Munich. The BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility
is all about commitment to society. Presented for the tenth time this
year, the award honours associates around the world who volunteer with
social and environmental projects. This year’s winning initiatives
came from the US, South Africa and Germany. Starting with this
anniversary year, the cash prize for each of the dedicated winners has
been doubled to 10,000 euros, which will benefit specific service
projects directly. All remaining projects that made it into the final
12 will also be recognised and each receive funding of 2,500 euros.
Due to the pandemic, the award ceremony on 6 December in Munich was
held virtually and livestreamed for employees.
“Our dedicated associates are role models. They are united by their
belief in taking action in areas where many people don’t look. The
fact that they do all of this in their free time impresses me even
more. They don’t just give money; they put all their passion and
know-how into making life better for others,” said Ilka Horstmeier,
member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Human
Resources and patron of the award.
Sustainability built in
Social commitment is firmly established among the BMW Group
workforce. Over the past ten years, more than 1,000 employees
worldwide have submitted applications for consideration for the award.
The principle of sustainability as an element of corporate strategy
has been even more firmly anchored in the award in its anniversary
year, with environmental as well as social initiatives that create
long-term opportunities now considered. For the first time, a
networking event was also held – entirely virtually, due to the
pandemic – to allow award-winners from previous years to connect,
share ideas and exploit synergies.
Award-winners support young people and promote inclusion
In its tenth year, the award was presented to three projects that
support disadvantaged youth, create educational opportunities and
prevent exclusion. A fourth promotes inclusion of people with
disabilities in sports. Here are the award-winners:
Peter Demmelmayr, a quality expert at BMW Group Plant
Munich, promotes inclusion in club sports in Germany. Under the
umbrella of the club “SV Dachau 1925 e.V.”, he is pursuing a goal that
is close to his heart: enabling people with disabilities to
participate in club sports and competitions on equal terms. With his
passion for aquaball, a sport played in the water, he formed an
inclusive aquaball team. He reaches out to other clubs and
associations for people with disabilities, persuades them to
participate and fights for the rules to be changed so people with
disabilities can take part in competitions. There are now two
inclusive teams competing in the German aquaball championship. He
would like to use his prize money, among other things, to set up an
inclusive training camp.
Hasan Aslan, a student in the BMW Group’s dual
education programme since 2020, advocates for fair educational
opportunities in Munich. He knows only too well that unrestricted
access to education is the basis for social mobility and participation
in society. Aslan comes from a migrant background himself and
understands the hurdles many young people must overcome in their
career. At the development agency “Aelius Förderwerk e.V.”, Aslan
organises workshops in Munich, coordinates collaboration with school
administrators and universities, and connects volunteers who support
disadvantaged youth. During the pandemic, he held a crash course
preparing teenagers for their school leaving exams. He plans to use
the BMW Group prize money to train the agency’s volunteers and further
improve the quality and range of services it offers.
Tlabo Ronald Makhutja is a section leader at BMW
Group Plant Rosslyn in South Africa who fights exclusion among local
children. Through the Majakathata Social Scheme, he makes sure
children from disadvantaged families have school clothes and sports
equipment. This is a basic requirement for avoiding marginalisation,
being able to play sports and pursue meaningful leisure activities.
The initiative also donates computers and pays for initial supplies of
pens and textbooks for children starting school. Makhutja is a driving
force for campaigns and gets in contact with schools and young people
to connect them with opportunities. He intends to use the BMW Group
prize money to set up soccer fields and pay for additional school uniforms.
The Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation’s special award was
presented this year to Chuck Ford, who works at BMW
Group Plant Spartanburg in the US. Ford is committed to ensuring
disadvantaged young people in Greenville, South Carolina are able to
live a self-determined life. At the Alpha Phi Alpha Greenville
Foundation, he works with young people, mostly from African American
or Hispanic communities. Preventing teen pregnancies and violence,
preparing young people for college, providing educational scholarships
and ensuring non-violent communication are the foundation’s core
tasks. Ford organises seminars and works closely with churches,
schools, parents and lawyers to achieve this. He wants to use the
prize money to fund additional scholarships – because he believes
education remains the cornerstone of a self-determined life.
The BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility has been presented
since 2011. This honour is just one of a diverse range of activities
that form part of the “Driving Social Impact” initiative, designed to
show appreciation and promote social responsibility at the company.
If you have any questions, please contact:
BMW Group Corporate Communications
Angela Konert, spokesperson Human Resources
Telephone: +49-89-382-50591
Email: angela.konert@bmw.de
Bernd Eckstein, head of Communications Human Resources, Working
Environment,
Real Estate, Corporate Citizenship
Telephone: +49-89-382-59490
Email: bernd.eckstein@bmw.de
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly
facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in
more than 140 countries.
In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and
more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to €
98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 120,726 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set its course for the
future early on and is making sustainability and resource efficiency
the focus of the company’s strategic direction – from the supply
chain, through production, to the end of the use phase, for all its products.
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