Zurich maintains its commitment to giving back

Global Community Week, a Zurich Insurance Group initiative, provides employees around the world with the opportunity to provide hands on support to the communities in which they operate and make a sustainable difference to those less fortunate.

Edwyn O’Neill, CEO of Zurich South Africa said: “Creating and sustaining value is core to our business and to the communities in which we operate. Our commitment is strengthened not only through monetary support but our hands on approach.”

This year, Zurich South Africa focused on bridging the gap between private and township day care centres. A total of eighteen centres around the country were identified and employees assisted by raising funds, providing in kind donations and investing time to benefit the children.

Divisions at head office and the regional offices competed with one another and the winning teams won a floating trophy for their efforts. During the week a total of 528 employees invested 426 hours to help approximately 1,200 children from eighteen different Day Care Centres across the country.

In Gauteng, the crèches who benefited from the initiative included, amongst others, the Betty Brown Day Care, Thabong Creche and Day Care, Ulandi Kindergarten, Khayalethu Day Care, Entokozweni Creche, Finyazwanda Day Care and Happy Angels Early Learning Centre.

O’Neill concluded: “It has been wonderful to spend time with our beneficiaries and to see the good work they are doing. In line with the Zurich Commitment, we make a point of giving back to communities – this is key to our organisation’s ethos.”

The Zurich Community Week is an annual worldwide initiative.