The 2021 Initiatives

Banca Sella, Regione Piemonte and CGIL, CISL and UIL renewed, also for 2021, the agreement for the advancement of extraordinary redundancy benefits to workers of Piedmontese companies in hardship, residing in the region. The measure entails no cost for the beneficiary workers.

The renewal of this agreement with the Piedmont Region and trade unions was significant because it represented a further tool to support businesses and families in the area. The restoration also took place at such a challenging time linked to the spread of the pandemic and the consequences it had on the productive economic scenario.

The agreement guarantees workers economic coverage when their company cannot provide directly for the months of delay that the INPS could use to pay redundancy benefits.

Banca Sella has set aside a new ceiling of ¿ 1 billion to encourage and support investments by companies in innovative projects also translating into a positive impact in terms of sustainability.

The new funding, specifically aimed at SMEs throughout Italy, supports innovation and digital transformation through projects that respect and do their part in having a tangible impact on the 17 sustainable development goals identified by the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

In support of families and businesses affected, in autumn 2021, by the terrible atmospheric events in the provinces of Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa, Banca Sella has allocated a loan ceiling of 10 million euro and some economic support measures, including the possibility of suspending the payment of mortgage loan instalments for households (up to 12 months from the request) and loans for businesses (up to 6 months).

The Sella group has joined Valore D, the first association of companies in Italy that, for over ten years, has been committed to promoting gender balance and inclusive culture in organizations. This agreement represents an advance towards diversity, inclusion and gender equality within our Group and the ecosystem in which we operate, in line with our values and principles inspiring the OneSella Strategic Plan. First and foremost, the partnership with Valore D aims at sharing principles, guidelines and best practices, thanks to the domestic and international networks in which the association operates and the training meetings and inter-company work tables organized.

Our Group has joined the initiative launched by the MandM Association, pledging to promote a balanced representation of genders in public events.

In March, on the occasion of Women's Day and in November, on the occasion of the International Day against Women's Violence, the Group decided to play an active role by supporting the D.i.Re association, and specifically the Autonomy Fund (DIRE is the Italian acronym for Foreign Network of Italian Women - note of the translator), a Network of Women against Violence.

Our Group has decided to continue in 2021 with the Banca del Tempo initiative. It is a fund financed by colleagues' voluntary donation of holidays from which other colleagues in need having exhausted their holiday pool, can draw. The companies of our Group will increase the number of the Banca del Tempo hours donated by colleagues by a further 10%.

Sella India Software Services Private Limited has been certified "Great Place to Work" in the medium and small business segment after assessing its Credibility, Respect, Correctness, Pride and Team Spirit. This certification is a significant step in positioning our company in India, especially in support of strategies aimed at fostering a climate of trust that allows all people to work at their best. Great Place to Work analyzes the business climate and employee satisfaction with the work environment to provide specific tools to improve the company and the well-being of people.

Our Group continues its commitment to initiatives aimed at its own people, with a project dedicated to the entire Sella Team. A free service for psychological, anonymous and confidential listening has become available since May. The Sella Team can talk and discuss with a professional expert in listening 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Banca Sella enters "Italy's Best Employers" identifying the 400 best companies offering jobs in Italy in 20 sectors, ranking in the top 10.

In the "Banks, insurance and financial services" sector, Banca Sella ranks seventh, with an average score of 8.20 out of a maximum of 10. 

The ranking results from a survey carried out by Corriere Della Sera and the Statista digital platform, receiving more than 280,000 reviews.

To foster more sustainable lifestyles, besides distributing all Sella Team members with eco-friendly bottles having embedded chips to measure saved plastic, alongside the installation of free water dispensers on the premises, campaigns on the increasing use of bottles continued, in 2021, with a further awareness crusade for a healthier and more sustainable diet. This last initiative, carried out in partnership with the MenoPerPiù non-profit organization, consisted of an informative path for employees, with webinars dedicated to sustainable nutrition and the creation of recipes.

The initiative involved Italian, Indian and Romanian employees to create a sustainable recipe book, including a suggestion of dishes of the cuisine of these three countries, made available on the company intranet. Also involved in the project were the new restaurant in the Headquarters and the Cafeteria at Lanificio Maurizio Sella (LMS), which since October, have been offering a wider choice of vegetable-based dishes and have eliminated red meat from the food proposals.

On the occasion of the Month of Financial Education and the Sustainability Festival of ASVIS, Banca Sella and FEduF (ABI), 2600 students from 28 secondary schools in the cities of Biella, Salerno, Bari and Padua took part in online meetings entitled "Sustainability, circular economy and conscious consumption: what changes?", based on the new educational programme set up by FEduF for high schools. During the meetings, an attempt took place to make girls and boys consider and raise awareness concerning circular economy and the conscious management of resources with the final aim to bring them closer to financial education from different perspectives.

During the year Sellalab held over 80 free events, both in-person and online, involving over 2,580 people. Developing part of the events online allowed hiring new subjects and entities outside the territorial garrisons and expanding its operating space.

Sellalab also broadened the offer of its Academy by including in the catalogue two new courses: Human Manager and Innovation Financer. With over 185 hours of paid training, the Academy has trained 99 managers/entrepreneurs overall, also thanks to the resubmission during the year of 3 editions of the Innovation Manager Course, which is undergoing the certification process with the Cepas body.

The Group has made some of Sellalab's spaces available to the international non-profit educational organisation "Big Picture Learning Italy" to host the Social Economic High School. "Big Picture" is a non-state and non-equal school based on an educational approach that puts the student at the centre of the school path to create adults aware and responsible for their future. 

In addition, since September, the classrooms and spaces of the Business University have been shared with 120 students and their teachers of the "Giuseppe and Quintino Sella" Grammar High School in Biella, which had been temporarily closed to allow environmental remediation.

To support the Eureka Schools, of which the Sella group is the founder, in Tamil Nadu, in the difficult time of the Covid emergency, fundraising took place among colleagues, whose value was doubled by the Group.

Again, in 2021, Banca Sella renewed its commitment alongside the Mission Bambini Foundation and joined the crowdfunding campaign "Investiamo Nel Futuro" (literally: "We invest in the future") to continue taking care of children and education, therefore of the future. The campaign aimed at raising funds to finance the purchase of technological devices for setting up computer classrooms, in addition to interior and exterior furnishings and musical instruments, to foster the creation of more welcoming educational spaces and give support to contexts, families and children in need. Both Banca Sella, with a donation of ¿ 15 thousand, and all the Group colleagues contributed to the initiative which gathered a total amount of over euro 22,000.

The Sermig Arsenal of Peace, a Youth Missionary Service, has transformed the Military Arsenal of Turin into an Arsenal of Peace: a house open 24 hours a day to welcome and help people in hardship, providing them with accommodation, food, clothes, school and educational support, medical care. Sella Personal Credit has supported the activities of Sermig, especially in consideration of the particular historical period we have been facing, through a donation of 40 personal computers and 15 monitors. The subsidy will foster educational and didactic activities, even remotely when necessary, and stem the school dropout of children lacking the needed means or a reference person to rely on. This is a small contribution for young people who want to build their future with competence and passion.

The "Premio Atleta Studente" (literally: the "Student-Athlete Award"), reaches its 17th edition. The initiative is aimed at pupils of I and II grade secondary schools in the province of Biella, who achieved excellent results in both school and sports activities. The management of the Group itself recommended the most deserving students in the schools.

Established in 2005, the initiative has involved so far 800 students. In 2021, 56 students received the award for their outstanding results in the following sports disciplines: swimming, football, volleyball, athletics but also table tennis, fencing, female rugby, rhythmic gymnastics, cheerleading, horse riding and chess.

Environmental sustainability and financial innovation are the keywords of the partnership between Fabrick, Doconomy (a Swedish company offering technological solutions to improve environmental impact) and Mastercard. The partnership allows banks to provide a service to monitor and measure, through the analysis of payments made, the CO2 emissions produced by the actions and daily consumption of the individual.

The added value of this offer resides in the cooperation with Mastercard, a brand which focuses on innovative projects putting sustainability at the centre, enhancing the transactions and daily purchases of Mastercard cardholders.

In November, about 50 colleagues from Fabrick, Axerve, Hype and Centrico took part in three days of environmental volunteering organized in partnership with Legambiente. Being equipped with gloves, bags and masks, they committed to cleaning public areas in Biella and Milan.

In Biella, our colleagues took care of cleaning the city's streets and collected more than 120 kg of micro-urban waste. While in Milan, the volunteers focused on two green spaces, the Ex Paolo Pini Gardens and the Community Gardens of Via Padova, removing pests and arranging gardens.

For years the Group has been using paper from certified sources and, since June, it has also included the "FSC" certification logo (which guarantees the origin of a forest and a responsibly managed supply chain) within the communications sent by mail to those who request the sending of paper communications. Therefore, the origin of the paper is guaranteed. At the same time, our customers are made aware of the issue. Each envelope also identifies the material used as full-recyclable (100% cellulose, including windows).

A completely green and sustainable choice remains SellaBox, with which, for several years, customers have been able to opt-out of sending paper and check their received communications online, helping to protect the environment as well as saving on shipping costs.

Since June, the Group has supported the vaccination campaign against Covid by making the spaces to set up a vaccination centre available to the ASL (Local Health Authority) of Biella: 40,000 vaccines were given in 2021.

In addition, the Group supported its employees by providing 1850 influenza vaccines.

In August 2021, the Biella section of the Italian Alpine Club inaugurated the new Quintino Sella refuge, located at 3,580 metres from the Felik glacier on the Monte Rosa massif. Banca Sella has made a significant donation to the Italian Alpine Club to complete the green redevelopment of one of the oldest and highest mountain lodges of the Alps. The project had a strong focus on the eco-sustainability of the structure. In fact, thanks to the modernization of the photovoltaic system, the shelter is energetically autonomous. In addition, thanks to a water recycling system from the melting of snow, it is possible to avoid using plastic tableware for table service and have a water reserve by reducing the amount of plastic waste to be taken downstream by a good 70%.

In 2021, the Artistic Directorate of Banca Patrimoni Sella and C., based in the historic Palazzo Bricherasio, continued its activities to protect and enhance public and private cultural heritage. 

A number of initiatives, including an exposition for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, an exhibition at the Turin State Archives and in the Royal Carabinieri barracks of the Castello di Moncalieri, which was used as a vaccination hub. Several initiatives have been made possible by the strong cooperation with institutions such as universities, hospitals, foundations, archives, museums and private collectors.

In June 2021, Sella Cuore was launched as the Group's community focusing on solidarity. A reference point for all Sella Team colleagues engaged in associations and volunteer groups. Sella Cuore concentrates on raising awareness, thus involving more and more people to have a careful look at social issues in the territories through the voice of colleagues engaged in them.

The Group involved colleagues and their family members in volunteering activities for the "Play the Games" event held in Biella as part of the regional Special Olympics sports games.

Special Olympics is an international non-profit organization delivering training and athletic competitions for people with intellectual disabilities. The Games, organized and structured to meet all skill levels, represent an extraordinary opportunity for inclusion and growth.

The event, which took place on October 29-30-31 in Biella, was attended by 520 athletes belonging to 40 teams from all over Northern Italy and engaged in 10 different disciplines.

Alongside them to help and support the organizers, 300 volunteers, including colleagues of the Sella group and their family members.

Sella Personal Credit supports the "Self-Defense Project for hearing impaired Women" conceived by Abilitando Onlus and the Yume school of martial arts dedicated to deaf women to reduce their sense of insecurity, mainly due to their hearing impairment.

The project, supported by Sella Personal Credit with a donation to the Abilitando association, aims to show that martial arts are a sport for all and raise public awareness of deafness and the importance of guaranteeing deaf people a real social inclusion.