FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.09.2009 15:05

"We also score goals with the XICS"

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Today at midday marked the end of the first XICS-JES Social Action Forum, including the presentation of an agreement between the club and La Caixa’s Obra Social charity organisation.

President Joan Laporta, the director general of the Foundation, Marta Segú and the general director of Obra Social de La Caixa presented on Saturday at midday the agreement between the Barça Foundation and Obra Social de La Caixa. The two organisations will be joining forces to promote corporate social responsibility.

Success of first XICS-JES forum

The event coincided with the closure in Sala París of the first XICS-JES Social Action Forum, in which both institutions collaborated. This week, from September 14 to 19, the event has been going on in the Centre Esplai in El Prat de Llobregat, and involved a meeting between directors and social assistants at 12 XICS centres around the world. This Saturday president Joan Laporta himself presented the diplomas accrediting the participation of more than 25 attendees, who have worked on the common philosophy of all centres and on forms of management and holding activities at the different centres.

Joining forces with La Caixa

After the forum closed, the action moved to Sala París. Laporta stressed the importance of the Foundation and solidarity for the club. “It was the best decision we made since we came to the club. The XICS network is now a reality. There was an idea; we wanted to give back to society what society has given us. And it has happened. Barça is essentially ‘more than a club’ and the Foundation’s projects help us to express our solidarity and our identity”. The president made it clear that “we also score goals with the XICS”.

A year and a day ago an agreement was made between Obra Social de La Caixa and FC Barcelona. According to Elisa Durán, assistant director of Obra Social, solidarity is a basic element in which the more are involved, the better. “It is very important to create objectives and join forces so that we can really feel useful”, she said. During the press conference, she presented a cheque for 150,000 euros to the XICS centre in Santa Coloma de Gramenet.

Two serious institutions

For Laporta, this collaboration with La Caixa shows just how solid Barça’s charity projects are. “At Barça we are directing projects, but we are not alone. We have people with us who are capable of making dreams come true for boys and girls in vulnerable conditions”

Laporta also said that the bank has also appreciated the way the club has dealt with these objectives in such a businesslike way. “La Caixa is always rigorous and serious and have seen that Barça is an organisation that offers the guarantees they need”.