On the 4th of July, 71 top managers from BNP Paribas Personal Investors worked for an environmental and social cause, carrying out a total of 180 hours of volunteer work in the Paris area.

Divided into working groups, the managers could opt for one of four projects that aim at preserving and developing the Nature Reserve and Recreation Area of Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines. This facility makes it possible for underprivileged youth coming from Paris and its suburbs, as well as young people with a mental handicap, to have a real summer holiday. All year round, it also welcomes social integration programs designed to help adults find work.

The corporate volunteering event was organised in cooperation with Unis-Cité, an organisation with experience in both the social and environmental milieus and a pioneer of the Civil Service in France. Each year, 150,000 young people 18- to 25-years old join Unis-Cité in order to enroll for a 6-9 months Civil Service, with various missions such as environment protection, fighting social exclusion or providing support for the elderly.

The corporate volunteering day of Personal Investors was centered around four missions. First, 20 managers fixed up the educational farm by painting the children’s chalet and building a wall made of wood weaving. The pony club was in need for a helping hand of 20 managers who cleaned the place, repaired the fence and refreshed educational signs. 20 others worked together to fix three kilometers of the road around the pond. A fourth group was in charge of making the paths in the Nature Reserve accessible by for instance spreading wood shavings on the ground. By engaging collectively for a good cause, the managers were able to achieve a remarkable improvement of Nature Reserve and Recreation Area.