Inspirasia Foundation is supporting the Valletta Local Council by donating €15,000 to fund a research project that will identify the needs of the Valletta community. The research project, ‘Understanding the Valletta Community’, will be conducted by the University of Malta under the coordination of Prof. Andrew Azzopardi, Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing. The project aims to identify the needs of the local community by mapping the pressing social issues and challenges faced by the different neighbourhoods and the Valletta community as a whole. The results of the research will be used to create the basis for future projects that aim to improve the lives of the Valletta community.
“We are very appreciative of this philanthropic act towards the city of Valletta. There are challenges and areas within the Valletta community where, with more knowledge available, we can understand what resources need to be employed in order to improve what is in need of improvement,” Prof. Alfred J. Vella, Rector of the University of Malta.
In 2018, Inspirasia founder Mark Weingard approached Prof. Alexiei Dingli, the Mayor of Valletta at the time, to offer support towards the Valletta community. Through their discussions, it was concluded that there was no clear data on the issues and challenges the community faced, and that an assessment on the needs of the Valletta community needed to be carried out. The project is now being continued with the support of the new Mayor of Valletta, Alfred Zammit.
“Valletta is the jewel of Malta. I have based my business [Iniala] here, which means we are part of the fabric of this city. But we cannot live and work in a place without enriching it. It is our ethical obligation to give back to the Valletta community. To do this, we must find out the needs of its people first,” Mark Weingard, Founder of Inspirasia Foundation and Iniala.
As an ardent philanthropist, Mr Weingard is committed to giving back to the communities he finds himself. Since moving to Malta in 2012, Mr Weingard has not only had a significant positive impact on society in Malta but has also inspired other businesses and individuals to be part of this impact. Through Inspirasia Foundation and Iniala’s other philanthropic activities in Malta, over €400,000 has been donated towards local projects and organisations, including annual contributions towards San Ġorġ Preca College, sponsoring children from challenging backgrounds to attend Valletta FC Nursery, and organising gastronomic events to raise funds for INSPIRE Malta and the Malta Community Chest Fund. Every year, Inspirasia Foundation also teams up with the Gasan Foundation to organise the Malta Social Impact Awards (MSIA), which gives local changemakers the opportunity to win financial and non-financial support to develop a sustainable initiative that has a positive social impact on Malta.
Through his luxury boutique hotel Iniala Malta, which will open in Valletta next year, Mr Weingard intends to continue to support the Valletta community. He also wishes to set up a Valletta Business Fund with other businesses and executives that are connected to the city, which will raise funds annually to support social initiatives and give back to the city and its community.
“Every year we contribute towards the Valletta community, but we want to do much more going forward. The research project is our chance to understand what needs to be done and to make our plans for the future,” Mr Weingard.
