The John Keells Foundation (JKF), the corporate social responsibility branch of the John Keells Group, organized its annual Volunteer Recognition Day, honoring the significant contributions made by employees and business teams dedicated to fostering positive societal change across Sri Lanka. This event took place on July 28, 2026, at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, with the presence of senior leadership from the John Keells Group, including Group Chairperson Krishan Balendra. It served as a platform to acknowledge and reward outstanding volunteer efforts during the 2025/26 period.
Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Group CSR, highlighted the year’s volunteerism achievements, stating, “The past year witnessed impressive growth in volunteer involvement, with 2,500 individuals participating in 4,842 activities, totaling 105,096 hours of service. Notably, initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, disaster relief efforts, and the renowned annual art fair, Kala Pola, saw the highest levels of volunteer engagement, demonstrating the extensive impact of our collective efforts. We are pleased to see a trend towards more strategic, purpose-driven volunteerism through our Group businesses, many of which collaborated with JKF, and one of these partnerships will be highlighted today. Marking JKF’s 21st anniversary, we have developed and launched a tailored Volunteer App to streamline the volunteer process across the Group, which has already attracted over 1,100 participants, including members of the Group Executive Committee.”
During the event, a new award was introduced to honor strategic and sustainable community development projects executed by Group businesses in collaboration with JKF. The inaugural award was presented to the John Keells Praja Shakthi Habarana Beekeeper Project team, recognizing their initiative and ongoing commitment to creating shared value at the Habarana hotel complex. The event featured a beekeeper, Wasantha Bandara, Community Project Coordinator, who shared his journey, stating, “Initially, I had no technical knowledge in beekeeping. When community members joined the project, we were unsure about its success. Today, we are thankful for the training and continuous support provided by the John Keells and Cinnamon teams, which have allowed us to grow and maintain this initiative, boosting our income while also ensuring the protection of bees through sustainable methods.” A special highlight was the launch of the first batch of honey from the project, which was made available for pre-market sale and recorded promising sales figures.
In his address, Krishan Balendra congratulated the award recipients and remarked, “We had 2,500 volunteers in 2025/26, marking a significant increase in participation, but we need even more volunteers to engage. The spirit of volunteerism within the Group is truly remarkable. During Kala Pola, for instance, it was encouraging to see so many employees in their blue corporate t-shirts, demonstrating their commitment even on a hot Sunday. The Group’s contribution to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’—with a collective contribution of LKR 500 million—was the largest by a Sri Lankan entity. I am excited to taste the honey from the Beekeeping Project in Habarana! Initiatives like this, along with other John Keells Praja Shakthi projects such as Hikka Batiks in Hikkaduwa and the Mushroom project in Ja Ela, highlight the importance of pursuing sustainable CSR initiatives across our Group. I also urge our staff to make use of the volunteer app and register for activities as often as possible.”
The evening also featured the recognition of volunteers who displayed exceptional dedication throughout the year. Gold and Silver certificates were awarded to those who made remarkable contributions in terms of volunteer hours and impact. Among those honored was Sooriya Bandara Herath, a Property and Real Estate Engineer at the Victoria Golf Resort, recognized for his steadfast dedication and significant role in the Model Pre-School project undertaken by JKF as part of the John Keells Praja Shakthi initiative in Nithulemada amidst various challenges faced by Sri Lanka, officially inaugurated in December 2025.
Beyond acknowledging individual and team achievements, Volunteer Recognition Day 2026 celebrated the collective efforts of the John Keells Group’s volunteer network, which supported numerous activities conducted by JKF in 2025/26.
The John Keells Foundation focuses on four main areas: Education, Community & Livelihoods, Social Health & Cohesion, and Biodiversity. As the CSR arm of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), the largest publicly traded conglomerate in Sri Lanka by market capitalization, the foundation oversees over 80 companies across seven diverse sectors. With a legacy spanning over 150 years, the John Keells Group employs more than 18,000 individuals and has been recognized as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for 20 consecutive years by LMD magazine. It has also been awarded the title of Sri Lanka’s Most Loved Corporate Brand in the LMD Readers’ Choice Awards for three years in a row. A full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant in the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’ through the John Keells Foundation and the social entrepreneurship initiative ‘Plasticcycle,’ which plays a pivotal role in significantly curbing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.
