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SPH and SPH Foundation to donate more than $367,000 to charity this year

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and SPH Foundation will be donating more than $367,000 to charity this year, with $200,000 going to 20 social service agencies supported by the Community Chest.

This amount from SPH Foundation will enable the agencies to continue delivering critical programmes to seniors and families in need of support, children with special needs and youth-at-risk, according to a statement released yesterday.

Another $100,000 from SPH Foundation will support the Special Education Financial Assistance Scheme, which provides financial assistance to Singaporean students from low-income families studying at special education schools.

The rest of the money will be distributed to other SPH funds that support the needs of less privileged children.

A sum of $50,000 will go to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) to coincide with Children's Day today.

Set up in 2000 on Children's Day, STSPMF provides school pocket money to about 10,000 primary, secondary and post-secondary students from low-income families yearly.

The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), which provides children and youth from financially disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities and access to the arts, will get $10,000.

The amount will go towards the organising of its annual fundraising and charity event Children for Children, held to commemorate Children's Day.

Lastly, around $7,000 raised during the SPH Tribe Challenge 2021 - Heart & Sole Charity Fundraiser this year will go to the STSPMF and BT BAF. The event saw more than 160 SPH employees clocking over 11,000km in a virtual charity walk.

Dr Lee Boon Yang, chairman of SPH and SPH Foundation, said in the statement: "As the long-drawn battle against Covid-19 enters its second year, many of the vulnerable in our community continue to face disruptions to their lives brought about by the pandemic.

"Doing good remains an integral part of SPH's DNA, and it is our hope to do our best to alleviate the burden of the less fortunate, no matter the circumstances."

Mr Phillip Tan, chairman of the Community Chest, said: "We are heartened to see SPH's unwavering commitment in empowering communities-at-risk, especially in this challenging time when many individuals and families have been impacted."

The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission