Focus on Sponsors: MB/EvoBus

To quote Aesop, “A man is known by the company he keeps”. Paraphrasing this well-known saying, we can say that people are likely to judge the Robert Burns International Foundation by the quality and reputation of its supporters and sponsors. This is what made us extremely proud when in 2015 Mercedes-Benz and its largest European subsidiary EvoBus decided to support the RBIF for an initial period of three years.

Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus have played an instrumental role in supporting the RBIF’s projects since 2015, and it all stemmed from then CEO Ingo Fröhlich attending the Budapest Burns Supper in 2013, where he was touched by the passion, the hard work and the love put in by the people behind the RBIF to support children and their families in need. The projects that the Foundation supports make a real difference to the lives of the children that benefit from the RBIF, and this is something that Mercedes-Benz and EvoBus could identify with, and were keen to support.

 

EvoBus Hungária Kft. is the general distributor and exclusive representative of EvoBus GmbH, which is a 100% affiliate of Daimler Buses and belongs to the Daimler AG Group.Particular attention is paid to the continuity of our social responsibility, which includes support for disabled people, treatment of sick children and sponsoring youth sports. We are extremely proud and happy to be able to take part in the work of the Robert Burns International Foundation.


“We are delighted to support the achievement of our goals through the RBIF, which are especially important for us.”
Dóra Uray, managing director, EvoBus Hungária Kft.

Acting socially responsibly is the duty of any successful corporation, and of course there are many foundations that are worthwhile being supported. This makes it all the more encouraging that the RBIF was chosen as one of the deserving charity initiatives for Mercedes-Benz and EvoBus. The Burns Suppers also provide a great networking platform, which is without doubt a benefit that any corporation can utilise for further growth.

We are grateful for the support we have received since 2015, and hope we can continue to count on their assistance going forward.

Focus on Sponsors: Corinthia Hotel

The Robert Burns International Foundation, and before it the Hungarian-Scottish Society, have been organising Burns Suppers in Budapest since 1998. The event moved from venue to venue in the early days, including the Trade Unions’ Congress Hall and the Hűvősvölgyi Vigadó, but since 2004 the home of the Budapest Burns Supper has been the Corinthia Hotel Budapest. And what a venue it is. The beautiful marble staircase leading up to the Grand Ballroom provides the perfect backdrop for what has become a fixture on the Budapest social calendar, an event that regularly sells out in just a few weeks.

The Corinthia Hotel has been a staunch supporter of the Robert Burns International Foundation since 2004, and has always played an active role. Starting with General Manager Adrian Ellis, through his successor Thomas Fischer and now under the leadership of current GM Jean Pierre Mifsud, the Corinthia Hotel Budapest does more than just host the event. The background work that goes on in the Hotel to promote and enhance the fundraising activities, the hotel’s help with all the organising committee meetings in the months leading up to the Burns Supper, and their involvement in other RBIF-related events as participants and sponsors make the Corinthia not just a venue, but a genuine partner.

“We believe in mutually rewarding long-term commitment and loyalty towards our partners. Having seen the Foundation and the interest in the Burns Supper itself grow so much over the years, it makes us feel proud and gives us reassurance to having stood by the right partner over this period of time.”

It is the relationship between the RBIF and the Corinthia Hotel Budapest since 2004 and the trust that has built up between us since then that prompted the Curatorium to make the Corinthia its  Sponsor of the Year not just once, but twice, in 2007 and 2013. To date it is the only organisation to have held the title on more than one occasion.

 

We are looking forward to holding our 21st Burns Supper in the Corinthia Hotel Budapest on 27 January 2018, and hope that the Grand Ballroom will remain our venue for many many years to come.

2015 Sponsor of the Year, Deloitte

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Deloitte has been supporting the RBIF for a good few years now. How did it start?

We at Deloitte Hungary have been focusing on corporate social responsibility for a long time, and our commitment to efforts serving the public good dates back over 13 years. In this spirit, we were delighted to start a cooperation with the Robert Burns International Foundation in 2013, having been impressed with the focus of the  foundation while attending the Burns Supper that year. The Curatorium and the organisation both operate on a pro bono basis, which allows us to provide support in the most effective form possible.

Deloitte was selected as Sponsor of the Year at the Burns Supper in 2016, meaning you were able to meet Honorary President Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester. Putting aside your allegiances as a Liverpool fan, how was your day?

My son and myself have fond memories of that day as I can safely say that our visit to Manchester was a memorable experience for both of us, all the more so because the trip was intended as a special birthday present for my son Ciaran. The eventful day that lay ahead made up for our exhausting early flight: it was really humbling to meet Sir Alex, to  get to know him in person and to spend quality time in his company. It was inspiring to see how proud he is of his Scottish roots and how devoted he is to the foundation. Meeting Frank Stapleton and Sammy McIlroy, two of the football legends of my youth, was also an unforgettable experience. After the game, another surprise was in store for us at the hotel: we received a visit from Hungarian international goalkeeper Ádám Bogdán with whom we spent a really pleasant evening. Also, Sir Alex, Ádám Bogdán and Zoltán Magyar gave some helpful advice to my son regarding football, so the trip was a truly memorable experience for both of us.

A successful partnership is a win-win situation for both sides. What does the RBIF offer you and why do you support the foundation?

The main factor we at Deloitte Hungary focus on in terms of corporate social responsibility is effectiveness. Our goal is to make an impact that matters, and this ambition guides us not only in business activities, but also in our charity initiatives. This is why we consider effectiveness to be the key to success for the organisations we support, since the progress made in terms of social issues reflects how successful our efforts were. We are proud to contribute to the efforts of the Robert Burns International Foundation as well.

How does the RBIF’s activity fit in with your company’s CSR initiatives? Which aspects of the RBIF would you recommend to others considering sponsorship?

Our sponsorship efforts focus on helping sick and underprivileged children and our corporate social responsibility scheme is centred mainly on these topics. This was also the case at the start of our cooperation in 2013 and the activities of the foundation were closely aligned with Deloitte Hungary’s charity efforts. As a result of its impressive work, the Robert Burns International Foundation has provided several hundred thousand euros of support in Hungary in the last 20 years. They also support the activities of the 2 nd Dept. of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca and the Children’s Hospital in Péterfy Sándor utca in Budapest, as well as the children’s hospitals in Orosháza and Gyula. They also help the lives of orphans, supporting a children’s home in Szekszárd. We are delighted to be a part of this amazing charity work through our sponsorship of the foundation.