Under the umbrella of the ZiuaV program, BRD and United Way continue their mission of supporting children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds

The second year of partnership between United Way Romania and BRD Groupe Société Générale means expanding the collaboration through two new projects dedicated to children and youth – “InnoMate” and “Learn to be Healthy” – in response to the needs of disadvantaged communities, along with the continuation of the project to combat functional illiteracy “Adventure through Reading”. In addition to the company’s financial support at Platinum partner level, BRD employees are actively involved in the community through the ZiuaV volunteering platform.

Since the beginning of the year, 576 BRD employees have been involved in 47 volunteering actions, totaling 2,818 volunteering hours. Of these, 228 BRD volunteers participated in 33 actions in Bucharest and 13 counties, benefiting 1,733 children and youth. For these specific actions, volunteers offered 892 volunteering hours.

“Children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have a better chance of building a better future if they receive the right support at the right time. That is why we are glad that BRD remains involved in the community alongside United Way and offers both material support from the company and volunteering opportunities for employees, so that children and young people can develop, learn and meet good role models.” – Adriana Dobrea, Executive Director of United Way Romania

“For us, volunteering is a concrete form through which we contribute – as people and as an organization – to the good of the communities around us. Through the “ZiuaV – Volunteers for the Future” program and the Ziuav.ro platform, we annually bring together over 50 local and national initiatives with more than 5,000 participations from BRD employees since the launch of the program in 2018 until now. Whether the initiative comes from our colleagues or is proposed within the partnership with United Way Romania, each project reminds us that good is learned by doing and having time for others”, says Flavia Popa, Secretary General, BRD Groupe Société Générale.

In 2025, the projects carried out in partnership with BRD at the national level are:

• InnoMate – Innovation for the Future

A project that helps high school students from vulnerable backgrounds develop their skills and increase their chances of employment.

In addition to job shadowing and internship sessions, students visit BRD headquarters to understand how a bank works and what career opportunities exist. BRD volunteers share their professional experiences with them, and students participate in an entrepreneurship ideas contest, judged by BRD specialists. By the end of the year, 480 young people will benefit from this program.

• Learn to be healthy

The project addresses the problem of childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyle, encouraging a balanced lifestyle. Organized for 390 children, it includes sports workshops, sessions on nutrition, healthy living, fair play and bullying prevention.

BRD volunteers get involved through sports demonstrations, workshops and interactive discussions.

• Adventure through Reading

Supported by BRD since the end of 2023, the program continues in 2025, and offers 260 children from rural communities access to literacy workshops. BRD volunteers participate in the design of six reading spaces and educational activities with the children.

By the end of last year, BRD and United Way Romania had supported 2,065 children to discover the joy of reading through the “Adventure through Reading” program.

9 reading spaces were designed, and 433 children participated in the workshops weekly. BRD volunteers dedicated 1,619 hours guiding children into the world of stories. In 2025, we aim to reach over 1,100 children and young people and involve over 1,000 BRD volunteers.

All these initiatives are carried out under the umbrella of ZiuaV – BRD’s volunteer program.

In 2024, through the ZiuaV platform, 1,101 BRD volunteers offered a total of 6,446 volunteer hours in social and charitable projects, of solidarity and responsibility towards nature and the community, including in projects carried out together with United Way Romania.