Press Releases

Budapest, October 15, 2016 15:00

More than 1,000 Telekom and T-Systems associates and their family members participated at the initiative as volunteers

• More than 1,000 associates of the Magyar Telekom Group and their family members participated at volunteer day organized by the company on October 15, 2016
• During the action 29 locations – including numerous public areas and the environment, vicinity of social institutions – were renewed and beautified
• Through this program Telekom intends to symbolize, that its operation became carbon neutral in 2015 and therefore more than 1000 trees and shrubs were planted
• The Group plans to contribute about 50 thousand voluntary working hours to the society in 2016-2020

Magyar Telekom and its member company T-Systems Magyarország organized a voluntary day on October 15, 2016. More than 1,000 associates of the Group and their family members participated in the nationwide action, resulting in the renewal and beautification of 29 locations, including the environment and close vicinity of numerous Telekom sites and public areas, as well as kindergartens, schools, social institutions and in-patient care centers of people living with deficiencies. Associates of the Group mainly planted trees and shrubs in the frame of the event, but they also groomed the environment and carried out maintenance works. By the end of the day the number of trees and shrubs increased by more than 1000 in the country and the virtual forest named hello holnap! pagony, where using the identically named Facebook application anybody can upload the tree or trees planted anywhere in Hungary by him/her. Today’s event is the largest scale voluntary action in the history of Telekom, both in terms of the number of participating associates and geographical coverage. The Group also intends to symbolize with this event the significant milestone achieved, that the operation of the Telekom Group became carbon neutral in 2015.

Telekom – for more than 10 years now – has been paying key attention to sustainability, and within that to selecting and executing its social support and voluntary programs. „We are convinced that common work done for others releases positive energies and is a true community experience, that benefits both donor and recipient. This is why we promote voluntary work within the company and appreciate our associates’ intention to do good” – said Chistopher Mattheisen, chief executive officer of the Group. „In the past alone we executed 10 voluntary programs, on which occasions our associates contributed to the society up to about 22 million HUF worth voluntary work. In our 2016-2020 sustainability strategy our objective is to further increase this type of our contribution to the society: we intend to contribute 50 thousand voluntary working hours, while also maintain our carbon neutral operation. Today’s voluntary day is part of this objective” – the chief executive director added.

„Within our human strategy we set one of the objectives: „to live and work smart”, that is to do our utmost to provide for the well-being of the individual and environment. Our volunteer work today is in harmony with this objective” – said Somorjai Éva, chief HR officer of Telekom. „This is why each year we ask our associates about what type of volunteer work they wish to do, as our basic target is that each colleague pursues the activity that is considered to be best and most useful for both the individual and society. Year after year, our colleagues put planting trees on top of the list, therefore today’s event became the largest scale action in the history of Telekom, both in terms of the number of participating associates and geographical coverage.”

In Budapest and its vicinity more than 600 Telekom and T-Systems volunteers worked on beatifying nine locations - 7 in Budapest and 2 in the agglomeration – including school courtyards and public areas. Among others, they built a new campfire place in Páskomliget (district 15) belonging to the Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt., collected waste and maintained walking paths, and groomed the area near a playground at Kamaraerdő. At Hárshegy they renewed the playground and the forest running and gym track, painted benches and trees, renewed information signs. They also planted trees at the Rottenbiller Street Budapest-FasorReformist College, Julianna Elementary School, at Normafa, in the Budakeszi Game Reservatory, at Gödöllő in Premontrei Szent Norbert Grammar School and in the Egyházzenei Music Vocational Training School.

Northern – Great Plain: our colleagues worked on grooming and beautifying locations in Vásárosnamény, Nyíregyháza and Debrecen. In Nyíregyháza beside grooming our own company site, trees were also planted and fences painted in the Sarkantyú Street Nefelejcs nursery. In Debrecen beside our own company site, trees were planted in the area of the Dózsa György Elementary School.

In the North-East Hungary region: in Miskolc our volunteer colleagues worked on two locations: they planted trees beside the Üteg Street Telekom building for residents of the  Szimbiózis Foundation residential home,  as well as in the area of the residential center  of the Miskolc Autistic Foundation supported by the Autistic Art Foundation in Szakáld.

In South-West Hungary: Telekom associates did volunteer work inSzentlőrinc, Pécsvárad in the Gesztenyés and Vár Street kindergartens, as well as in the Dózsa György Street Care Center.

Southern-Great Plain: in Szeged Telekom volunteers groomed gardens, dismantled fences and painted fences at the Gemma Social Service Center and Skill Developer School, and planted trees at the Rókusi Street Telekom building. In Szolnok they planted almost 50 trees and shrubs at the Szandaszőlős Elementary School.

West-Hungary: Telecom associates planted almost 160 trees and shrubs in Győr at the Gyepszél Street Márvány Kindergarten and the new Bácskai Street, in Sopron at the location of the Telekom VOLT festival, in Lővér Camping and at the Százszorszép nursery, as well as in Mocsa at Arany János Elementary School.