BBVA launches campaign for its personnel

BBVA has launched a campaign among its personnel to join charities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Professionals who wish to do so can partner with this cause through the "Your contribution is worth double" campaign, in which for every euro donated by a member of staff, the bank will contribute another euro.

Workers who want to participate can contribute whatever amount they want in order to support the fight against coronavirus. BBVA will match every contribution received. We've already reached 2 million euros. This figure is in addition to the 35 million euros that the company has already committed to allocate to combat the pandemic in those countries where it operates.

The funds collected will be used to combat COVID-19 in three ways:

• Support for public health systems by purchasing respirators and medical equipment, as well as by delivering them to official agencies.
• Socio-economic support for the most vulnerable people through financial contributions to charity organizations that work in these sectors. It also includes the participation of BBVA personnel in volunteering initiatives supported by these entities.
• Support for scientific research on the disease and its treatment.

This campaign will be phased in in those countries where the Group operates.

Thanks to initiatives by BBVA personnel, the company has donated 175 external cell phone batteries to the new IFEMA field hospital and 210 blankets to the Alcalá de Henares hospital, both in Madrid.

These days, between being locked down in homes and with the sick forcibly isolated, families are kept apart and, in some cases, without news on their loved ones. A person who works at BBVA received a request for cell phone batteries for the new IFEMA field hospital, where there is a shortage of outlets for charging phones and other mobile devices.

From there, the idea arose of retrieving one of the gifts that the Group gave its shareholders on the occasion of its Annual General Meeting a few years ago: external cell phone batteries. That surplus (175 units) was quickly located in a warehouse in Ciudad BBVA, charged through the night and delivered within 24 hours to the new IFEMA hospital. Thanks to this initiative, patients have been able to talk to their families during this time and ease their concerns by being a little closer.

And this isn't the only help that BBVA personnel have been able to offer those affected by COVID-19. A similar case was that of the blankets that a few years ago were given to BBVA shareholders. These excess blankets, together with others from the BBVA training center (210 blankets in all), have been donated to the Alcalá de Henares hospital, one of the hardest hit by coronavirus cases.