With a visit by George P. Zanias, chairman of the board of Eurobank , to the 1st Primary School of Xylokastro, the bank is marking World Savings Day this year by highlighting the importance of helping children become familiar with saving from an early age.
The school was upgraded in 2025 through the “Marietta Giannakou” programme, in which Eurobank is participating alongside the other systemic banks.
The chairman was accompanied by Michalis Vlastarakis, general manager of Group Marketing & Corporate Communications, Christos Douris, head of the Western Attica & Peloponnese branch network, and Spyros Sideris, director of the Kiato branch.
During the visit, the chairman spoke with the school’s 137 pupils and its headteacher, Panagiotis Sofos, about the value of saving, the importance of planning and the role of consistency in achieving goals.
The children presented an art exhibition they had prepared on the theme of saving, and piggy banks were handed out to the pupils at the end of the event. Eurobank will also provide the school with equipment to meet needs identified by the school’s management in consultation with parents.
The 1st Primary School of Xylokastro, also known as “Ioanneio”, dates back to 1886, when physician and benefactor Ioannis Ioannou provided funds to build a school in the area. Its history is a clear example of the enduring importance of private contributions to public education.
Eurobank chairman Mr Zanias said:
“Saving is about more than putting money aside. From a young age, it teaches us to distinguish between our needs and wants, to plan and to work patiently towards what we want to achieve. Above all, it helps us understand that even small sums, when accumulated consistently, can gain significant value over time.
The history of this school reminds us of something else, too: the resources we accumulate can benefit not only us but society as a whole when they are put to good use. One person’s contribution almost 140 years ago continues to support the education of children in the area.
I would like the children to take away one simple thought from our meeting today: saving does not depend on how much money we have, but on how we learn to manage it. And the small, considered choices we make today can have great significance for our future”.
Saving and modern banking solutions
Eurobank is carrying on the savings tradition of the Postal Savings Bank, offering options for different ages and needs to make regular saving more accessible in everyday life.
The “Growing Up” account, with the child as its sole beneficiary, encourages saving from an early age by offering a preferential interest rate and entry in six-monthly prize draws, in accordance with the terms and conditions in force. It is also linked to the “Forward for the Family” initiative, which offers special benefits to beneficiaries in the areas where it operates.
For young people aged 18 to 28, the 18 Plus account combines day-to-day banking with savings incentives and entry in the annual World Savings Day draw, which offers cash prizes.
The “Save Now” account pays interest monthly from the first euro deposited and offers entry in an annual draw with cash prizes, in accordance with the terms and conditions in force.
Eurobank also offers its EverydayInvest service, through which small sums generated by rounding up everyday purchases made with a debit card are automatically accumulated and invested in a mutual fund, whose return is not guaranteed.
The service thus makes it easier to invest small sums gradually through everyday transactions, in a simple and transparent way.
A sustained investment in education
Through the “Marietta Giannakou” programme, in which Eurobank is participating alongside the other systemic banks, 670 schools across the country have been renovated following the completion of the first two rounds, benefiting more than 150,000 pupils and teachers.
The four banks have committed a total of €400 million to the programme, with the aim of improving school facilities and accessibility.
This joint effort also extends to higher education through “Academy 2030”, which covers infrastructure upgrades at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the National Technical University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Through its “Forward for Education” programme, now in its 24th year, Eurobank has recognised a total of 25,505 top-performing pupils.
It also fully funds the operation of the professional master’s programme “MSc in AI for Digital Transformation” at the Athens University of Economics and Business, which focuses on developing specialist knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.