We engage in outreach and sponsorship activities that benefit local communities

• Has established partnerships with the Dom Chemika Puławy Cultural Centre, the largest such centre in the region, the Zamoyski Museum in Kozłówka, and the Vistula Museum in Kazimierz Dolny. The company was a sponsor of events held as part of the ‘All Directions of the World’ classical music festival as well as ‘The Cursed – the Unconquered of the Lublin Region’ series broadcast by the Polish Television.
• Helped to organise a patriotic concert to honour Edward Taraszkiewicz, codename ‘Żelazny’, and his brother Leon Taraszkiewicz, codename ‘Jastrząb’, heroes of Poland’s independence underground, and to stage a re-enactment of the Battle of Komarów to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the event.
• In 2017, Grupa Azoty Puławy assumed one-year patronage over the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Wola Okrzejska and co-financed the purchase of a part of the manuscript of Sienkiewicz’s novel ‘The Deluge’.

• Supports the Mościce Arts Centre, ArtContest Artistic Association of Tarnów (Grupa Azoty International Jazz Contest Group), Puellae Orantes Cathedral Girls Choir, BWA Tarnów City Gallery, Leliwa Traditional Jazz Association of Tarnów, Klasa Dance Association (National Ballroom Dance Tournament) and Paderewski Centre in Kąśna Dolna.

• Sponsors the protection of local cultural heritage, in particular by supporting the activities of the Koźle Region Association, which protects the history and monuments of the Koźle Region and the City of Kędzierzyn-Koźle.
• Is a long-standing patron of the Inland Navigation Youth Brass Orchestra, which has won national and international acclaim and recognition. The orchestra plays at major European concert halls, with its performances covered by local and national media. Highlights and photos from the concerts are published by foreign press as well.
• Also sponsors minor events, such as the second edition of the Concert of Cultures, organised by the Association of Friends of the Echo Kresów Choir.

• In 2017, the ‘Grupa Azoty Puławy Sports Academy’ was established as a social and sports initiative for children practising football. The idea behind it is to partner with sports clubs and teams present in the area of our Company’s operations, who play under the common logo of the Sports Academy and Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Puławy.
• In 2016, the Azoty-Puławy men’s handball team, sponsored by the company, fought for top positions in the best league at the national level and represented Poland in European cups
• Grupa Azoty Puławy-sponsored sports club Wisła Puławy triumphed on the football pitch. The club secured a top position in the 2015/2016 season games and advanced to the first league for the first time in its history. The team also competed at the national level of the Polish Cup tournament.
• •In 2016, Grupa Azoty Puławy forged a partnership with the sports club Górnik Łęczna, which remained in the Polish football premier league for the 2016/2017 season as the best football team of the Lublin region.
• In 2016, the company teamed up with the Aeoroklub of Lublin in the organisation of Poland’s balooning championships in Nałęczów, cooperated with the Azoty Yacht Club of Puławy, which organises sailing courses and training camps in the Masurian Lake District and on the Vistula river, with the Kyokushin Karate Club of Lublin, and with a number of local football clubs
• In 2017, the company sponsored the talented wrestler and national representative from the Lublin region Jakub Szymula.

• The company provides support to the Wodnik Inclusive Students Swimming Club, which brings together children and youth, including people with disabilities, and creates an inclusive environment for students from childcare centres, providing opportunities to interact with their peers from state schools.
• The company also sponsors the Dzik Running Club Association, which is the host of the annual ‘Wild Weekend’ event, a series of cross-country races, ranging in distance and difficulty. The event is regularly accompanied by the National Fire Fighters Championship and the National Uniformed Services Championship in cross-country racing.
• The company co-hosts the Nationwide Neptune Run, held around the Szczecin Lake near Trzebież over a distance of five kilometers and bringing together healthy lifestyle enthusiasts.
• The company is a partner of the regularly held Szczecin Firefighter Combat Challenge, a captivating event that attracts massive audiences.
• The company sponsors the ‘I Run Because I Like It’ Association and its Santa Clause Run held in Police. The event is the largest winter running event in the Szczecin Province and one of the most attended races in the calendar year.
• In March 2017, Grupa Azoty Police signed an agreement with the Szczecin Province Football Association under which the company provides football clubs in the region with pitch care products at low prices in exchange for brand presence at stadiums and football grounds.

BEST PRACTICE

Grupa Azoty S.A. also hosted a sports panel ‘Business and Sports or How to Be in Shape for Success’, attended by Apoloniusz Tajner, President of the Polish Ski Association, Adam Małysz, Coordinating Director of the Polish Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined National Team at the Polish Ski Association, Dawid Kubacki, a world champion in team ski jumping, and Maciej Kot, a World Championship gold and bronze medallist in team ski jumping events.

In 2016, Grupa Azoty S.A. designed and implemented a unique multi-year social outreach project named ‘START’, designed to discover young sports talent. Its purpose is to support young people dreaming of excellent performance in various sports. The project comprises:

• Basketball Development Programme,
• Speedway Development Programme,
• Handball Development Programme, and
• Cross-Country Skiing Development Programme.

In 2017, Grupa Azoty S.A. also provided organisational and financial support to:

• AZS (University Sports Association) Club at the State Higher Vocational School in Tarnów (field and track section) PWSZ,
• Miejsko-Ludowy Klub Sportowy (sports club) Dąbrovia (archery),
• Football Academy at the Jutrzenka Popular Sports Club.

• Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn has been a long-standing Main Sponsor of ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, a premier league volleyball team, promoting not only the company, but also the town, region and province.
• In 2017, based on an agreement with Grupa Azoty S.A., Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn became responsible for the support of Odra Opole, a first-league football club.
• Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn supports the sporting career of paralympic badminton player Bartłomiej Mróz, multiple World and European Championships medalist, whose primary goal for the next couple of years will be to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. On his road to Japan, he has to win a series of tournaments played around the world.
• As far as amateur sports are concerned, Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn provides support to a number of regional initiatives, including the ‘Chemik’ Sporting Society (football academy and boxing sections) and ‘Lewada’ Equestrian Club, as well as various projects undertaken by the ‘Koziołek’ Sports Club (e.g. the Sixth Charitable Santa Claus Run), the Municipal Interschool Sports Club (e.g. the ‘Koziołki Pływackie’ swimming championships) and the Santa Claus Basket Tournament in Prudnik.

Is running the ‘It’s Good to Be a Pole’ programme promoting national pride and traditions and commemorating important events and famous figures in Poland’s history. The programme was inaugurated on the National Remembrance Day of the Cursed Soldiers, which was celebrated with a patriotic concert ‘It’s Good to Be a Pole’ held at the music studio of the Polish Radio in Lublin. Grupa Azoty Puławy is also the main partner of the project ‘The Underground Army Returns’, under which a website devoted to the Cursed Soldiers was set up. The company is the patron of various publications, including themed supplements to local newspapers that promote and popularise the knowledge of Poland’s post-war heroes.

Some initiatives undertaken under the ‘It’s Good to Be a Pole’ programme include:

• Partnering the project ‘The Underground Army Returns’,
• Series of educational programmes ‘The Cursed – the Unconquered of the Lublin Region’, honouring heroes of Poland’s struggle for independence, and a series called ‘Independent’, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Poland’s regaining independence, broadcast on Channel 3 of the Polish Television in Lublin,
• Support of the Cursed Soldiers Rally, Cursed Soldiers Memorial Race, Wolf’s Trail and other patriotic runs and marches,
• Support in organising a patriotic concert to honour Edward Taraszkiewicz, codename ‘Żelazny’, and his brother Leon Taraszkiewicz, codename ‘Jastrząb’, heroes of Poland’s independence underground,
• Support in staging a re-enactment of the Battle of Komarów, the biggest battle of cavalry fought during the Polish-Soviet War, to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the event.
• Assistance offered to Poles returning from Kazakhstan in adapting to the new environment, in partnership with the Polish Community Association,
• Support in organising the 25th Sienkiewicz-Named Schools Rally in Puławy,
• Help with the purchase of the manuscript of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s ‘The Deluge’ for the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Wola Okrzejska.

Is a long-standing supporter of the ‘Safety is Our Common Goal’ campaign for children and youth from the county of Puławy that is partnered by the town’s police and firefighters. The initiative involves meetings at educational institutions across the county (primary schools, junior high schools and kindergartens). Each participant receives an educational brochure and small gifts (including reflective bands).

• Has built strong partnerships with the Szczecin-based West Pomeranian University of Technology and University of Szczecin, as well as the Police School Complex.
• Is also visited by large numbers of university and other students as well as scientists interested in the chemical industry. The company organises guided bus tours around its facilities. Visiting professionals are also shown selected business units.

• Supports the Tarnów Branch of the Polish Tourist Association, the Society of the Friends of Mościce, and the Tytus Chałubiński PCK Blood Donors Club at Grupa Azoty S.A.
• Supports the Volunteer Water Rescue Service in Tarnów.

• Provided funds to purchase a rescue and firefighting vehicle for the County Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2016.
• Has been a long-term supporter of the ‘Your Friend Numbers 998–112’ social information campaign run by the PARAM centre in Opole to improve public safety by raising risk awareness, educating and training people in risk prevention, emergency response and effective communication with rescue services.

• Blood donation campaigns are run at Grupa Azoty S.A. companies on a regular basis. Grupa Azoty Puławy periodically holds blood donation events for its employees, with approximately 11 litres of blood donated in 2016.