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Blue Star Ferries won major award for its First Aid Programme at the 7th Corporate Affairs Excellence Awards 2020 (CAEA)

Blue Star Ferries won yet another major award for its First Aid Programme at the 7th Corporate Affairs Excellence Awards 2020 (CAEA) on Tuesday 7 July. This time, the Programme won in the Low Budget Action/Programme category.
The First Aid Programme was launched in 2014 and has been implemented on the islands of Tilos, Amorgos, Santorini, Paros and Naxos. Continuing its longstanding social contribution to the islands of Greece, with a deep sense of responsibility and respect, and to the purpose of contributing to the islands’ development by supporting local societies and boosting tourism, in 2019, Blue Star Ferries, a member of Attica Group, continued its First Aid Programme, this time introducing it in Leros and Symi. Over 800 people have attended the Programme to date.
The Programme is designed mostly for remote islands of the Aegean and includes First Aid seminars for permanent residents, in collaboration with the Volunteer Rescue Crisis Team (EDOK) and local agencies.
Two-day First Aid and Natural Disaster Emergency Response seminars were held on the island of Leros in November 2019 and the island of Symi in October of the same year. They addressed the islanders, the educational community and law enforcement agencies, with 169 people participating in total.
The action aims to raise local awareness on how to provide first aid for injured people and how to manage emergency situations caused by natural and other disasters. Participation of educational and law enforcement personnel was prioritised, given that teachers manage the socially sensitive category of students/children, while law enforcement personnel are first responders in emergency situations and need to act swiftly and effectively to make citizens feel safe and secure in times of crisis.
Another key aim of these seminars is to disseminate the significance of volunteerism and to cultivate a sense of solidarity with our fellow citizens – essential components of social cohesion and the peaceful coexistence of people.
In April 2015, the Blue Star Ferries First Aid Programme resulted in the creation of EDOK Amorgos, which, since then, has participated in major emergency rescue operations and holds first aid seminars for adults on the Small Cyclades. Blue Star Ferries is a key sponsor of EDOK Amorgos.
Furthermore, in 2019, first aid seminars were also held for employees at the Attica Group offices, with 74 employees in total having participated in them to date.
The Volunteer Rescue Crisis Team (EDOK) is an NGO under the Civil Protection Department. It was established in 2008 by volunteer rescuers and currently consists of 70 volunteers of all ages. It is active in providing first aid in emergencies and healthcare services during events attended by large crowds, such as conferences and artistic and sporting events.
The First Aid Programme forms part of the Attica Group's “With you as our Destination” Corporate Social Responsibility programme, focusing on the destinations served by the Group.
Attica Group is engaged in passenger shipping through SUPERFAST FERRIES, BLUE STAR FERRIES, HELLENIC SEAWAYS and AFRICA MOROCCO LINK, operating 32 vessels providing modern, high quality transportation services in Greece and abroad. Attica’s vessels serve 60 unique destinations in 4 countries, connecting 71 ports and carrying over 7 million passengers, 1 million passenger vehicles and 400,000 trucks every year.