Four beacons of light: Projects in South Africa, the US, and Germany honoured in annual BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility

The following associates are committed to social responsibility: Chuck Ford, Tlabo Ronald Makhutja, Peter Demmelmayr and Hasan Aslan. They are the winners of this year’s BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility, presented on 6 December in Munich. The award ceremony was once again entirely virtual this year, due to the pandemic. The award recognises the exemplary social commitment of colleagues who advocate for disadvantaged youth in South Africa and Germany, and for inclusion in sports. 

Making life better for others

The award was presented for the tenth time this year. The anniversary underlines the tremendous importance of socially committed and sustainable action for the company. 

“Our dedicated associates are role models. They are united by their belief in taking action in areas where many people don’t look. The fact that they do all of this in their free time impresses me even more. They don’t just give money; they put all their passion and know-how into making life better for others,” said Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Human Resources and patron of the award.

The impact of the award is two fold: Once a year, it focuses attention not only on these dedicated individuals, but also on those who belong to disadvantaged groups in society.

Creating opportunities 

The judges chose four winners from among the 12 finalists. Hasan Aslan, a student in the dual education programme at the Munich location since 2020, received the special award presented by the Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation. Tlabo Ronald Makhutja, a section leader at Plant Rosslyn in South Africa, won the employee vote that was held on PLAZA in September. His project won the hearts of employees and, therefore, the most votes. 

Cash prize doubled 

Starting with this anniversary year, the prize for each winner has been doubled to 10,000 euros, which they can use for specific projects within their initiatives. The other nominees will also receive 2,500 euros for each of their projects. For the first time, to mark this anniversary, previous award-winners came together at a virtual networking event to share ideas and exploit synergies. 

Here are the four winners – congratulations! 

Tlabo Ronald Makhutja fights exclusion among children in Rosslyn, South Africa. Through the Majakathata Social Scheme, he makes sure children from disadvantaged families have school clothes and sports equipment. This is a basic requirement for avoiding marginalisation, being able to play sports and pursuing meaningful leisure activities. Makhutja is a driving force for campaigns and gets in contact with schools and young people in need to connect them with opportunities.

Peter Demmelmayr, a quality expert at Plant Munich, promotes inclusion in club sports in Germany. Under the umbrella of the club “SV Dachau 1925 e.V.”, he is pursuing a goal that is close to his heart: enabling people with disabilities to participate in club sports and competitions on equal terms. With his passion for aquaball, a sport played in the water, he formed an inclusive aquaball team. He reaches out to other clubs and associations for people with disabilities, persuades them to participate and fights for the rules to be changed so people with disabilities can take part in competitions.

Hasan Aslan is committed to fair educational opportunities in Munich, having experienced for himself that unrestricted access to education is the basis for social mobility and participation in society. At the development agency “Aelius Förderwerk e.V.”, Aslan organises workshops, coordinates collaboration with school administrators and universities, and connects volunteers who support disadvantaged youth. During the pandemic, he held a crash course preparing teenagers for their school leaving exams. 

Chuck Ford, who works in quality assurance at Plant Spartanburg, is committed to ensuring disadvantaged young people in Greenville, USA are able to live a self-determined life. At the Alpha Phi Alpha Greenville Foundation, he works with young people, mostly from African American or Hispanic communities. Preventing teen pregnancies and violence, preparing young people for college, providing educational scholarships and ensuring non-violent communication are the foundation’s core tasks. As project manager, Ford pulls all the strings – organising seminars and working closely with churches, schools, parents and lawyers. 

For many disadvantaged individuals, the four winners are a role model and a beacon of light, providing them with guidance. The winners take the award home as a token of appreciation for their efforts. At the same time, the award is also intended to inspire others to get involved and take responsibility. It is just one element of a diverse range of BMW Group activities designed to promote social responsibility at the company under the motto “Driving Social Impact”.