SingTel | January 21, 2011 | Press Release
Singapore, 21 January 2011 – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced that it has raised S$2.48 million in 2010 through its philanthropy programme, the SingTel Touching Lives Fund (STLF). This amount was raised through various initiatives such as the SingTel Charity Golf, nation-wide Fold-A-Heart activity, employee donations and corporate contributions.
Since its launch in 2002, STLF has raised and contributed more than S$19 million for charities affiliated to the National Council of Social Service.
This afternoon, SingTel will present a cheque to Mr Edmund Tie, Vice Chairman of Community Chest, who will receive it on behalf of the six charities supported by the STLF. They are APSN Chao Yang School, APSN Tanglin School, AWWA Early Years Centre – EIPIC, MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School, Singapore Cancer Society’s ‘Help the Children and Youth Programme’ and Students Care Service. The event will be held at MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School.
“With our Touching Lives programme, we want to help disadvantaged children and youths and make a positive impact in their lives. SingTel strives to be a responsible corporate citizen and forge a culture, especially among our staff, of giving back to society,” said Ms Jeann Low, Chairperson for the STLF and SingTel’s Group Chief Financial Officer. “A big thank-you to our business partners, staff and members of the public who have generously supported our fund-raising activities in 2010. We are very encouraged to see the STLF programme being widely supported.”
SingTel has been a Community Chest partner through their programme, and since 1994 has been matching employees’ annual contributions to this programme.
Mr Tie said: “We would like to express our deepest appreciation to SingTel for their strong support to Community Chest for over 20 years. The impact of their support is immeasurable as these funds have given many children with special needs the education and skills they need to be independent and to improve their social skills.”
In addition to underwriting all fund-raising expenses, SingTel matched every outright cash donation from employees dollar-for-dollar. It also donated a dollar for every folded heart received electronically or through the post.
Staff volunteerism is another important component of SingTel’s community development programmes. SingTel encourages employees to contribute their time to the company’s community partners and gives every employee a one-day voluntary service leave annually to support a charity or community cause of their choice.
In 2010, more than 1,000 employees contributed 6,000 hours to help out at various charities, including those supported by STLF. For example, SingTel staff collected over 3,000 books and donated them to the APSN Tanglin School library and together with the students and teachers, helped build bookshelves in the classrooms.
About SingTel Touching Lives Fund
The SingTel Touching Lives Fund is SingTel’s annual corporate philanthropy programme to help the less privileged children and young people in Singapore. It was launched in 2002 to consolidate the Group’s community support activities. The Fund has since raised more than S$19 million for 22 charities under the auspices of the National Council of Social Service.
Beneficiaries of SingTel Touching Lives Fund 2010
APSN Chao Yang School
The school provides special education for children with mild intellectual disability and autism, aged 7-12 years. The aim of the school programme is to provide education and training to enable the children to have the necessary skills, attitude and personality to lead normal, independent lives in adulthood.
The school offers after-school activities where pupils are not only taught skills, but are also given the opportunity to practise their interaction skills.
Website: www.apsn.org.sg/sch_centres/cy/cy_main.html
APSN Tanglin School
The school provides special education for children with mild intellectual disability, aged 14-16 years.
The special education programme aims to enable children to have the necessary skills, attitude and personality to lead normal and independent lives in adulthood.
Website: www.apsn.org.sg/sch_centres/tl/tanglin_main.html
AWWA Early Years Centre – EIPIC
The centre offers early intervention programmes and individual therapy consultations for infants and children under 5 with special needs.
It aims to maximise the developmental growth of these children by providing them with a holistic and individual developmental programme, while minimising the risks of secondary disabilities through support and training for the children and their families.
Website: www.awwa.org.sg
MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School
The school provides a basic foundation in independence and employment skills to serve children aged 5 to 18 years with intellectual disabilities.
It aims to develop each child to his or her fullest potential with the long-term objective of enhancing the child’s prospects of integrating into mainstream society.
Website: www.minds.org.sg/schools/leekong
Students Care Service
School Social Work, operated by Students Care Service (SCS) helps youths who are susceptible to negative influences or who come from dysfunctional families. This programme reaches out to youths aged 5 to 18 years and provides support and mentoring against negative peer influence, with the aim to maintain them in the education system.
An integral part of the Students Care Service is the SCS Educational Psychology Service, which is an educational and intellectual assessment and remedial teaching to help students with educational difficulties to function optimally.
Website: www.students.org.sg
Singapore Cancer Society (SCS)
The SCS is a community-based voluntary health organisation dedicated to minimising the impact of cancer through public education, screening, patient services, financial assistance, research and advocacy.
Money raised from STLF for the SingTel-Singapore Cancer Society 2010 Race Against Cancer is used to support its “SCS Help the Children and Youth” programme. The programme aims to help children and youths who are cancer patients or whose parents or siblings have cancer.
Website: www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg
