Austria and Slovakia

’Our corporate social responsibility programmes in Vienna and Bratislava are small, but we are confident they will provide the foundation for developing future initiatives, and look forward to both offices‘ participation in the next firm-wide Community Challenge in October 2008.‘
Christof Pöchhacker, partner responsible for CSR in Vienna and Bratislava

Vienna

Our office in Vienna organises a social afternoon in a nursing home each Christmas. One of our partners plays the piano; associates and secretaries sing in a chorus; and the other attendees chat and sing with the elderly people. We always engage a group of dancers with disabilities to perform at the event.

The office also collects clothes for homeless people every Christmas.

Our office was the main sponsor of the dance competition Dance for Europe 2007, in which young dancers promote and support promising dancers.

In 2007, approximately one-third of our staff attended a blood donation event in our office with the Austrian Red Cross.

Bratislava

In 2005, lawyers in London, Vienna and Bratislava helped establish a branch of a British charity in Slovakia, and our pro bono legal support continues to this day.

The DePaul Foundation gives young people, primarily aged 16-25 years old, who are homeless, unemployed or disadvantaged; young offenders; or living in poverty the opportunity to fulfil their potential and move towards an independent and positive future. It runs hostels for the homeless all over Slovakia and offers a number of services, such as sports coaching, family mediation and employment training.

Community Challenge

As part of our first firm-wide community and pro bono initiative in October 2007, volunteers in Vienna helped at a special party where primary schoolchildren took part in activities focused on the autumn season.