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SP Group donates S$1M to Community Chest, to benefit KidSTART beneficiaries

By KidSTART Singapore June 24, 2021

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<a href=”https://www.kidstart.sg/media-room/sp-group-donates-s1m-to-community-chest-to-benefit-kidstart-beneficiaries/”>As featured in The Business Times – SP Group donates S$1m to Community Chest (24/06/2021)</a>
Above: Shariffah Dayana and Andri Panusunan Sagala with their sons, three-year-old Rumi (2nd from left) and one-year old Aria. 
PHOTO: SP GROUP

Singapore 

SP GROUP (SP) donated S$1 million to Community Chest to kickstart an initiative supporting children from low-income families on Wednesday. 

The initiative, called SP Kids at Heart, will benefit about 2,000 KidSTART children for a year and provide them with educational tools, books and toys. 

Mohd Hassan Marican, chairman of SP said: “We are expanding our community outreach to help children, who are the future of Singapore.” 

The initiative will complement SP’s existing programmes for seniors through the SP Heartware Fund.

“Through SP Kids at Heart, we can give them the best possible start in their formative years,” he added.

KidSTART Singapore will also put the donation towards other electronic devices such as Internet routers and tablets in these learning and development packs. (see amendment note)

SP said in a press release that it will provide additional grocery vouchers, financial assistance packages, and other tools and equipment that will create more conducive home learning environments for beneficiaries.

Minister for Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli, said: “SP has shown us how corporates can play their part in building a society of opportunities together even amid a pandemic.”

Mr Masagos is also the chairman of the Growing Together with KidSTART Council.

SP Heart Workers Rachel Low with the Rumi and Aria. 
PHOTO: SP GROUP

SP will tap into its pool of staff volunteers, known as SP Heart Workers, to assemble, deliver and install the packages for families.

They will also produce instructional videos, or engage in on-site activities with beneficiaries when social restrictions lift.

Amendment note: An earlier version of the article said that Community Chest will put the donated funds towards electronic devices. While Community Chest is helping to facilitate the funding process, the beneficiary of SP’s donation is actually KidSTART Singapore.


This article was originally featured in The Business Times, published Jun 24, 2021 by Samantha Heo.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/life-culture/sp-group-donates-s1m-to-community-chest