2022 was, without doubt, a challenging year for you too in one way or another. So it’s good that the Christmas season and end of the year give us an opportunity to pause, slow down and reflect on what counts: community with our family, friends, partners and neighbours.

As this year draws to a close, we at Gira would therefore like to take the time to express our very special thanks: To our employees in London, Radevormwald and Shanghai, we say thank you for your fantastic commitment and brilliant teamwork. To our trade and specialist customers, we say thank you for your loyalty to Gira and for working productively with us in a spirit of partnership. To our suppliers, we say thank you for your reliability and extraordinary dedication to service. To the users of our products, we say thank you for your trust in our brand and its capacity for innovation. Last but not least, to the people of the Bergisches Land region, we say thank you for being good neighbours and for your strong sense of community. We would like to thank everyone for their contribution to community and cohesion, which provide the basis for us to successfully master the huge challenges of these times together.

Since 2015, a team of our trainees has been responsible for the “Gira Christmas Miracle” every year. The campaign, which the young Gira staff organise and carry out entirely by themselves, is a special form of neighbourly help. The aim is to bring a little joy to people from Gira’s immediate surroundings who are not so well off or who can’t spend the festive season with their loved ones. This year, the trainees collected wish lists at two care facilities for senior citizens in Radevormwald and two children’s homes in the Bergisches Land region. With the help of their colleagues at Gira, they were able to get the little gifts that were asked for. The trainees handed over 280 colourfully wrapped packages this year. And in doing so, they brought a smile to many eyes.

In addition to the company’s donation, the Gira Bistro team is also contributing to this form of neighbourhood assistance with its own campaign. The team, which regularly provides take-away culinary delights with its own products, the “Gira Cuisines”, has put together some delicious highlights from 2022 in a Christmas hamper that Gira employees can purchase during the weeks of December. For every Christmas hamper sold, the Gira Bistro will donate two euros to Radevormwalder Mittagstisch, which supports locals in need with more than just food.

We are also expressing our thanks within our own region. This year, Gira’s financial support is going primarily to food banks in our neighbourhood in the Bergisches Land.

In addition, our support this year is once again directed at national and international initiatives that do good on a voluntary basis, thereby providing a valuable service to our society.