Standard Bank has gone back to its roots in celebrating Africa Day, bringing a piece of the continent to its Isle of Man office.

The African-owned bank is connecting the continent to its familial international locations, including the Isle of Man, and marking its journey over the last six decades.

On Thursday, Standard Bank’s Isle of Man colleagues enjoyed a South African-inspired lunchtime braai at the bank’s headquarters at One Circular Road, drawing plenty of attention from passers-by with the vibrant and mouth-watering celebration.

All Standard Bank Offshore Group employees, including its 200-strong Isle of Man team, were also gifted a pair of socks from the ‘Buy-a-Brick’ programme, a Namibian charitable initiative supported by Standard Bank to raise funds for the construction of brick houses for Namibia’s shack-dwelling community.

The gifting to colleagues allows the charity to fund an entire structure with the donation that was pledged.

In the spirit of Africa Day, the bank also took the opportunity to give back to the local community in the Isle of Man.

On the day Standard Bank representatives attended a breakfast with John Knight, chief executive officer of Hospice Isle of Man, and received a tour of the facility, to see first-hand the vital work the organisation does for the community.

charity

The bank make a donation to the Hospice Isle of Man and Rebecca House ‘Pay-for-a-Day’ initiative, which celebrates the charity’s 40-year anniversary and gives donors the opportunity to sponsor 24 hours of Hospice care.

Lee Francis, chief executive and island head for Standard Bank Isle of Man, said: ‘Having a personal connection to the continent myself, I was in awe of the way our people showed up to celebrate our group’s home on Africa Day, truly instilling the connection that we have with the continent despite being thousands of miles away – “Africa is our home and we drive her growth”– and seeing our colleagues celebrate this understanding and purpose was a great achievement for me.

‘The richness and diversity of our celebratory culture and history presents in our office daily, but on Africa Day it expanded.

‘Additionally, I would like to extend a ‘thank you’ to members of our team who visited Hospice Isle of Man and Rebecca House, two remarkable charities which many colleagues hold close to their hearts.

As ever, it was a huge privilege to support these worthwhile causes and help promote the vital work they do across the Isle of Man.

Our people came back with the message from the Hospice and Rebecca House teams that the time spent there should be one of celebration where possible, so it was particularly poignant to connect on a day that means a lot to us, humbly supporting care for those who mean the most to you.’