In Romania, for example, AGS Bucharest transported clothes, toys, furniture and even a piano, collected by an organisation called Second Chance from the expatriate community in Bucharest. AGS delivered the goods to Berceni, north of Bucharest, where many families live below the poverty line. Gratiela Lascu, AGS Bucharest’s Managing Director, explains why Second Chance is an important organisation: “It is a bridge between communities of expatriates and Romanians, and it has a very generous goal: to teach people that they always have a second chance in life”. 
In Nigeria, AGS Frasers demonstrated its belief in uplifting communities by encouraging self-reliance and the development of vital skills. This year it provided deliveries for Lagos’s Street Child Care and Welfare Initiative (SCCWI), an NGO that puts all of its proceeds to use in aid of helping street children realise their potential. Their projects include an education and rehabilitation centre, where a standard curriculum is offered, as well as practical skills such as carpentry.
On the Asian continent, AGS Four Winds Shanghai extended its philanthropic mission to rural Tibetans when it once again supported the Qinghai Charity Collection, which collects goods from Shanghai citizens to distribute to those in need. With the help of AGS Four Winds Shanghai’s logistical expertise, toys and clothing reached 6,505 disadvantaged Tibetans in China’s north-western Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
More recently, in September, AGS Four Winds Shanghai again demonstrated its commitment to community upliftment, this time through sport, by being a top sponsor of the Blue Marlin Restaurant’s second Mid-Autumn football tournament. AGS Four Winds also co-sponsored a team, and their Suzhou representative, Benjamin Custer, showed his support by joining in the game himself.
Another branch in China, AGS Four Winds Hong Kong, took a novel approach to reaching out to their community by sponsoring a rock concert. The concert takes place every year in Autumn on Lantau Island in support of two worthwhile causes: the Hong Chi association, which raises funds for the mentally handicapped, and the Hong Kong Student Aid Society. Keith Ellis, Country Manager China, contributed by arranging an AGS tent where a raffle was held for an electric guitar. AGS branded balloons were sent up over the crowd, estimated at 5,000 people.
Still in Asia, AGS Four Winds Bangalore sponsored what is known as the Pink Elephant Bazaar. It is a highly popular event organised by the Overseas Women’s Club of Bangalore (OWC), which distributes funds raised to local charities. AGS Four Winds Bangalore provided cartons and a dedicated team and truck to transport donated goods from Bangalore residents to the bazaar. The OWC said after the event that it “could not have managed without the material and logistical support of the AGS Four Winds Bangalore team.”
At AGS, we are very proud at of the initiatives taken by our branches to improve the lives of those in need. We remain committed to upholding our social responsibility, as a vital part of our Group’s vision is to make a positive impact wherever we are in the world.
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