Filip Pšenčík, architect, assistant for self-sufficiency in the League of Wheelchair users, sportsman and enthusiastic traveller, is the laureate of the Olga Havel Award in 2023. Heřman Volf received the Public Award.
Filip Pšenčík received the award for his efforts to help build barrier-free housing for people with disabilities. Architect Filip Pšenčík was born with spina bifida. As a self-sufficiency assistant at the Wheelchair League in Brno, he advises clients on the selection of compensatory aids and adaptations to their housing. During his tenure, a training apartment was completed at the organization's headquarters, which serves not only for clients to practice independent living, to train personal assistants and volunteers, but also as a showroom for modern equipment leading to greater independence for the disabled. Filip is a passionate traveller. In his free time he travels on a handbike, swims for SK Kontakt in Brno, rides a monoski, freedives parasurfing and other adrenaline sports. He and his partner Verča are raising one year old Stella.
"I respect Olga Havlová and she is a symbol of a strong woman who has fulfilled her role as First Lady with dignity. She has built an organisation that is committed to supporting disadvantaged groups and improving their position in society, and I respect her work. It is an honour, a huge motivation and commitment for me to receive this award and I think I am only at the beginning of my journey," says Filip Pšenčík, one of the youngest laureates of the Olga Havel Prize.
This is the seventh time that the Foundation has also awarded the Olga Havel Prize to a member of the public. The jury selected three personalities from among the nominees who were shortlisted by online voting. The Public Award went to Heřman Volf.
Heřman Volf is the founder and chairman of the association Cesta za snem, which emphasizes the active lifestyle of people with disabilities and their inclusion in society. For the Metrostav handy cycling marathon project, Heřman and his team of disabled co-workers were awarded by the European Commission in 2022 with the EU Sport Awards #BeInclusive for the best sport integration project in the whole EU.
The award ceremony took place on 29 May in the West Hall of the Historical Building of the National Museum. The event was attended by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
TOOK OVER THE PATRONAGE OF THE AWARD:
- Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
- Miluše Horská, Chairwoman of the Committee on Social Policy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
- Eva Pavlová, wife of the President of the Czech Republic
- Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, Government Commissioner for Human Rights
Main media partners: Czech Television, Czech Radio and Deník N
Partners: National Museum, Minet Elektro, spol. s. r. o., ČSOB, Mountfield, Rückl, Copy General, AV Media Events and Radio 1
SPECIAL THANKS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE OLGA HAVLOVA 2023 AWARD WERE GIVEN TO:
FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL SUPPORT
- EQUITA Consulting s. r. o. - for multi-year financial support of VDV projects through Advent Concerts of Good Will organized by Kocián Šolc Balaštík, advokátní kancelář, s. r. o.
- Kateřina and Tomáš Kubínovi - for their long-term financial support of VDV projects and other volunteer help to the Foundation
- Kateřina Vítová - for regular financial donations within the Friends of Good Will Club
- Hana Hovorka - for significant and long-term support of the projects of the Committee of Good Will
- Martin Kosobud in memoriam - for his long-term financial support of VDV projects and involvement of CSOB PB employees and clients in helping those in need
FOR EFFECTIVE COOPERATION
- Lenka Horká - for her long-term financial support of the projects of the Committee of Good Will and for her effective assistance at all editions of the Olga Havel Foundation's Run of Good Will
- Markéta Fiedlerová - for her many years of volunteering at most of the Goodwill Committee events
- Bohdan Holomíček - for lending photographs with Olga Havel and for his generous cooperation on Foundation's charity projects (charity calendar, video spot on Czech TV, etc.)
- Irena Gillarová - for her active involvement in the preparation and implementation of the Olga Havel Foundation's Run of Good Will for several years
FOR THE EXCELLENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT
- Kára Kalibová, Director of In Iustitia, an organization that has been working on prejudice violence since 2009 and offers help to people threatened by prejudice violence, its victims, witnesses, survivors
- Lucie Hyblerová, founder of Breakfaststory, the first Czech platform that brings together and supports social and sheltered workshops from all over the Czech Republic. The organization supports employees with disabilities and people in need
- Barbora Hořavová, Program Director of the OSF Foundation, for several years of effective cooperation within the Active Citizens Fund program, which is administered by a consortium consisting of the OSF Foundation, VDV and the Scout Institute
- Charlotte Hamberger, Director of Together with You, z. ú., for outstanding implementation of projects for the benefit of people with visual impairments
SPECIAL THANKS TO
- Siemens for the establishment and annual awarding of prizes for disadvantaged students in technical fields at universities in the Czech Republic.
