This autumn Commercial Union Poland is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its operations in Poland.
This autumn Commercial Union Poland is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its operations in Poland. Instead of organising a commemorative reception or an expensive concert, CU has decided to give its full support to the activities of the Voluntary Work Association. Commercial Union – in its role as Guardian of Voluntary Work in Poland – is encouraging its employees, insurance agents and clients to become involved in voluntary work through the Voluntary Work Programme.
To mark its tenth anniversary, the Commercial Union Poland is backing the Voluntary Work Association. It has also joined the general Polish Disability Voluntary Aid programme initiated by the Association. Tomorrow, (27 November) the Polish press will start a publicity campaign on behalf of voluntary work under the slogan "Our birthday cake recipe". After 2 December 2002, anyone visiting the Virtual Poland web site (www.wp.pl) and the Ad.net page (www.adnet.pl) will be able to help this voluntary effort.
Commercial Union will donate 5 groszys to the Voluntary Centre for every hit on a banner advert containing information about joining in voluntary work. On 5 December, the World Voluntary Work Day, will mark the beginning of the public relations campaign “Any volunteers?”, led by the Voluntary Work Centre and by Commercial Union. Billboards all over Poland will depict simple situations where voluntary help is needed along with incentives to join this type of work to help others. Anyone phoning the CU Group telephone exchange at (0-801 11 12 13) will be able to select a special option and obtain information about how to become a voluntary worker. CU has appealed to its employees and insurance agents to join in this work in a voluntary capacity.
The culmination of this joint effort will be the Voluntary Work Gala, which will take place on 20 December 2002 in the Roma Theatre in Warsaw. During this ceremony, which will be broadcast live on Polish Television Programme II, prizes will be presented to winners of the Voluntary Worker of the Year competition. Commercial Union will support this ceremony yet again. During last year's gala, the CU Group was awarded the honorary title of Guardian of Voluntary Work in Poland.
One example of how Commercial Union staff have joined in the voluntary work project, is their contribution to the creation of the so-called butterfly hospitals – colourful and friendly children's' medical institutions. The programme is organised by the Understanding Without Barriers Foundation founded by Jolanta Kwaœniewska.
Following a thorough revamp, the volunteers will paint the hospital wards using stencils of fairy tale landscapes designed by artists and art students. This December, the entrance to the Child Health Centre Hospital in Warsaw-Międzylesie will be painted, in January 2003 some of the wards in the Białystok Children's' Hospital, and during 2003 it will be the turn of other institutions.
"We have been operating in Poland for 10 years and we service over three million clients. This is why we want our jubilee to be a special day for as many people in this country as possible. We are not sending out invitations to lavish celebrations but, instead, we are encouraging everyone to do voluntary work. By offering our time and commitment to others, we share with them our satisfaction with our successful decade. This is our recipe for a birthday cake, a recipe worthy of a Guardian of Voluntary Work in Poland," said Jarosław Myjak, Chairman of the CU Polska Group.
Notes to editors
The Commercial Union Polska Group
Commercial Union Poland(www.commercialunion.pl) services over three million clients and manages assets worth over 14 billion zlotys. CU has become market leader in the field of individual life insurance since 1994 (over 1 700 000 policies issued) and, since 1999, also of retirement funds (nearly 2 500 000 clients). The CU Group also offers group life insurance, individual or institutional property insurance, investment funds, asset management and work retirement programmes. CU Polska is part of the Aviva Group (www.aviva.com).
For further information please contact:
Grazyna Goslings, Corporate Communications Director of the CU Polska Group, Tel: (22) 653 98 86, Fax: (22) 653 96 37, e- mail: bohdan_bialorucki@cu.com.pl.
Additional information about the Commercial Union Polska Group can also be found on the web page www.cu.com.pl