Kaufland is among the most socially responsible companies in our country

Twenty-two charity projects and social initiatives in 17 different categories received official recognition during the eighth edition of the Annual Awards for Charity and Corporate Social Responsibility "Golden Heart" of Business Lady Magazine and Club. The ceremony took place on May 17 at the Inter Expo Center.

Among the awardees were representatives of business, the media, and non-governmental organizations. Several companies received distinctions in the Support and Development panel. For Support and business development of young people, the first place went to Fibank with the Sustainable Lady fund for its Smart Lady business program, and the second prize went to Kaufland and the leaders of the future. In the Support and Development of Municipalities and Regions category, the first prize was awarded to Vivacom - for the Vivacom Regional Grant.

In the Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation panel, HEWLETT-PACKARD GLOBAL DELIVERY BULGARIA CENTER EOOD was awarded for its Total Corporate Social Responsibility, and Kaufland took first place in the Sustainable Development and Safe Working Conditions section - with its new standards in its logistics. For its sustainable social policy, the telecommunications giant Vivacom was awarded as a champion - with the Vivacom Regional Grant, Operation "Yellow Coins" and the Education 4.0 Initiative. In the Innovations and Sustainable Development category, the first prize went to Kaufland Green Logistics, and APTEKI 36.6 was awarded for its Sustainable Charity Activity. This year, the organizers added new and interesting categories, among them Employer Branding and CSR, in which the first place was once again won by Kaufland, for the commitment of the HR team to the policy of sustainable development.

In the Green Initiatives panel, several social campaigns also received recognition. Postbank won first prize for its CSR program "Green together with Postbank". The second place went to Robert Bosch EOOD - for the campaign under the title "GreenPlanet". Kaufland was also a finalist in the Green Planet category, with its activities in support of bees and biodiversity.

Education was also among the active categories in the eighth edition of the annual Golden Heart Awards, with a total of three organizations receiving recognition for their education and training initiatives. In the category of Training and development in the IT industry, the first place went to the IT company MM Solutions and more specifically to the training camp for novice programmers MMS Star Camp. SoftUni won a prize for the Engine of the Digital Revolution and the IT sector, and the kindergarten and private primary school "Quest" was awarded for the second year in a row, for the creation of the Private Vocational High School for Performing Arts and Management "Akatamus", which will support children with talents.

In the Internal CSR panel, the first place was awarded to Orbico Bulgaria in the Socially Responsible Employee category - for the social initiatives that the company has been developing for the third year with the support of its employees - "A plush hug for a child's smile", "Plant a future" and "Orbico Fashionweek". The "Our Home is Bulgaria" Foundation for another year received first prize in the Cultural and Historical Initiatives section, for its creative productions for popularizing and preserving the Christian values, culture, traditions, and history of Bulgaria. In the Healthcare and Health Initiatives category, the winner was Vivacom, with its free phone line to help patients with chronic diseases.

In the Sports Initiatives category, two organizations received awards - Robert Bosch EOOD won the first prize for the Bosch Car Service campaign with a focus on how to prepare our car for the different seasonal driving conditions and responsible driving, whose ambassador was Ekaterina Stratieva - three-time winner of the women's trophy at the European Rally championship. Kaufland was also a finalist in the Sporting Activities panel – with the Kaufland Fresh Superheroes winning the championship.

In the section Media and social causes, the first place for another year went to NOVA, this time for the Exhibition - "She. Despite everything" on NOVA News. With great emotion, the organizers finalized this year's ceremony of their annual "Golden Heart" awards with the particularly emotional category Personality - Inspirational, in which the prize was presented to Petya Valcheva, Director of the "Sveta Petka" Social and Health Services Complex. Raina Mandjukova - Bessarabian Bulgarian, born in Ukraine, who has been living in Bulgaria for 33 years - received a special award - for her support not only to Bulgarians in and from Ukraine but also to all those who suffered from the horrors of the war.

"This year we were particularly impressed by the significant social initiatives that businesses develop and support. We have all become convinced that corporate social responsibility is an integral part of the organizational culture and is not only a source of pride for employees but also clearly distinguishes successful businesses" - said Daniel Dimitrov, Executive director and publisher of Business Lady.

Among the special guests who presented awards to the distinguished organizations were: Georgi Ruichev, Executive director of the Bulgarian Forum of Business Leaders; Mila Eliseeva, Member of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce; Detelina Smilkova, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Association for People Management; Teodora Stavreva, Secretary General of the Bulgarian Investment Agency and others.

The hosts of the official part were Niki Kanchev and actress Albena Stavreva, and the good mood of the guests was ensured by the talented children from HighLight Singing Academy - Children's vocal group "Highlight C", as well as the professional performers of the academy, created by Iskra Milkova. The academy is the only one of its kind in Bulgaria, with certified vocal pedagogues from the Institute for Vocal Advancement and Modern Vocal Technique, and offers training to musical talents in the art of singing, in all modern styles.

The "Golden Heart" awards aim to publicize the efforts of companies, NGOs, institutions, and individuals who have supported various causes of social and public significance, thus setting an example and encouraging more companies and individuals to get involved in similar initiatives. This project of the Business Lady magazine is another continuation of the main goal of the publication – to give voice to various professional successes, qualities, and achievements, sharing good practices and proven management models of both the organization and its communications and public responsibility.