Several BOV branches teamed up to organise initiatives in favour of different philanthropic organisations and NGOs.

Branches were encouraged to come up with initiatives that would support the local community. "The objective was twofold," explained Mr Geoffrey Ghigo, Head Branch Network Unit at Bank of Valletta, "On the one hand, we wanted our teams to work together towards a common cause. Concurrently, the initiatives undertaken would serve to strengthen the bond between the branches and the communities in which they operate."

The projects put forward and realised by the teams were varied in nature. Some of the teams made contact with a home that had children in care and organised a fun day or a barbeque for the young residents. Others focused on the elderly, hosting an afternoon tea for them. Then there were others who undertook voluntary work, embellishing entertainment areas within residential homes or doing badly needed odd-jobs.

"It was interesting to witness how these events evolved. What started out as a challenge, became an experience that everyone who participated thoroughly enjoyed, and it helped increase synergies not only within the team, but also between different teams," explained Mr Ghigo.

Charles Azzopardi, Head PR & Marketing at Bank of Valletta added, "Bank of Valletta has always taken its Corporate Responsibility to heart. We feel it is also important for our people to take an active role in their communities, and this project has helped tremendously in this regard. Within the Bank, we are also using our internal communication channels to share these experiences across the organisation, because we feel that this helps to support teamwork and motivate our people."