BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility marks 15 years with four employee winners
Fifteen years after it began, the BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility has honoured four employee volunteers whose projects tackle education, inclusion and domestic violence.
- 15
- around 1,500
- more than 115
- €10,000
What Happened
The BMW Group Awards for Social Engagement were established in 2011 to honour BMW Group employees whose volunteering helps others and contributes to a fairer, more liveable society. Since then, around 1,500 applications have been submitted and more than 115 awards have been presented. This year's recipients are Julia Springer, Kais Aseckzai, Nadège Goncalves and Abdessamad Bendahhou, whose projects provide access to education, foster social inclusion and create new opportunities.
The BMW Group Awards for Social Engagement are established.
Award ceremony held in the Double Cone at BMW Welt, attended by finalists, award presenters and guests.
Press release published announcing this year's winners.
- Julia Springer, who won this year's employee poll, co-founded the non-profit Urlaubskinder e.V. and organises camping trips for children aged eight to fourteen from disadvantaged backgrounds; there are currently 17 KidsCamps across the German-speaking region plus one camp for older teenagers.
- Kais Aseckzai, recipient of the Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation Special Award for young volunteers, works with his organisation Learn.Lead.Lift and local partners to give orphaned children and young people in Afghanistan access to education, with a focus on girls; it primarily supports an orphanage in Kabul.
- Nadège Goncalves co-founded Maison Solidarité Femmes 95 to support women affected by domestic violence with protection, advice and practical assistance, including an employment programme that helps women re-enter the job market.
- Abdessamad Bendahhou works with the non-profit Deutsch-Marokkanische Kompetenznetzwerk e.V. through workshops and exchange programmes to improve young people's career prospects, connecting them with businesses and access to internships, vocational training, higher education and employment.
“The award-winning projects represent people who show great dedication to helping others and, in doing so, make a tangible difference. Their commitment deserves our special recognition. Because every act of commitment counts. Every hour spent helping others strengthens social cohesion in our society.”
€10,000
Each of the four winning projects received €10,000; the other finalists received €2,500 each.
This year's awards attracted more than 100 applications, with nine projects shortlisted as finalists and four ultimately winning. The ceremony took place on 14 September in the Double Cone at BMW Welt, where finalists, award presenters and numerous guests gathered, among them Dorothea von Boxberg. The award is a key element of the SOCIAL DRIVE initiative, which promotes employees' volunteering activities and provides a platform to showcase projects, connect with colleagues and gain support for initiatives.
Why this matters
The award shows how a large automaker channels its employees' own volunteering into company-recognised projects, with prize money going directly to the causes. For the workers involved and the communities they serve, it is a rare corporate programme that funds individual social action rather than a product or brand campaign.
Terms in This Story
- SOCIAL DRIVE
- A BMW Group initiative that promotes employees' volunteering activities and provides a platform to showcase projects, connect with colleagues and gain support for initiatives.
- Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation Special Award
- A special award presented in recognition of young volunteers as part of the BMW Group Awards for Social Engagement.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.