12 February 2021

UniCredit Bank Hungary’s social innovation program is awarded ‘CSR Solution of the Year’

2:00 Min

UniCredit Bank Hungary’s 'Step with us!' social innovation program has received the Grand Award for ‘CSR Solution of the Year’ at the prestigious Doing Good CSR Awards 2020 competition in Hungary. The program also won the first place in its category, ‘Equal opportunities, corporate responsibility, supporting disadvantaged groups.’

 

The Doing Good CSR Awards was organised for the first time in Hungary with the aim of showcasing best practices that address human rights as well as environmental protection issues. The organiser’s intention was to show that corporate social responsibility can have significant impact and do good wherever it is applied. The competition received more than 50 entries by top Hungarian companies.

 

The awards won by UniCredit Bank Hungary clearly demonstrate the bank’s commitment towards sustainable economic development and the reduction of social inequalities. The 'Step with us!' program reduces the economic vulnerability of disadvantaged communities and offers innovative solutions that included a business element.

 

UniCredit’s ‘Step with us!’ program made grants to three social enterprises. Real Pearl Foundation was granted €20,000 to finance a new wood briquette manufacturing workshop in the poorest region of Hungary to help needy families ease their heating problems.

 

 ‘UCCU’ Roma Informal Educational Foundation organises thematic city walks with the objective of dismissing prejudice and fostering dialogue between Roma and non-Roma people. They used their grant to create an online ‘City Walks’ website to help them sell these walks and have trained 11 young Romas to guide the walks in the cities of Pécs and Budapest.

 

A grant was also made to For Countryside Social Cooperative to develop food manufacturing. They purchase produce from farmers, who use the funds to buy new equipment to increase their production capacities and sales volumes. As a result, they have increased their sales revenues 3.6 times compared to previous years. The farmers can now provide stable employment to the local community.

Csilla Dudás, Senior Communications Manager, UniCredit Bank Hungary

“This award shows UniCredit social responsibility and recognises the colleagues who have volunteering their time to develop the program and mentor the social enterprises. The bank’s social enterprise-development work started with the ‘Step with us!’ program and continues to flourish via our Social Impact Banking activities.”