Spain

‘There is very real enthusiasm for getting involved in our community and pro bono programme in both our Spanish offices, and our team challenges are always immensely popular with the people who work here. So we’re looking forward to getting more involved in taking forward our wider social and environmental commitments in 2008.’
Miguel Klingenberg, partner responsible for CSR in Barcelona and Madrid

We have a committee involving both lawyers and business services that co-ordinates and develops the community and pro bono activities in our Spanish offices. In addition to team challenges and Christmas events, groups of volunteers have been involved with sporting initiatives for young people.

A large group of volunteers from our Barcelona office attended the ‘Schools Seven-a-Side Football Championship’ for children with learning difficulties. The Special Olympics set up the championship and volunteers helped organise mini events during the day, involving ball skills, penalty shoot-outs and keeping scores and matching records. Our Madrid office organised a Special Olympics basketball training session and game for 30 boys.

In addition to a cash donation, staff volunteers helped paint a homeless shelter in Barcelona.

The Spanish offices are also actively engaged in pro bono work for various organisations.

Community Challenge

As part of our first firm-wide community and pro bono initiative in October 2007, volunteers worked with the Red Cross in our Barcelona office. They made puppets for children up to 15 years old, collected children from nursery schools to visit their mothers serving sentences in Wad Ras Penitentiary for Women and visited the children’s ward of Vall d’Hebrón Hospital.

In our Madrid office, volunteer staff took part in the Fundación Rais in a one day physical challenge to help break the cycle of homelessness.