Community

HSBC’s Corporate Sustainability (‘CS’) activities take place within the context of the Group wide strategy. Sustainability is core to the way the local group operates and it is recognised that the bank has a responsibility that spreads far wider. We continue to recognise that we have a role within, and responsibility towards, the community we serve. To fulfil these roles and responsibilities the bank continued to utilise its resources in order to carry out a series of initiatives and projects designed to provide value to various sectors with the community.

Corporate Social Responsibility Report

View our second CSR report showcasing our June 2017 - June 2019 efforts, goals and performance in sustainability, corporate citizenship, and staff volunteerism.

HSBC Water Programme

In October 2013, The HSBC Malta Water Programme - Catch the Drop Campaign (a national environmental and educational water conservation campaign) was launched and this has reached every student in Malta and Gozo (total 50,000 students), as well as various local councils, with the main emphasis on water shortage, water consumption reduction and water harvesting. It raises awareness about the water scarcity issue, and provides information and tips as to how people can tackle it. This campaign was supported by a €540,000 grant from the HSBC Group. Our employees are at the heart of this campaign with over 500 members of staff volunteering to deliver the information sessions in all 172 schools around Malta and Gozo. The Catch the Drop Campaign is aimed at achieving two vital objectives: raising awareness about water conservation among people from all strata of society, and mobilising students through water projects to encourage their development as pro-active citizens for water conservation and environmental sustainability.

Read more about the HSBC Water Programme

HSBC Malta Foundation

In Malta the bank fulfils the Group’s CS strategy primarily through the HSBC Malta Foundation (the ‘Foundation’). The three pillars of the HSBC Malta Foundation, with a yearly budget of more than €300,000 aim to improve the quality of life and education for children, especially those disadvantaged, to promote and work towards a more sustainable environment and to preserve Malta’s rich and unique historical heritage. The total funds donated to Corporate Sustainability projects since 2000 until 2016 are circa €5M.

Voluntary work is highly encouraged and pride is taken in HSBC staff who contribute to the charities and causes that they feel passionate about. Colleagues are encouraged to take an active role in initiatives supported by the Foundation with an extra day’s leave granted for voluntary work. During 2016 HSBC colleagues volunteered for more than 275 days on a range of projects around the country; HSBC staff help to drive our commitment and passion for assisting in the community with the key objective of taking part and broadening the involvement level across the bank. Sustainability and our role as a good corporate citizen remains a core part of HSBC.

Examples of HSBC Malta foundation’s work include:

Children

The Prince’s Trust International Achieve Programme

In November 2015, the Ministry for Education and Employment and HSBC Malta Foundation introduced the Prince’s Trust International Achieve programme to Malta. The Achieve programme is an informal personal development programme that helps students aged 13-19 to re-engage and succeed in education. The Achieve programme was initially introduced into 7 schools across Malta and Gozo, however with full support from the Ministry for Education and Employment and HSBC Malta Foundation the programme is now in its third year of delivery and is now being taught in over 30 schools and centres across Malta.

The Achieve programme has a long-established footprint in the United Kingdom where it is run by The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity set up over 40 years ago by HRH The Prince of Wales. The flexibility of the Achieve programme empowers students to learn vital personal and employability skills, while helping to develop confidence, raise aspirations and improve attitude to learning.

Andre explains what he learnt whilst taking part in the Achieve programme: “I’ve learnt skills like discussing, decision making, how to deliver a presentation and work as a team. I’ve learnt to be more confident especially infront of an audience and now know how important it is to work within the community.”

HRH The Prince of Wales attended the launch of Prince’s Trust International held during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in November 2015. He returned to the island in October 2017 where he once again got the opportunity to meet with young people to talk about their experiences on the Prince’s Trust International Achieve programme, and the Prince’s Trust International Get Into programme.

The Prince’s Trust International Get Into Programme

HSBC Malta Foundation is also proud to co-fund the Prince’s Trust International Get Into programme, a unique, sector-specific training programme run in partnership with employers to support young people into work, education or training. The programme was piloted in Malta at the end of 2017, delivered by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ with support from corporate partners across the hospitality, retail, social care, and customer service sectors.

Kyle took part in the Get Into retail programme and now has a full time job. He said, “I learnt to be a good team player and get a good hold of my emotions, which in return now I have a good job.”

Children in Foster Care

HSBC Malta Foundation has been helping the Foster Care Unit since 2002. Along with the help given during the annual Christmas party, HSBC sponsors books which are donated to the children as Christmas presents.

Counselling Fees

The HSBC Malta Foundation funds counselling services to help children develop life skills and supports children with learning difficulties and behavioural issues to help them integrate further in society.

Hospice Movement Children’s Summer Club

HSBC Malta Foundation extends its annual financial support to the Malta Hospice Movement’s Children Summer Club. Children between the age of 4 and 12 whose families are receiving support from the Hospice attend the club twice a week.

Maltese Diabetes Association

The annual Diabetes Camp is organised by the Maltese Diabetes Association in conjunction with the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre at the Department of Health and is sponsored by the HSBC Malta Foundation.

Rights 4U course

The HSBC Malta Foundation has been supporting the Office of the Commissioner’s three-day Rights 4U courses for children and young people to learn about their rights.

St. Joseph Home

Two leading organisations – HSBC Malta Foundation and Vodafone Malta Foundation joined forces to fund an after–school educational programme for boys at St Joseph Home in Sta. Venera to improve their qualification success rate.

Junior Achievement Young Enterprise

HSBC has been the sponsor of the Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Malta for the past 16 years. The programme offers a high quality education programme which teaches students entrepreneurship and business skills in a practical way.

Oasi Foundation

The HSBC Malta Foundation is supporting the OASI Foundation Gozo with regards the Prevention, Intervention and Treatment Services in relation to drug and alcohol abuse and other addictions.

Malta Community Chest Fund

The HSBC Malta Foundation has been supporting the Malta Community Chest Fund for various fundraising activities in aid of cancer patients, as well as visits to Maltese patients undergoing treatment in the UK.

Environment

I-Land Observatory

The University of Malta’s Institute of Earth Systems has set up the I-Land Observatory and Interpretation Centre in the tal-Kuncizzjoni area of Mgarr with support from the HSBC Malta Foundation and the Mgarr Local Council.

It aims to study the local environment and biology and to promote environmental awareness, and greater appreciation for Malta’s natural and cultural heritage.

Eco Schools

The HSBC Malta Foundation supports the Eco Schools environmental education programme which involves nearly 38,000 schools worldwide. 

Photovoltaic panels and electric vehicles

HSBC Malta installed 483 photovoltaic panels and commissioned seven electric vehicles including six charging points at the Bank’s operations centre in Qormi. The PV panels, which are on top of 10 of the bank’s offices, power our 37 offsite ATMs.  As a result of this initiative – called ‘Simply Electric’ – the Bank’s emissions have reduced by an estimated 148 tonnes of CO2 per year.

During the Commonwealth Business Forum 2015, HSBC played an enhanced role during this Business Forum and was one of the sponsors of the Sustainability Session. At the concluding session HRH the Prince of Wales who touched upon the various forces hindering human and social development in the context of the then impending COP21 talks in Paris said “We do have a responsibility to act now, seize this opportunity, and build a truly resilient future, There are thankfully signs that things are being done, to help businesses navigate this new operative environment. I’m enormously grateful to a number of very central players, including HSBC.”

Birdlife Malta

The HSBC Malta Foundation supported BirdLife Malta with regards to the rat eradication programme to increase the Yelkouan Shearwater colony in Mellieha.

Heritage

Our Lady of Victory Church

HSBC Malta Foundation has supported the restoration of the vaulted ceiling of the Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta, which is adorned with a painting by the Maltese artist Alessio Erardi (1669-1727).

Notarial Archives

The HSBC Malta Foundation has given €100,000 to the preservation programme at the Notarial Archives in St Christopher St, Valletta, a collection of notarial documents spanning centuries.

HSBC staff volunteers are also supporting a project which has digitised more than 70,000 pages of historic documents.

Malta Lace Competition

The HSBC Malta Foundation has been supporting the annual Malta Lace Competition since 2008, which brings together lace makers and collectors to bolster this important part of Malta’s historical and cultural heritage.

The Banca Giuratale – Gozo

The HSBC Malta Foundation has supported the restoration of the façade of the Banca Giuratale which is a baroque structure designed by Knight Charles Francois de Mondion. It was originally the seat of the Università, the municipal government of Gozo. After the abolishing of the Università during the British period, the Banca Giuratale housed various entities ranging from Gozo’s General Post office to the Civic Council for Gozo. It presently houses the offices of the Gozo Cultural Organising Committee and the Victoria Local Council.