“In the long run, we have been supporting projects that contribute towards developing local communities and improving living conditions in the regions where we are present. This year, the municipalities to which we will donate a total of CZK 4 million will use the funding mainly to support cultural and social events for local inhabitants. Still, the donations will also be used, for instance, for youth educational events, to buy equipment for retained firefighters, modernise the public space or renovate historical sights. Supporting municipalities in the vicinity of our production plants is very important to us, as most of our employees live there, and we want to be a good neighbour to them,” summarises Katarzyna Woś, Vice-chair of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s board of directors.
Villages that will be financial supported by the ORLEN Unipetrol Group this year include Brandov, Český Jiřetín, Klíny, Louka u Litvínova, Mariánské Radčice, Nová Ves v Horách, Želenice, Chvatěruby, Úžice, Kozomín, Zlončice, Zlosyň, Obříství, Kly, Tišice, Tuhaň and Kojetice. Among the supported towns are Most, Litvínov, Meziboří, Hora Svaté Kateřiny, Horní Jiřetín, Lom, Osek, Kralupy nad Vltavou, Veltrusy and Neratovice.
In the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, corporate social responsibility is one of the priorities for creating a sustainable business plan. Together with donations, the Group also organises regular Volunteer Days during which employees help non-profit organisations. Employees themselves can support the improvement of the quality of life in the vicinity of the production sites all year round by submitting their own volunteer projects within the komUNIta internal platform. ORLEN Unipetrol then provides financial support to these volunteer activities. Over the three years of the programme’s existence, employee volunteers have implemented 97 activities, during which 160 volunteers have donated almost 2,400 hours. Thanks to komUNIta, it was possible to renovate public space in the municipalities close to the production plants, create an entertainment programme for children and seniors, equip the premises of non-profit organisations and much more. Since 2011, employees have also contributed annually to the Fulfilled Wishes employee collection, the yields of which are sent to support non-profit organisations near to the production plants. The Group matches the total yield from employee contributions. Over the duration of the collection, the Group has provided over CZK 4 million to non-profit organisations.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes the Benzina ORLEN filling station network in the Czech Republic and a network of ORLEN outlets in Slovakia and Hungary. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest multi-energy company in Central Europe. ORLEN Unipetrol employs almost 6,000 people and is active in corporate social responsibility. It seeks to promote initiatives that cultivate and support sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.