The first Sponsor Circle event of 2022 was held on 10 February. Around 30 sponsors and guests attended the event, which took place virtually. The theme for the evening was ‘volunteering and sustainability’.
Beer brewed from leftovers of bread
In addition to hearing some fascinating facts and figures on corporate volunteering, the online audience were treated to a special beer tasting featuring Germany’s first zero-waste beer, brewed by a Frankfurt-based start-up called Knärzje. During the introductory talk of the evening, CFL (Chief Food Lover) Daniel Anthes revealed the percentage of man-made emissions caused by food waste alone, also describing how consuming beer can indeed do its bit in making the world a better place
After all, Knärzje is brewed entirely from scraps of bread that would otherwise end up in the dustbin. The beer was well received by the audience – ideal for setting the mood for the sustainability topics that followed.
Corporate volunteering
To kick off the next part of the evening, Simon Woolf, PATRIZIA Management Board member and member of the Foundation Board, talked about his experience with the Lakes Challenge, particularly from an HR perspective. The challenge, a hike through the Lake District in September 2021, saw 40 intrepid walkers raise more than €100,000 for a school in Uganda. Simon highlighted the valuable role played by corporate volunteering programmes, not only for companies but also their employees. After a particularly long period of working from home, being part of a joint event – all for a good cause – is a fitting way to bring people together again and foster team spirit.
After Simon’s talk, Katrin Halboth from the PATRIZIA Foundation showcased the many doors opened up by corporate volunteering, sharing a variety of examples reflecting the projects initiated and co-organised by PATRIZIAns last year. She also offered a variety of ideas Sponsor Circle members may be interested in implementing themselves. Her presentation was concluded by Otto Dodoo from the foundation’s partner management team, who talked about the Future Classroom in Dhoksan and thus provided an example of the impact corporate volunteering can have.
The feedback from the Sponsor Circle members was highly positive. Not only did the zero-waste beer go down well: the information on corporate volunteering was also extremely well received. After the event, one sponsor told the host for the evening, Sandra von Waldenfels, that “It was great to hear more about the volunteering projects and see you all virtually again.”
Looking to the horizon – the Spring Festival in May
The next Sponsor Circle event has already been scheduled, hopefully with people physically present again: the Spring Festival on 31 May in Augsburg.
Sign up as a member
Why not become a member of our Sponsor Circle? Meet Sandra von Waldenfels and Jowita Fuchshofer from our fundraising team, who will be happy to explain how to join. For further information, click here.