SPH Foundation donates $300,000 to Community Chest to help the vulnerable amid Covid-19 pandemic

Singapore, 1 June 2020 - Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Foundation will be donating $300,000 to Community Chest to provide some relief and assistance to the vulnerable amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The donation is SPH Foundation’s annual charity giving which usually takes place around August. This has been brought forward to provide faster aid to the beneficiaries.

Of this amount, $200,000 will go towards 20 social service programmes under Community Chest serving the vulnerable seniors, disadvantaged families, underprivileged children and the disabled, while the remaining $100,000 will go towards the Special Education Financial Assistance Scheme (SPED FAS). Please see the attachments for more details of the supported programmes and SPED FAS.

In March this year, SPH Foundation donated $100,000 to The Courage Fund, which was set up to provide relief for those affected by Covid-19.

SPH has also earlier contributed to various fundraising efforts in response to the Covid-19 public health crisis.

In February 2020, SPH's Chinese Media Group (CMG) raised a total of $300,000 from online donations and cheques through its live-streamed show as an act of appreciation for medical workers and other front liners fighting the outbreak. Together with SPH's donation of $15,000, the funds were gifted to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Response by Singapore Red Cross.

The Straits Times also partnered local artists in the "Stay at Home, Singapore" video effort to raise $205,458 for the ST School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund.

In partnership with the Ministry of Education, the ST School Pocket Money Fund also committed up to $2 million in May 2020 to provide meal subsidies during the school holidays, benefitting more than 47,000 needy students.

Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of SPH and SPH Foundation, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented times and hardship to the nation and the world. Helping the vulnerable is what we firmly believe in during good and challenging times. As the company adapts to the evolving and protracted health and economic crisis, we will not lose sight of those in our community who are hard hit by the situation. It is our hope that we can help relieve the burden of the many who are affected, and to emerge stronger together with them from the crisis. "

Mr Phillip Tan, Chairman of Community Chest, said: "We are heartened that SPH has embarked on such a wide range of initiatives to support various vulnerable groups during these challenging times. Their sustained support towards Community Chest, coupled with the contributions from SPH Foundation, will enable the social service agencies to continue serving the vulnerable, especially when delivery of services and fundraising activities have been affected by Covid-19."

Besides the donations, SPH also organised various initiatives to help Singaporeans tide through the circuit breaker period. For example, it launched stayhome.com.sg (#StayhomewithSPH), a one-stop dedicated digital platform offering a wide variety of video content across the SPH network, to engage and uplift the spirits of its readers and the community.

To support the local creative community affected by Covid-19 disruptions, SPH partnered Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to provide funding of up to $150,000 per project under its Public Service Content Fund for media companies to co-produce engaging video content for SPH audiences.

Please see the attachment for the list of other Covid-19 initiatives by SPH.

ATTACHMENT:

About the Special Education Financial Assistance Scheme
List of charitable programmes supported by SPHF FY2020
List of SPH Covid-19 initiatives

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd Co. Regn. No. 198402868E

For more information, please contact:

Ms Chin Soo Fang
Head
Corporate Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
DID: 6319 1216 Email: soofang@sph.com.sg

Ms Debbie Tan
Manager
Corporate Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
DID: 6319 1586
Email: debbiet@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Incorporated in 1984, main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is Asia's leading media organisation, engaging minds and enriching lives across multiple languages and platforms.

SPH's core business is in the publishing of newspapers, magazines and books in both print and digital editions. It also owns other digital products, online classifieds, radio stations and outdoor media.

On the property front, SPH owns approximately 65% in SPH REIT whose portfolio comprises three properties in Singapore, namely Paragon, The Clementi Mall and The Rail Mall. In Australia, SPH REIT holds an 85% stake in Figtree Grove Shopping Centre and a 50% stake in Westfield Marion Shopping Centre.

SPH also owns and operates The Seletar Mall and is developing an integrated development consisting of The Woodleigh Residences and The Woodleigh Mall. It is also an owner, manager and developer of a portfolio of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in the United Kingdom and Germany. It currently operates two distinctive brands, Student Castle and Capitol Students.

It is in the aged care sector in Singapore and Japan, and owns Orange Valley, one of Singapore's largest nursing homes.

SPH runs a regional events arm. It also invested in the education business.

For more information, please visit www.sph.com.sg.
Facebook: facebook.com/officialsph/
Twitter: @official_sph
YouTube: Singapore Press Holdings
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/singapore-press-holdings/

About Singapore Press Holdings Foundation

The Singapore Press Holdings Foundation, a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character, was first set up as the Press Foundation of Singapore in January 2003 to help build a lifelong learning community that embraces language enrichment, creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports. The seed contribution of $20 million to the Foundation came from media group Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. It was renamed Singapore Press Holdings Foundation in May 2005.

For more information, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.sphfoundation.org.sg