Polish Re believes in the importance of business development including the needs of the communities in which the company operates. Polish Re shares its profit with institutions that need this kind of support. According to the philosophy of the founder of the Fairfax Financial Holdings Limites, V. Prem Watsa – “doing good by doing well” – the Group’s companies, in addition to achieving business objectives are obliged to act for the benefit of their local communities.
September 2017 – Volunteering Day in Laski.
On September 16th, 2017 Polish Re organized a Volunteering day in the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski. The group of employees and their family members arrived in Laski offering their help with various area clean-up and renovation works. Inter alia, we prepared two houses for painting, trimmed a hedge, planted flowers and performed many other gardening works. At the same time, employees’ children had an educational meeting with nuns who instructed them how they should behave when they see a blind person with a white cane on the street, they tried to read Braille and eat a soup with their eyes covered. Not only did this Volunteering day supported the nuns with the maintaining of the large area of the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski, but it also proved to be an exceptional opportunity to integrate while doing something useful.
March 2017 – Another donation supporting the construction of a dormitory for blind boys.
In March 2017, Polish Re donated financial support to help with the construction works of a dormitory for blind boys from the Educational Center for the Blind Children in Laski. Thanks to this year’s donation the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski was able to make an advanced payment for the conceptual design of the dormitory. Due to poor technical conditions, the building which used to serve as a dormitory for the blind boys is taken out of service. Ultimately, this building will be thoroughly renovated and rebuilt.
April 2016 – Nomination to the Philanthropist of the year award.
In April 2016 Polish Re was nominated to the Philanthropist of the Year award by The Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski in the category “Social engagement – small company”. The jury selected 3 companies to the finals and the internet voting determined the winner of the first prize.
Polish Re has been involved in supporting The Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski since 2011. We supported the construction of the Early Intervention Assistance House for blind children in Gdańsk-Sobieszewo, also the reconstruction and renovation of the department for children with vision and hearing impairment in the Educational Center for the Blind Children in Laski; computer laboratory equipment for the blind students. Thanks to last year’s donation and our voluntary work, a Nursery house for blind children was built in Gdańsk-Sobieszewo. It is the first Nursery house in this part of Poland and will help blind pupils to acquire the necessary skills in everyday life and education without a need to stay in dormitories far away from their families. Apart from financing specific needs, Polish Re also organizes volunteering actions, electronic waste collection and donate money to the Society instead of distributing paper Christmas Cards to our clients. We try to be involved in helping the blind children on many different levels.
We would like to thank everyone for supporting us in the internet voting.
April 2016 – Polish Re helps to build a new dormitory for the blind boys.
This year donation will support financing the construction of a new dormitory for the boys from The Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski. The current building is very old and even endanger the safety of the blind children.
The building from 1928, which to this day serves as a dormitory for the boys, despite numerous renovations, is in very poor condition. It is necessary to resettle the boys to the new building, first of all due to pupils’ safety reasons and also to provide them with adequate living conditions, giving them the possibility of a broad intellectual and social development. The new dormitory will be the second home to about 100 boys from the Educational Centre of the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski.
December 2015 – Christmas donation.
Before Christmas 2015, Polish Re made another donation to the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski. This time our contribution helped financing the trip to Rabka, a spa town in Poland, for a group of girls from the Society. Polish Re has been supporting the Society for many years, i.a. by donating money saved on paper Christmas cards. We are extremely happy that thanks to this gesture we could make such a wonderful Christmas gift to the Society’s pupils.
November 2015 – Electronic waste collection.
In November 2015, Polish Re organized an e-waste collection. Not only did we get rid of the depreciated company’s equipment, but we also encouraged Polish Re employees to bring their own used or broken electronic waste. The recycling company, which cooperates with the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski, collected all electronic waste we managed to gather. The Society received a cash equivalent for every kilogram of the e-waste transferred by us. According to the Fairfax Group philosophy – we try to become involved in charity in every possible way.
July 2015 – Polish Re’s donation for the expansion of the Nursery for the blind children in Sobieszewo.
The Management Board of Polish Re once again got involved in improving the quality of life of the blind. We gave a donation for the Society’s branch in Sobieszewo. This time, we supported financially the expansion and development of the Nursery for the blind children. The Society for the Care of the Blind takes care of the blind children, preparing them for the full value life in the society of sighted people, through proper education, rehabilitation, or the comprehensive development of the child. As a result, the blind children are better prepared to make their first steps in adult life.
October 2014 – Polish Re’s donation finances computer equipment for blind students in Laski.
Polish Re supported financing the computer laboratory equipment for the blind students of the Educational Centre in Laski.
Computers enhance the blind children’s education as they help them adapt to the modern computerized society. Not only do computers improve their learning process, but also thanks to a special tooling, such as speech synthesizer, Braille display, Braille printer, scanner, CD reader – they are a bridge between the world of the sighted and the blind. For instance with a sound card the blind can use audio programs designed for learning a foreign language or speech therapy.
September 2014 – Volunteering Day in Gdansk-Sobieszewo
On 19 September 2014 as a part of the employees’ integration, Polish Re visited the Centre for Rehabilitation and Recreation in Sobieszewo to help in various area cleaning activities at the center. The Center is situated on Sobieszewo Island near Gdansk and belongs to the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski. It is run by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross. It was initially used as a summer camp for blind children from Laski. Over the years it has developed into a Center that meets the standards required for the rehabilitation, training and rest of the blind and disabled.
Volunteers from Polish Re throughout the day worked in different groups devoted to: organizing orchard, lawn mowing, painting fences, putting wood at the fire and cleaning.
September 2013 – Polish Re Volunteer Day in Laski
On Saturday, September 14, 2013 the group of Polish Re employees together with their families arrived to Society for the Care of the Blind located in Laski to provide assistance. While the volunteers were busy cleaning up the area around the new building of the department for children with vision and hearing impairment, their children had an opportunity to learn about the hippotherapy. At the end, all participants met together at the fireplace.
March 2012 – Another donation of Polish Re for the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski – granted for the modernization, reconstruction and renovation of the department for children with vision and hearing impairment in the Educational Center for the Blind Children in Laski
In March 2012, the Management Board of Polish Re supported the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski with a donation. This donation wad devoted to modernization, reconstruction and renovation of the department for children with vision and hearing impairment in the Educational Center for the Blind Children in Laski.
Polish Re donation will support the Society for the Care of the Blind in the financing of reconstruction and adaptation works of the building, so as to meet the requirements necessary for such facilities. The existence of such a center is of great social importance. The department gives an opportunity to learn alternative ways of communication, acquire the necessary skills in everyday life and gain practical knowledge about the world. Additionally, children have access to the gym and the “room for experiencing the world” as well as they participate in many other additional activities.
Such department for deafblind children is one of the two in Poland and – what is unique in the country – the tuition is carried out in the “one teacher for two children” system.
January 2011 – Polish Re donation for an Early Intervention Assistance House for blind children in Gdańsk-Sobieszewo
On 26 January 2011, the Management Board of Polish Re supported the construction of the Early Intervention Assistance House for blind children in Gdańsk-Sobieszewo. The donation shall cover most of the costs of the planned second investment stage.
The Early Intervention Assistance House in Gdańsk-Sobieszewo is being built by the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski. The first investment stage has just been completed – the main building of the complex has been opened. The second stage will cover development of the area around the building, i.e. building of access roads, a car park, landscape architecture, a playground, special tactile pavements and green area. Location of the Early Intervention Assistance House on a geologically difficult area of Żuławy Wiślane hinders the construction works.
We are really emotionally involved in the project. We believe that also thanks to our help, the blind children will get completely new life perspectives.