Society

One of the forms of employee volunteering is the “We are close” competition, targeted at employees working for the benefit of local communities in their area, recognizing their needs. A distinguishing feature of this form of employee involvement in social activity is the variety of volunteer areas and ideas for helping. As a result, it was possible to provide schools, care facilities for children and disabled people, local associations and shelters for homeless animals with equipment and necessary materials.

Bank Pekao has engaged in the action of honorary blood donation with employees. Initiatives were held at the company’s headquarters and locally at the Bank’s facilities, with adequate preparation of the venue to accommodate blood donors from outside the workforce as well.

Volunteers from the Bank conducted classes for schoolchildren in the BAKCYL financial education program in cooperation with the Bank's social partner in Volunteering, the Warsaw Institute of Banking at the Polish Bank Association. Bank experts prepare and conduct thematic online lessons for schools cooperating with WIB, including: AI in a nutshell or Labor market and competences of the future.

The Bank continued its environmental education program for employees titled EKOlogia na bank!, launching the second edition, during which experts from the UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Center – Department of the National Environmental Foundation introduced the Bank’s employees to issues related to the topic: “Biodiversity in our environment. Trees. Birds. Insects”. Bank employees also took part in many eco-volunteering campaigns, including: cleaning forests in forest districts, in Nowy Gaj they made outdoor flower, herb and fruit pots, which were then given to the SOS Children's Village in Kraśnik; as part of the Beekeeping Culture Festival in Lublin, they prepared, among other things, two educational demonstration hives, which were given to the Beekeeping Technical School in Pszczela Wola.

The Bank cooperates with social partners within the Volunteering Programme and jointly invites volunteers to undertake initiatives in the areas of: economic education, charity and social assistance, ecology and environmental protection, animals and protection of natural heritage. In 2023, the Bank’s volunteer partners were: UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Center – Department of the National Foundation for Environmental Protection, the Apiterra Foundation, the Warsaw Institute of Banking Foundation, Healthy Movement Foundation, Warsaw Uprising Museum, the Polish Red Cross, the Anthill Association, the SOS Children’s Villages Association, and the Polish Animal Welfare Society.

In 2023 we continued cooperation with the Polish Basketball Association (PZKosz) and the Polish Basketball League S.A. (PLK), and we also supported the Polish National Basketball Team and youth games. The Bank decided during 2023 to sign a new agreement with PZKosz and PLK, so it will be present in Polish basketball until at least mid-2026.

In 2023, we also supported initiatives of an economic nature. We were present at Impact’23, the Corporate and Investment Banking Congress, the Karpacz Economic Forum and the Krynica 2023 Forum, among others. In January 2024, Bank representatives were also present at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

For many years Bank Pekao has also been involved in the protection of Polish bisons. The financial support provided by the Bank is earmarked, inter alia, for the diversification and development of the population, caring for herds and subsidizing scientific and educational undertakings promoting the protection of this exceptional and unique endangered species. Bank Pekao has supported the implementation of the statutory tasks of the Białowieża National Park for two decades, as a sponsor and partner of the park.