Bankia S A : supports the congresses organised by Fundación Lo que De Verdad Importa in eight Spanish cities

• For the eighth year, the bank is supporting Fundación Lo que De Verdad Importa projects to encourage volunteering and disseminate values to mobilise young people to address society's urgent needs
• The cities of Granada, La Coruña, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Asturias, Málaga, Seville, Valencia and Madrid host congresses that will be held in person and online

Bankia supports the conferences of Fundación Lo que De Verdad Importa (LQDVI), which in this edition will be held in nine Spanish cities and that, in compliance with the health recommendations motivated by COVID-19, will be held in person and online in the cities from Granada, La Coruña, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia and Madrid, and only online, in Bilbao, Asturias, Málaga and Sevilla.

For the eighth year, the financial institution is supporting these congresses to encourage volunteering and the dissemination of values so that young people can mobilise in the face of society's urgent needs.

'Tolerance, respect, solidarity, empathy or eagerness to excel are just some of the values that we promote among young people, through the conferences of the Fundación Lo que De Verdad Importa', explains Bankia's director of Responsible Management, David Menéndez. 'In a year as complicated as the one we are having to endure, it is essential to support young people, bringing to them great stories of courage, effort and entrepreneurship that provide them with surge of positivity', he underlines.

For her part, the director of the Fundación Lo que De Verdad Importa, María Franco, notes that 'thanks to the support of entities such as Bankia, we continue to reach young people to make them think about what really matters. We are convinced that, now more than ever, we have a great responsibility to voice and transmit values such as empathy, respect, solidarity and love'. 'This year we will hold face-to-face congresses and we will continue to grant great importance to the online part due to the current situation, in this way we expect to reach thousands of people throughout the national territory', she added.

The speakers at this year's events include Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal's uncle and former coach; volunteer and founder of an NGO Lucía Lantero; creative director and writer Berta Bernad; young entrepreneur Antonio Espinosa; Paralympic world champion Sara Andrés; and elite competition skier, Lola Fernández Ochoa, among others.

The congresses are free, entertaining, interactive meetings that have been held since 2007 in major Spanish cities to bring values to young people through exemplary, inspiring life stories that make them think about the things that really matter in life.

Bankia

Bankia consolidates and reinforces its commitment to society through five priority lines of social action: employment and training, housing, local and rural development, disability and the environment. The bank is focusing its social investment on these areas and shows its commitment to society by involving the entire organisation and its employees. The Responsible Management policy is a capillary, grassroots programme that connects the bank's welfare work with its corporate objectives. This enables Bankia to prioritise five of the 17 SDGs: Climate action (SDG 13), Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), Quality education (SDG 4), Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and SDG 17, which encompasses them all, Alliances to achieve the objectives.