Barclays marks 'Make a Difference Day' with clean-up exercise

Accra, Nov.1 GNA-Barclays Bank Ghana on Saturday embarked on a clean-up and painting exercise in three health and educational institutions in Accra to commemorate the 13th " Make a Difference Day" (MADD) celebration. The occasion is celebrated in all branches of the Bank worldwide and it seeks to provide assistance to needy institutions in communities where the bank operates as well as instilling the spirit of voluntarism in the staff of the bank worldwide.

The institutions were the Kaneshie Polyclinic, Kanda Cluster of Schools and Liberty 1-4 Basic Schools. Staff of the bank took pupils of Kanda 3 and 5 Basic schools through career development talks in addition to painting, weeding, removing cobwebs and sweeping the school's premises. The staff also embarked on similar exercises at the Kaneshie Polyclinic and Liberty 1-4 Basic Schools near Kwame Nrumah Avenue. Speaking to GNA, Mr. Gayheart Mensah, Corporate Communications Manager of the Bank said MADD seeks to encourage staff of the bank, their family members and customers to support the communities within which the bank operates by contributing their skills, competences, time and energy to participate in activities that would make a difference in the lives of the community.

He said the bank provides grants for groups of staff who identify community activities for voluntary participation and such grants cater for the logistics required to undertake the activity. Mr. Mensah said this year, more than 600 groups consisting of 2,300 staff of Barclays Ghana, family members and customers were engaging communities across the length and breath of the country in various voluntary activities.

"Such activities include awareness creation on health challenges such as HIV/AIDS, Breast cancer, diabetes and also include organizing seminars on basic book-keeping for traders, talks on savings, mentoring school children, fun activities for orphanages, painting school buildings and hospitals, clean-up exercises and the construction of sheds and rest stops," he said. Mr. Mensah said last year, 16,389 Barclays staff in 25 countries and 120,000 members of the public got involved in 917 projects and accessed 464,501.06 in the form of grants. Madam Elizabeth Frazer Maisie, Headmistress, Kanda Cluster of Schools expressed gratitude to the bank and said such gestures motivate majority of pupils in the school who come from deprived communities to learn hard for success.