Lindsay Wong

SUB-EDITOR

Lindsay is a digital sub-editor at The Business Times and occasionally writes CSR stories. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts and double major in history and Asian studies.

Companies must work to make a difference in the society, and this begins with having a corporate purpose.  
COMPANY OF GOOD

What is corporate purpose?

FROM dealing with rising costs of living to longer-term issues such as climate change, the range of needs in society is constantly...

Feasts, performances and giving back are some of the ways the local banks celebrated this Chinese New Year.

Local banks mark Year of the Fire Horse with festive celebrations

From supporting a local urban farm to raising S$1.9 million for charity, here’s how DBS, OCBC and UOB rang in Chinese New...

Raymond Gabriel, co-founder and executive director of PSC, says: "We build the capabilities of the people that we empower through entrepreneurship training, financial literacy training and mentoring, to raise their incomes… and get them out of poverty.”
TAKING HEART

People Systems Consultancy partners firms like Maybank to tackle poverty, help marginalised communities upskill

The social enterprise’s programmes focus on entrepreneurship

Anurax Lian (first from left), general manager of SimSys, says: "“SimSys – being at the forefront of technology – has always believed in technology for public good.”
COMPANY OF GOOD

From planting trees to spotlighting scams: Simple Solution Systems gives back in more ways than one

It also participates in initiatives promoting sustainability

Two Metta School alumni (in red) are joined by professional golfer Minjee Lee (in black) to learn how to make kueh from MBS chef Kuok I Hoi (centre, in white).
TAKING HEART

Professional golfer Minjee Lee turns pastry chef at MBS

The event with Metta School allows individuals with intellectual disabilities to build confidence

Jason Loh, founder and CEO of Piece Future, says: "The whole platform empowers (startups) with their first IP, and then they can use it as a seed or foundation to grow and build their company.”
TAKING HEART

Singapore-based Piece Future helps startups leverage unused patents

It matches startups to companies and universities that have unused IP, so that the technologies are not sitting idle

Among these companies, there is a median employee participation rate of 70% for volunteering.
TAKING HEART

Only 14% of companies engage in volunteerism in Singapore, 26% donate: NVPC study

It finds that the most significant barrier that companies face when it comes to giving back is a lack of leadership interest

Clarence Ching, founder and executive director of Access Singapore, says: “We wanted to launch this because there needs to be a strong study-to-work transition."
TAKING HEART

Access Singapore aims to give polytechnic graduate salaries a boost with new scheme

Apprentices will learn soft and technical skills to prepare them for the workforce

Alfie Othman, CEO of raiSE, says: “This structure allows social enterprises to access capital at a lower cost while giving partners confidence that funding is deployed strategically."
TAKING HEART

Umbrella body for social enterprises to work with partners to raise S$10 million for the sector

The Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise will provide the initial sum and lean on blended finance for the rest

StanChart has volunteered with this Community Chest event since its inception in 
TAKING HEART

StanChart Singapore rallies largest contingent of 1,200 volunteers for festive season

They get together to pack festive bags for beneficiaries ahead of Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Puasa