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IMPACT Day 2007: Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Member firms in more than 30 countries held IMPACT Day activities in 2007. Here is a brief look at some of the community involvement events that took place in Europe, the Middle East and Africa:

View IMPACT Day photo gallery

Central Europe
Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia took part in IMPACT Day activities as follows:

  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
    Volunteers from Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Bosnia & Herzegovina wanted to make a positive impact on the living conditions for the young Protégés of Bjelave Home for abandoned children. Thanks to the excellent response, these volunteers painted more than 150 square meters of walls, eight park benches and two football goals, and even managed to plant a couple of trees. Children were particularly thrilled with the ping-pong table, a donation from the Deloitte team.
  • Croatia
    To improve the environment in their local community and make it more enjoyable for the citizens of Zagreb, volunteers from Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Croatia planted flowers and cleaned the garden at the 3rd grammar school. Many gardeners-for-the-day gathered in the schoolyard and in a few hours changed the appearance of the garden surrounding the school. It was also the opportunity to work side by side with the schoolchildren, who decided to join the Deloitte team. In summer, the roses that the Deloitte team planted will blossom in many bright colors.
  • Hungary
    On this year's IMPACT Day, Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Hungary worked at four locations. Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Hungary have been supporting the Camp of Courage Foundation for years. The main task of this year's IMPACT Day was to tidy up the foundation's camp in Hatvan, a small town located one hour outside of Budapest. In the office of the Camp of Courage, a charitable organization, the Deloitte team was involved in administrative support (data capturing, printing, filing and registration) as well as in preparing necklaces and bracelets for the kids. For the second year, the Institute of the Blind welcomed the firm to tidy up the yard of the kindergartners. The Deloitte team cleaned and renovated the playground; they chiseled, painted and also did some gardening. At Vörösmarty Primary School, this year once again the Deloitte team held some fun lessons, including, among others, the "Chocolate Exchange," always a favorite with the children.
  • Macedonia
    Employees of Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Macedonia visited the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and Juveniles in Skopje. Volunteers spent the day playing games, drawing, listening to music and dancing with the children and juveniles with special needs. The Deloitte people spent time with the children, gave them presents and organized a special performance by two clowns. This was the first IMPACT Day in Macedonia.
  • Serbia
    Employees of Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Serbia wanted to make a positive impact on their community and chose children to be their beneficiaries. More than 80 employees decorated a kindergarten’s yard where some 300 children play everyday. After the great welcome performance that children prepared for them in the morning, Deloitte volunteers painted the fence, planted winter flowers and cleaned the playground. Children also joined in the work effort.
  • Slovakia
    On June 7, 2007, Deloitte Central Europe’s Slovakia office organized its first blood donation in response to the National Transfusion Service's appeal for blood donors. A transfusion station came to the office and personnel were surprised at just how many Slovak staff members were ready to donate. For those Deloitte people who couldn't donate blood, a book collection was organized for children at the National Oncology Center.
  • Slovenia
    Employees of Deloitte Central Europe’s offices in Slovenia participated in two IMPACT Day activities this year. One-third of the volunteers donated blood that the hospitals always need. The other volunteers went to the Home for the Elderly in Bokalci, Ljubljana and visited Ljubljana Castle with a group of elderly citizens. Volunteers not only gave something to the society but also realized how much even little things like a walk with pleasant company can mean to elderly people, who are often isolated in their homes.

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Deloitte CIS marked IMPACT Day officially for the first time this year with four events taking place in the region. Following the great success of the multistage adventure race held in Moscow in 2006, the action kicked off with the Extra Mile Almaty on May 19, 2007 at Tamgaly Tas, 110 km outside of the city. Some 100 people from Deloitte CIS took part in a test of physical strength, leadership and teamwork to raise US$2,000 through personal sponsorship for the newly established Deloitte Foundation. Next up, at the beginning of June 2007 was the annual Urban Race in St. Petersburg. This year the Deloitte CIS North Region sponsored the Business category (15 km), which took place in the historic center of the city. Participants from Deloitte CIS and other companies had to find checkpoints in unexpected places and overcome different obstacles. Participation fees came to US$5,000 and were donated to Fund Parent Bridge and EveryChild, helping to finance a summer camp for adopted children and their parents, and a rehabilitation center for handicapped children. The following week, the human resources department of Deloitte CIS’s St. Petersburg office organized a practical but fun training workshop, again for EveryChild, a charity that gives vulnerable children a chance to grow up in a loving family with a secure future. Disadvantaged children aged 12-14 were given up-to-date information on universities and colleges, exams, CVs and possible job placements. IMPACT Day came to a close with the second Extra Mile Moscow, which took place on the last weekend of July 2007. Nearly 150 people ran, cycled, rafted and orienteered their way over a challenging course, raising more than US$25,000 through personal sponsorship for DownsideUp, a local charity that works to improve the quality of life for children with Downs Syndrome.

Cyprus
Volunteers from the Deloitte associate firm in Cyprus held very successful, simultaneous blood donation events in all the offices.

Finland
Deloitte Finland worked together with the local branch of the International Youth Foundation to create a booklet called "Edge," designed to enhance young people’s understanding, appreciation and acceptance of diversity. The Edge challenges readers to understand the richness of diversity; it seeks to show that attitudes can be changed and that everyone can learn to be open-minded. The booklet has been sent to all upper level schools in Finland (7th-9th grade), and it fulfills a gap in the material available for Finnish schools, handling issues like diversity and multiculturalism. On IMPACT Day, Deloitte Finland invited 50 children to Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art, to hear the Edge spokesperson and Idols host Jani Toivola speak about diversity. Later they viewed the Kiasma Landscape exhibition, which showed that you can see things in many different ways. “We wanted to seek ways to support a positive attitude toward diversity in the community, especially among young people. The Edge theme booklet and IMPACT Day were concrete ways for us to share our value 'Strength from Cultural Diversity' with our surrounding community, and we are very proud of the outcome,” says Teppo Rantanen, Deloitte Finland managing partner.

Middle East
Deloitte Middle East’s Al Khobar office visited Shuma Al-Amal School for special education. Deloitte Middle East’s Kuwait office spent the day with 20 children from the Kuwait Family Care House. Activities included dinner and a movie. Deloitte Middle East’s Jeddah office spent the day with orphan children from Albir Society Orphan House. Deloitte Middle East’s Damascus office spent the day at the UNRWA Summer Camp for orphans and disabled children in Kfar Seta, Tartous. Deloitte Middle East’s offices in Bahrain treated orphan children from the Sanabel Orphan House to lunch and a day at a local amusement park.

Netherlands
Deloitte Netherlands dedicated two full weeks this year to IMPACT Day, starting on May 26, 2007 and ending with the member firm's annual sports day on June 9, 2007. More than 1,000 employees took part in activities across the country, supporting 50 charities. Activities ranged from a shoe polishing event and participating in a Canal Regatta to collecting money for various charities, looking for computers for the organization 'Close the Gap', providing free advisory services to taking the elderly out on a day trip and visiting an attraction park with some 200 patients from care homes. Deloitte Netherlands Chairman Roger Dassen is pleased with the numerous initiatives: "On IMPACT Day Deloitte Netherlands employees demonstrated their social commitment. I am very proud that more than a thousand of our employees work for over 50 charities."

Southern Africa
On June 15, 2007, the partners and staff of Deloitte Southern Africa’s offices in Malawi spent the day celebrating and renewing their commitment to the communities around the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, where the firm has offices. The Blantyre and Lilongwe offices’ staff divided themselves into five subgroups and donated more than 450 blankets to orphans and the elderly in the Tabvi Association for the blind and Stevens and Boyd villages in Blantyre. The Lilongwe crew visited orphans and elderly at Mitundu and Kauma. The blankets were bought using funds donated by the Malawi offices coupled with the generous contributions from their staff. The main event for the day took place at Steven's Village in Chileka where 140 blankets were distributed to orphans, the elderly and other people in the village.

United Kingdom
During this year’s Community Days, more than 1,500 people from Deloitte U.K. undertook a variety of indoor and outdoor community and environmental projects such as: painting and decorating a youth center, clearing and planting within a woodland area, taking on gardening projects for a senior citizen’s home and painting murals in a school classroom. Deloitte U.K.’s involvement with Community Days benefits a variety of local charities and community organizations.

Related content:

 


Australia: Employees sell merchandise to help fund SIDS education, support and research.


Indonesia: More than 100 people donated blood on IMPACT Day.


Philippines: Member firm personnel donated time to Habitat for Humanity.


Singapore: Deloitte people clean the grounds at the Boys’ Town Home in Upper Bukit Timah


Singapore: Deloitte people clean the grounds at the Boys’ Town Home in Upper Bukit Timah


Singapore: Deloitte people clean the grounds at the Boys’ Town Home in Upper Bukit Timah


Singapore: Deloitte people clean the grounds at the Boys’ Town Home in Upper Bukit Timah


Singapore: Deloitte people clean the grounds at the Boys’ Town Home in Upper Bukit Timah

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Page Last Updated: March 11, 2008
Source: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (English)

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