Over the past four years, the Save a Life Foundation invested a total of €110,958 in eight social-support projects reaching over 800 children and youths in sports, social and cultural activities in the communities in the first district.
"When my wife and launched the 'Save A Life Foundation' on the 22nd June 2013, my key point was that as elected representatives we cannot be by-standers whilst other people are pointlessly wasting or losing their lives", said MP Claudio Grech.
In this context, Claudio Grech entered into a formal undertaking to invest all the Parliamentary honoraria (he was due to receive over this Legislature) into the Foundation and any top-up necessary to complete the projects. As at 31st December 2016, the audited financial statements note that Claudio Grech contributed €103,963 to the Foundation of which €62,633 relates to the Parliamentary honoraria with the balance being additional own funds invested to enable the Foundation to complete its the social projects.
The eight projects carried out by the Foundation are:
1. The extension of the ground floor nursery premises of Hamrun Spartans to provide additional facilities for children attending the nursery and their parents.
2. The development of a virtual classroom at the San Ġorġ Preca Primary School in Valletta, providing an advanced 1-2-1 computing learning environment to the children attending the primary school.
3. The establishment of an Interactive School of Music at the Soċjeta Filarmonika Vilhena, in Floriana, aimed at providing an engaging environment for the learning of music.
4. The creation of the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina, of Valletta to establish a framework of initiatives aimed at enhancing social engagement of children within their community.
5. Jointly with the Għaqda Festi Esterni San Duminku, the development of a programme for the revival of traditional artisan skills for youths in Valletta.
6. Partnering with the Tagħba Foundation to set-up 'Teen Klabb' a home-work club to provide after-school academic assistance to children in Valletta.
7. Teaming up with the "Soċjeta Mużikali San Ġużepp" in Hamrun for the setting up of a Musical Academy and the development of the infrastructural improvements to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Academy.
8. Jointly with the Ghaqda Festa tal-Madonna ta' Fatima, the development of a 5-a-side football pitch for the children at Ursuline's sisters' Angela House in Pieta' and the development of a programme for artisan skills for youths in Pieta.
During the past two years the Foundation has engaged into researching a the drug addiction problem in the Southern harbour to explore potential projects which make a marked improvement in addressing this major issue.
Claudio Grech announced that "on the basis of the research and analysis of the situation, the Save A Life Foundation wll be shifting its focus onto the development of a major project, namely the establishment of a new drug rehabilitation community, centre and programme based on on the exceptionally successful experience of the San Patrignano in Italy."
The Foundation is currently reviewing three distinct locations for the development of the project, will be kicking off the governance structures of the project and the formulation of the Programme's business plan. The programme will be free of charge and the operations will be largely self-sustaining based on a social enterprise model.
"This is a major leap for the Foundation and for us personally. This is a first step of a dream we have been seeking to realise to offer a new hope for lost youths. I believe that the establishment of the rehabilitation community will leave invaluable benefits to society, the youths involved and their families" said Claudio Grech.