Colliers International, a leading consulting company on the commercial real estate market, has established the Virtuosa Foundation, whose goal, in the first stage of operation, is to modernize the space in children's hospitals, ensuring the psychological comfort of young patients. Patrycja Piekutowska, PhD, an outstanding violinist-soloist and philanthropist has been appointed the President of the foundation. For several years she has been creating charity projects for children's hospitals.
The idea of the Virtuosa Foundation and the main aim of its president - Patrycja Piekutowska, is to establish cooperation with people from the business world and companies that wish to have a real impact on improving the environment in which children function. Due to Patrycja Piekutowska's extensive experience in the modernisation of space in children's hospitals, Virtuosa will primarily focus on projects in this area. The foundation's activities will cover Warsaw, including the Children's Memorial Health Institute (the largest and most modern specialist pediatric hospital in Poland), as well as regional cities in Poland.
The foundation's Board includes eminent figures from the world of medicine and business: Bohdan Maruszewski, MD, PhD - a prominent Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, long-standing Head of the Cardiac Surgery Clinic of the Children's Memorial Health Institute and President of the Polish Cardiac Surgeons Club; Monika Rajska-Wolińska - Managing Partner at Colliers International in Poland; Paweł Wierzbicki - CEO of Schindler Polska and Grzegorz Strutyński - Country Manager at GTC in Poland.
“Being mindful of the needs of others and the willingness to help have always been part of Colliers' DNA and our values. We do what’s right for the betterment of our local communities. So far, we have undertaken activities in various areas - for years we have been supporting the Children’s Home in Równe and the Single Mothers House in Warsaw. Now we can help in a greater scope, which has always been my dream. Thanks to the Virtuosa Foundation our activity will gain scale and will be a long-term project. I believe that the experience and great commitment of Patrycja Piekutowska, as well as the good hearts of the business representatives will help us change many places and bring more colour into the lives of children,” says Monika Rajska-Wolińska, Managing Partner at Colliers International in Poland.
Patrycja Piekutowska has been the originator and organizer of charity events for children's hospitals for the last 5 years. She is the creator of the "Wielcy Artyści Małym Pacjentom” (great artists for small patients) concert project with the participation of the world's greatest opera stars. Over the last two years, she was responsible for the coordination and implementation of projects, for which she obtained a total of PLN 3.5 million from various companies and business representatives. Her activity was appreciated by the readers of the Puls Biznesu Polish daily, who awarded her the first place in the "Business Woman 2020" plebiscite in the category of social activity.
As the president of the Virtuosa Foundation Patrycja Piekutowska intends to continue the projects combining art with business.
“The Virtuosa Foundation will carry out projects closest to my heart, i.e. combining the virtuosity of excellent architects, designers, classical music stars with good-hearted people from the business world. The aesthetics and standard of interiors for children and adolescents have a huge impact on their psychological comfort, and the changes we will make together will remain for decades. I believe that in the Polish business world there is no shortage of professionally fulfilled people with a broad perspective and open to the needs of others, whose goodness will change the world of many children,” says Patrycja Piekutowska, President of the Virtuosa Foundation.
“We are creating a platform that will enable companies and business representatives to provide help on a scale that has not been possible so far. We are glad to be part of such a unique project,” comments Bartosz Jankowski, Member of the Board of the Virtuosa Foundation and Partner at Colliers International.
Source: Colliers International Poland