Corporate Social Responsibility

ORLEN. Safe Roads

In 2008, we held the 3rd edition of the “ORLEN. Safe Roads” programme. This year, the motto of the programme was “Parents set an example for children”. The objective of PKN ORLEN is to activate local communities and industry to promote safety.

The “ORLEN. SafeRoads” campaign received several awards and distinctions, among others from the Polish Ministry of Education and Corporate Responsibility Forum.

In 2008, 16 winners received awards with a total value of PLN 500,000. In accordance with the programme regulations, there were three categories of awards: local, regional and national initiatives. The Jury also awarded special prizes to two initiatives particularly relevant to the leading motif of the competition: “Parents set an example for children”. The winners decided to spend their awards on further development of projects actually supporting road traffic safety in Poland.

The ORLEN Gift from the Heart Foundation

The ORLEN Gift from the Heart Foundation (FODS) set up by the Company in 2001 was granted the status of a public benefit organisation in 2007. Its objectives include:

• health protection and promotion (including projects addressed to the disabled);
• social assistance, including families and people in difficult conditions;
• promoting science and education;
• supporting the development of local communities and societies;
• supporting activities aimed at maintaining national traditions and patriotism, and developing national, civic and cultural awareness.

 The main programmes of the Foundation include:

• national scholarship programme for school and university students. In 2009, we prepared a new scholarship programme for children and young students from Płock schools. Students of junior high and high schools from Płock are entitled to apply for scholarships;
• promoting foster care in the form of adoption homes. The Foundation takes care of 280 homes in Poland with approx. 2,000 children by providing them with funds for health and social purposes and a scholarship programme for children, and by organising summer holidays for children and their custodians;
• promoting child road safety by supporting projects implemented by schools, kindergartens, the police and other organisations which take care of child road safety;
• health and protection of life, in particular among children. The Foundation supports healthcare establishments in Płock. In 2009, the ORLEN Gift from the Heart Foundation and PKN ORLEN organised free of charge magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose spinal diseases for the inhabitants of Płock and the Płock district.

Voluntary work

Employee Volunteering constitutes an important element of PKN ORLEN’s corporate culture. The programme is addressed to all employees who want to help others with the support of the Company. The programme integrates employees around positive and valuable undertakings, and encourages them to initiate and perform joint charity activities. The programme coordinators have managed to gather a large group of people who get involved in projects initiated by PKN ORLEN or by themselves.

The Employee Volunteering programme involves various environmental, charity and social activities. One of the Company’s numerous charity projects is the most beautiful corporate Christmas card competition, which the Company has organised for several years. The competition is addressed to children from adoption homes supported by the ORLEN Gift from the Heart Foundation. A jury consisting of the Company’s top officials selects one of the cards submitted by contestants to be the corporate Christmas card sent with Christmas greetings to PKN ORLEN’s customers, contractors and business partners. The author of the winning card, apart from satisfaction with the fact that his or her card is the winter image of the Company, receives a special prize.

In 2008, we implemented the “Make dreams come true” project for the second time. Several dozen of the works submitted to the competition were exhibited at an unusual auction participated in by all the Company’s employees. An employee, to become the owner of the card of his or her choice, had to make the dream of its author come true. Children from adoption homes had very different dreams – some of them wanted only dolls or teddy bears, others asked for jewellery, computers, DVD players or school accessories. Employees could make those dreams come true individually or in groups. Each employee who decided to be Santa Claus for a moment and fulfilled the dreams of the contestants received a special “Volunteer Certificate” and a framed card. All the presents were given to the children at a meeting with Santa Claus which the volunteers organised for all the contestants.

The “Make dreams come true” project attracts an increasingly large number of participants – in 2008 the number of employees who fulfilled children’s dreams nearly doubled compared to 2007.