10 years of Novartis Community Partnership Day in Slovenia

  • Novartis associates in Slovenia have once again organized the Community Partnership Day – a charitable initiative which encourages the associates to participate in a range of voluntary activities for a few days, lending a hand to individuals and non-governmental organizations.
  • This is the tenth Novartis activity of its kind in Slovenia making Novartis one of the pioneers of corporate volunteering in Slovenia.
  • Throughout the past ten years, Novartis associates in Slovenia have carried out 23,000 hours of voluntary work and helped more than 10,000 people and 40 organizations.
8. 5. 2014

More than 300 associates of Lek, a Sandoz company, Novartis Pharma, Novartis Animal Health and Alcon have dedicated this day to volunteering. They joined many associates throughout Novartis across the world to lend a hand as volunteers in their local communities, as a part of the Novartis global initiative Community Partnership Day.

With the Community Partnership Day, Novartis commemorates its creation in 1996. Since then, Novartis annually dedicates one day to promote volunteering of the associates for the welfare of others.

In Slovenia, the first Community Partnership Day was carried out the year after Novartis acquired Lek and this year it has been organized for the tenth time in a row. In this period, the Community Partnership Day has become one of the core long-term activities to promote the Novartis commitment to corporate responsibility. More than 2,900 Novartis associates have helped out more than 40 different organizations and over 10,000 individuals by volunteering throughout the past ten years.

»Volunteering forges strong ties between the company and the local community, as it benefits everyone. On one hand, the company effectively and directly helps people and thus demonstrates its responsibility to the environment with which it coexists. On the other hand, the employees become more connected through such activities and reinforce the values of the company, thereby raising their loyalty to the company, « said Katarina Klemenc, Head Corporate Communications at Lek, a Sandoz company, about the initiative.

This year, Novartis associates in Slovenia will offer the following volunteer service:

  • Taking children will special needs to visit the House of Experiments and help them to participate in an exciting day of experiencing science;
  • For children spending holidays in the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth resort in Pacug, they will landscape the surroundings and refurbish the walls of holiday bungalows. By doing so, spending colorful holidays will not remain unfulfilled dreams but will become a reality;
  • Landscaping the surroundings of the facility for rescue team training in Jezersko;
  • Helping children from socially handicapped families to landscape and refurbish the Mala Hiša in Pilštanj;
  • Organizing a fun day on a boat on the Ljubljanica river, bingo and picnic for the residents of homes for the elderly Ljubljana – Bokalce, Mengeš and Prevalje;
  • Organizing a sports day for children at the Lendava Bilingual Primary School II and directing them at the orienteering run and athletics competition;
  • Helping to paint the rooms at the Institute for the blind and visually impaired children in Ljubljana, bringing some freshness into their environment;
  • Preparing an exciting day for children with special needs in the swimming pool at Hotel Lek in Kranjska Gora;
  • Helping raise donations for the humanitarian campaign Siti besed (Fed Up with Words) in a call center, as a part of the Stopimo skupaj (Let’s Stand together) program, in collaboration with the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth and TV Slovenia.

Apart from that, the associates will have an opportunity to take part in the blood donation sessions, which are, besides visiting the homes for elderly people, a regular annual activity.

Community Partnership Day in numbers:

  • 2,900 Novartis associates have contributed more than 23,000 hours of voluntary work throughout the ten years.
  • Helped more than 10,000 people and 40 organisations.
  • Novartis associates in Slovenia have donated more than 300 litres of blood so far.
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Lek, a Sandoz company, is one of key pillars of the second-largest generic pharmaceutical company globally. Its role within Sandoz is to act as: a leading global development center for products and technologies; a global manufacturing center for active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines; a competence center for the development of vertically integrated products; a Sandoz competence center in the field of development and manufacturing of biosimilar products; and, a supply center for the markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), South East Europe (SEE) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and it is responsible for sales on the Slovenian market. For further information please visit http://www.lek.si/en/.

Sandoz, the generic pharmaceuticals division of Novartis, is a global leader in the generic pharmaceutical sector. Sandoz employs over 26,500 employees and its products are available in more than 160 countries, offering a broad range of high-quality, affordable products that are no longer protected by patents. With USD 9.2 billion in sales in 2013, Sandoz has a portfolio of approximately 1,100 molecules, and holds the #1 position globally in biosimilars as well as in generic injectables, ophthalmics, dermatology and antibiotics, complemented by leading positions in the cardiovascular, metabolism, central nervous system, pain, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and hormonal therapeutic areas. Sandoz develops, produces, and markets these medicines, as well as active pharmaceutical and biotechnological substances. Nearly half of Sandoz’s portfolio is in differentiated products, which are defined as products that are more difficult to scientifically develop and manufacture than standard generics.
In addition to strong organic growth since consolidating its generics businesses under the Sandoz brand name in 2003, Sandoz has benefitted from strong growth of its acquisitions, which include Lek (Slovenia), Sabex (Canada), Hexal (Germany), Eon Labs (US), EBEWE Pharma (Austria), Oriel Therapeutics (US), and Fougera Pharmaceuticals (US).
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Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2013, the Group achieved net sales of USD 57.9 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.9 billion (USD 9.6 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 135,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.

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For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com