025

Bank of Valletta is proud to once again partner with Colour My Run, the event that has fast become known as Malta’s happiest fun runs. The colourful 5km walk or run returns on Sunday 2 November at 9.00 am, with Fort Manoel providing the stunning backdrop for what promises to be another morning of colour, laughter, and community spirit.

Unlike traditional races, Colour My Run is not about competition or timings. Instead, it is about enjoying a few hours in good company, whether you choose to run, jog or simply walk the route. The experience is designed for everyone, be they families with children, groups of friends, colleagues or individuals who simply want to take part in something light-hearted, positive and uplifting. Last year’s edition brought together more than 1,200 participants, and this year promises to be even bigger.

Importantly, the 2025 event will also support a meaningful cause. Proceeds will go to the Richmond Foundation, helping the organisation continue its vital work in mental health.

Speaking about the initiative, Kenneth Farrugia, CEO of Bank of Valletta, said, “Colour My Run is about more than a fun experience. It is about people coming together in a spirit of joy and inclusion. The fact that this year’s edition will also help the Richmond Foundation makes it even more special. At BOV, we are delighted to support an event that not only puts smiles on people’s faces but also reinforces the importance of wellbeing within our community.”

For Nathan Farrugia, the event organiser, the run is an opportunity to show that sport and movement can be for everyone. He said, “We can all do with a bit more joy in our lives,  and laughing triggers more muscles than you’d expect! So we thought of combining fun and physical activity for all the family to encourage everyone to stay active for both their physical and mental health. We know this event is often the trigger for participants to keep up some form of exercise, so we encourage everyone to come and join the fun and live the #RunHappy experience!”

Daniela Calleja Bitar, CEO of Richmond Foundation, highlighted the impact of the event’s fundraising efforts, explaining, “Every step you take and every burst of colour you share at this event sends out a message of hope. For the people we support, knowing that so many stand behind them makes a real difference. Colour My Run is more than a fun event — it is a celebration of compassion, community, and the belief that together, we can make life brighter for those struggling with their mental health.”

With its mix of fun, fitness, colour, and purpose, Colour My Run is once again set to brighten up the Maltese islands and leave participants with memories that will last a lifetime. Register here.

PwC Malta has announced the appointment of Lucienne Pace Ross as Territory Senior Partner (TSP), effective 1 October 2025. She succeeds David Valenzia, who has served as TSP of the firm for the last eight years.

David Valenzia has been with PwC for 36 years, 27 of them as a partner, and will be retiring from the firm on 31 December 2025 having reached the firm’s official retirement age.

Commenting on the election of his successor, David Valenzia said, “Congratulations to Lucienne on her election. Throughout her years at PwC, Lucienne has strengthened our quality and risk agenda and built trusted relationships across industries and our network. She brings deep business and assurance experience, a clear, objective view of the facts and a relentless focus on quality. I believe that PwC Malta is in very capable hands as it moves forward to deliver outcomes that our clients can rely on. I am grateful to our clients and our people for their support over the last eight years, and I am confident that Lucienne will maintain our fundamental principles, values and culture as she guides the firm to further success in the years ahead.”

Lucienne joined PwC Malta in 1997 after graduating in Accountancy from the University of Malta. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA), where she currently serves as vice-president. She was appointed assurance partner on 1 July 2006 and assumed the role of quality and risk management partner in 2011. Lucienne has acted as assurance engagement leader on a diverse client portfolio, including groups of companies and other non-group companies that vary in size and structure. Her experience spans the audit of local and foreign-owned companies across multiple industries and sectors. She has complemented her experience with secondments to PwC offices in New York and Brussels and has participated in and led various global projects at a network level.

“It is a privilege to have been elected Senior Partner and to have the opportunity to lead our talented team. I would like to thank David for his leadership over the last eight years. My aim is to build on the firm’s strong foundations. As we look ahead, the market is evolving rapidly – clients face pressure to transform, to digitise responsibly, and to maintain trust in a challenging environment. My priority will be to ensure our firm stays ahead of these shifts, bringing the best of our people and our network to deliver insight, innovation and lasting value for our clients, while continuing to build a sustainable and resilient firm for the future,’ said Lucienne Pace Ross.

Less than a year since its launch, the Centre of Excellence in Financial Capability & Entrepreneurship (CoE) is making a remarkable impact. Established by JA Malta, the HSBC Malta Foundation, and the Ministry for Education, the CoE has seen demand for its teacher training more than triple, with four upcoming October sessions already fully booked.

The CoE equips schools to integrate financial capability and entrepreneurship across the curriculum through accredited training, practical resources, and ongoing mentorship. From its early pilot projects in schools across Malta, the initiative has demonstrated that when teachers are given the right tools and training, students quickly engage with essential money skills such as budgeting, saving, evaluating offers, avoiding scams, and planning for future goals.

In June 2025, 19 educators were recognised as Accredited Financial Capability Teachers, reflecting months of practical implementation in classrooms. Many of these teachers are now active contributors to the CoE’s community of practice, sharing resources, co-creating activities, and mentoring peers.

Petra Ellul-Mercer, Financial Capability Project Developer at JA Malta, said: “Our vision was clear: financial capability should not be a stand-alone subject but a way of teaching across disciplines. The surge in demand shows that schools and educators are eager for practical training that delivers immediate benefits for students.”

The CoE’s work also connects with broader educational initiatives such as Let’s Talk Farming and Eco Skola, embedding financial literacy into sustainability and entrepreneurship projects. Its hands-on resources include Dilemme, a financial education board game adapted for Maltese classrooms with support from the HSBC Malta Foundation.

Glenn Bugeja, Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., added: “This is such an important initiative, and it is encouraging to see it off to such a strong start. By working together with educators and partners, we are helping to build lifelong skills and confidence that young people will carry into their future careers and communities.”

Looking ahead, the CoE will honour the first schools to achieve recognition as Centres of Excellence in Financial Capability & Entrepreneurship at the Digital Finance Frontiers conference on 15 October 2025—one year to the day since its inception.

About the Centre of Excellence in Financial Capability & Entrepreneurship

Launched on 15 October 2024 by JA Malta in partnership with the HSBC Malta Foundation and the Ministry for Education, the CoE equips educators and schools to integrate financial capability and entrepreneurship across the curriculum through accredited training, resources, and mentorship, helping young people become confident, critical thinkers and responsible decision-makers. Click here for more info.

Housed at the Chapel of the MSA’s headquarters Palazzo de La Salle, the painting titled Sacred Heart of Jesus will be restored by PrevArti.

The HSBC Malta Foundation is supporting the Malta Society of Arts (MSA) in the restoration of Anton Inglott’s painting Sacred Heart of Jesus, an important work of Maltese modern art housed at the Society’s historic headquarters in Valletta.

Anton Inglott (1915–1945) is regarded as one of the foremost artists of his generation, credited with introducing modern conceptions and techniques into Malta’s art scene before his untimely death at the age of 30. His works are rare and highly valued, making the restoration of the Sacred Heart an important step in safeguarding a vital part of the nation’s cultural identity.

The conservation project is being led by specialist conservators PrevArti, who will undertake a full process of documentation, cleaning, structural repairs and aesthetic reintegration of both the painting and its decorative frame. Tests have shown that the painting has been affected by yellowed varnish, surface dirt, fly specks, and past retouchings, while the frame bears splits in the wood and layers of overpainting. The restoration will carefully remove these alterations, stabilise the materials, and reapply protective coatings, with the frame’s original gilding reinstated using pure gold leaf.

Founded in 1852, the Malta Society of Arts is the country’s oldest institution for the promotion of art, crafts, and culture. The organisation continues to be a hub for exhibitions, courses, and creative development, while also serving as custodian of important works such as Inglott’s Sacred Heart.

Glenn Bugeja, Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., comments: “This is such an important initiative. The restoration of Anton Inglott’s Sacred Heart is not only about conserving a work of art but also about protecting a piece of Malta’s modern cultural history. It is encouraging to see this project off to a strong start, and we are proud that the HSBC Malta Foundation can contribute to its success.”

Roderick Camilleri, Acting President of the Malta Society of Arts, adds: “We are delighted to receive the support of the HSBC Malta Foundation for the restoration of this important work. This piece is a unique standout among sacred artworks from Malta’s early modern period, and conserving it is a responsibility we take very seriously. With this project we are not only preserving a valuable piece of Maltese heritage but also ensuring that the public can continue to experience and be inspired by it for years to come.”

Once the restoration is complete, the painting will be exhibited to the public at the Malta Society of Arts premises in Valletta, reinforcing the Society’s role as a guardian of Malta’s cultural heritage and as a space where the public can engage directly with the nation’s artistic treasures.

The Parish Church of Żebbuġ, Gozo, unveiled the newly restored 16th-century painting of the Immaculate Conception, a work of art depicting the Virgin Mary crowned with twelve gilded stars and standing on a crescent moon. The conservation project was supported by the Bank of Valletta Foundation and restoration was entrusted to Prevarti, led by restorer Pierre Bugeja, who meticulously revived the painting’s original brilliance using advanced conservation techniques.

Speaking on behalf of the BOV Foundation, Ernest Agius, Chief Operations Officer at Bank of Valletta, said, “This painting is far more than colours on canvas. It is a reminder of faith, values, identity and folklore. Local folklore has it that the radiant face of the Virgin Mary turns yellowish and pale before an impending natural catastrophe. It is also said that one day, when some corsairs dared to devastate the countryside as far as the village, a lady that resembled the image in the altarpiece appeared on the spot hurling stones to repel the enemy. Thanks to this conservation project, this work of art has been returned to the community in all its glory, to be enjoyed by current and future generations. At BOV, we are proud to support projects that safeguard Malta’s cultural heritage as part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the community at large.”

Pierre Bugeja explained the care taken in this complex project. “This was a delicate and challenging restoration. The painting had deteriorated over the years, with visible cracks, canvas deformations, and a darkened varnish layer. The painting also suffered from damage caused by added stars and a necklace once fixed onto it. Using special conservation techniques, we were able to consolidate the paint, repair the canvas, and clean the painting from accumulated layers of dirt, oxidised varnish and previous retouching and overpaint – ensuring the work is both structurally sound and faithful to the original.”

Parish Priest Fr John Sultana expressed his gratitude to the Bank and Prevarti, recognising that “The Immaculate Conception painting has been a symbol of devotion for generations of Żebbuġ parishioners. Its restoration not only revives a work of art but also renews a piece of our identity as a community. We are deeply grateful to our partners Bank of Valletta and Prevarti for making this possible.”

The ceremony was also attended by Dr Gordon Cordina, BOV Chairperson, Ms Antoinette Caruana from the BOV Foundation and Charles Azzopardi, Head CSR and Events, with their presence further underlining the Bank’s commitment to safeguarding Malta’s cultural and artistic heritage. Through such initiatives the Bank continues to honour its responsibility towards Malta’s heritage, supporting cultural sustainability through the BOV Foundation as part of its broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments.

The HSBC Malta Foundation is proud to renew its collaboration with the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation for the 7^th edition of the Thematic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Debate, which will take place on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Organised by the Directorate for STEM and VET (Vocational Education and Training) Programmes, the Thematic STEM Debate is a flagship initiative for Year 6 students across Malta, designed to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while also sharpening vital 21st-century skills. This year’s theme “digital gaming” ties into a broader national initiative on the subject, encouraging students to examine its potential benefits, challenges, and wider societal impact.

The event’s format sees young debaters examine diverse materials, research evidence, evaluate arguments, and articulate their positions with clarity and confidence. Through this process, they develop not only subject knowledge but also critical thinking, active listening, teamwork, and public speaking skills. All qualities that will serve them well in their academic journeys and beyond.

All participants will be recognised for their efforts, with special awards presented to the top debaters. A representative from the HSBC Malta Foundation will also serve on the adjudication panel, underscoring the Foundation’s hands-on commitment to nurturing educational excellence.

Glenn Bugeja, Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC Malta, said: “The Thematic STEM Debate blends science education with skills for life. It pushes students to think deeply, argue respectfully, and engage with ideas from different perspectives. As technology continues to shape the future, initiatives like this equip our young people to navigate it with confidence, creativity, and critical insight. We are delighted to continue supporting it.”

Isabel Zerafa, Education Officer for Primary Science within the Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes, added: “Over the years, the Thematic STEM Debate has grown into a much-anticipated annual event that both challenges and inspires our students. The focus on digital gaming this year is particularly relevant, offering a platform for meaningful discussion on a topic that touches the lives of so many young people. HSBC Malta Foundation’s ongoing support and collaboration with Esplora and the University of Malta, particularly the Institute of Digital Games and the Faculty of ICT, facilitates an enriching experience that encourages curiosity, respectful argumentation and empowerment, and confidence.”

The HSBC Malta Foundation’s ongoing support for STEM education reflects the bank’s wider commitment to empowering young people through learning opportunities that inspire curiosity, innovation, and resilience in an increasingly technology-driven world.