Around 70 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Germany employees volunteer at the Kinderbauernhof Kirchdorf e.V. in the south of Hamburg on 24 May 2019. The plan includes the construction of roofed seating groups, gardening work as well as the installation of sidewalk lighting. The campaign is part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Europe-wide Community Day, during which employees of the company are also involved in social and ecological projects in six other cities in Germany.
On this year’s Community Day, in addition to the team in Hamburg, employees from the following eight centers support local initiatives and projects: Centro in Oberhausen, Düsseldorf Arcaden, Ruhr Park in Bochum, Gropius Passagen in Berlin, Paunsdorf Center and Höfe am Brühl in Leipzig and Pasing Arcaden and Riem Arcaden in Munich.
“It’s great to make a difference together with people who are committed to charitable projects in the communities around our locations and make their home a better place,” says Bruno Bittis, Director of Human Resources at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Germany. ” Therefore, Community Day is an integral part of our corporate culture – this is demonstrated by the high level of participation and enthusiasm with which our colleagues and employees work”.
The Kinderbauernhof is designed as a natural playground, a social and intercultural meeting place as well as an ecological and school supplementing learning location. The farm is home to native animals such as rodents, pigs, goats and horses but also exotic parrots. The farm is run by the non-profit association Kinderbauernhof Kirchdorf e.V. with about 90 members.
“For us, the Kinderbauernhof is a matter close to our hearts. We want to bring children closer to nature and the environment through great experiences. We are pleased about each support and thank Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and its coworkers for the energetic support”, says Gerd Horn, director of the Kirchdorf Children’s Farm.
For the first time in Hamburg
In Hamburg it is the first Community Day for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. The company is developing the mixed-use project Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in HafenCity, which is to become the new urban destination in Hamburg starting 2022. The foundation stone for the project was laid on 22 May.
“For all our locations, but also for our project Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, the topic of sustainability in all its facets plays a very special role,” says Dirk Hünerbein, Head of Development at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Germany. “We are committed to environmentally friendly construction and reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible during delivery, traffic and subsequent operation of the quarter. But also promoting culture and education and supporting local communities is one of the areas for which we as a company would like to assume responsibility. The Kirchdorf children’s farm is therefore a project that we are very happy to support actively.”
Community spirit and environmental awareness
Community Day is part of the “URW Volunteering Programs”, an initiative in which Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield employees are involved in social and charitable projects throughout Europe. This gives them the opportunity to support organizations in the areas of childcare, education, social integration and environmental protection. The projects and the commitment of the employees are supported by the company management.
