L-R: Ana Paula Fernandes, winner; Rudi Belli, Head of Sustainable Development; Credit: BCEE

Banque et Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat (BCEE), known locally as Spuerkeess, recently awarded €10,000 to an employee and local youth project.

As part of its goal to be socially and environmentally responsible, Spuerkeess has launched a new initiative aimed at empowering local youth. The action aims to support projects for the benefit of young people up to the age of 30 and allows one employee to win €10,000 to support the cause to which he / she is committed.

The concept is participatory and targets all staff. Everyone has the right to apply and each has a vote to be attributed to one of the five finalists, selected from among all the candidates by the bank's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Working Group.

“In addition to our traditional sponsorship and patronage activity, we wanted to create a specific action for our employees, to encourage and recognise their societal commitment. It was also important to us that it was also the employees who themselves chose the winner”, explained Rudi Belli, Head of Sustainable Development at Spuerkeess.

Ana Paula Fernandes and Savoir être Et Vivre Ensemble Luxembourg (SEVE) won the very close vote of this first edition and were rewarded with a cheque for €10,000. Through philosophy workshops, Ana Paula Fernandes and SEVE help children, adolescents and young adults to develop their critical thinking. The aim of these philosophical workshops is to form conscious, open, critical and assertive citizens. The winning employee commented: "I have seen how much children and adolescents appreciate learning to be present to oneself and to others, to develop empathy together, but also to think and discuss together topics that are common to them".

Given the success of the initiative, Spuerkeess has decided to repeat the "We empower local youth" programme every year.