T-Mobile finances a kiln for art workshops

• Art therapy workshops in Nymburk now available to more kids
• Disabled children have their own pottery kiln
• The T-Mobile Fund contributed CZK 70,000 to a weekend art project

Prague, 1 February 2007 - Nymburk's art therapy workshop for disabled children and teenagers received a contribution from the T-Mobile Fund for the purchase of its own pottery kiln. T­Mobile thus helped solve a pressing problem that the disabled children faced when creating items from pottery clay.

"The art workshop's initiator, the civic association Centre for Everyone, has been active for only a year, but the scope of its activities is breathtakingly broad. Therefore, we had no problem deciding whether to financially support a pottery kiln for disabled children," says Martina Kemrová, spokesperson for T-Mobile.

Art therapy is performed at the Centre for Everyone in Nymburk as a part of the project of respite care, i.e. non-paid assistance to disabled children and teenagers provided by volunteers. "Four trained assistants provide care to thirty children. Altogether, about twenty volunteers work with us, mostly teachers and students," says Petra Hájková, an art tutor.

The young artists are most interested in working with pottery clay. "Direct contact with the malleable material which can be shaped into whatever comes to mind is deeply satisfactory for the kids. What is equally important, they also improve and rehabilitate their motor disabilities and enhance their manual dexterity while working with clay. And eventually, seeing the results of their effort boosts their self-confidence and gives them a greater sense of self-worth and appreciation for their friends," explains Hájková.

The Centre did not have its own kiln at first and the children had to fire their artistic creations in a kiln belonging to a school in Poděbrady. Since last October, however, they have had their own, funded by the T-Mobile Employee Fund through the Via Foundation, which manages the T­Mobile Fund's contributions. Thanks to help from a T­Mobile employee, whose family supports the Centre and financially contributes to its activities, the Centre managed to organize a weekend art project, which the T­Mobile Fund helped to finance with a contribution of CZK 70,000. "Now that we have our own kiln, we can open the Centre to more children than before," says Hájková.

Apart from pottery, the Centre trains children in other art disciplines and it also organizes summer camps, trips, weekend projects and outdoor games. Its activities are based on integrating disabled and healthy children.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.