UOB donates S$800,000 to ChildAid

Singapore

UNITED Overseas Bank (UOB) has donated S$800,000 to the children's charity concert ChildAid. The money will go directly to its beneficiaries - S$300,000 to The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) and S$500,000 to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The money was raised by UOB and its clients during the bank's annual lunar new year dinner in February. Eric Tham, head of group commercial banking at UOB, presented the donation to Alvin Tay, chairman of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, and Serene Goh, chairman of ChildAid 2016.

Mr Tham said: "Our support of ChildAid enables UOB to play a part in providing young people with an avenue to showcase their artistic talent.

"This is in line with our long-term support of social development in the areas of art, children and education, and our commitment to the communities in which we operate."

The cheque presentation ceremony took place in Yu Neng Primary School on Friday, where students were sewing bears during the second edition of the school's Pay-it-Forward event. A total of 1,400 students, staff and parent volunteers at the school stitched 1,600 bears made of recycled materials.

The mass sewing activity is part of the school's Pay-it-Forward SGBear project which was launched last year to cap the school's year-long 80th anniversary birthday bash.

These bears will be given at two concerts - the ChildAid concert as well as the Singapore Rhapsodies concert. While the bears are not for sale, members of the public are encouraged to make a donation in exchange for each bear. All proceeds will go towards ChildAid.

School principal Clara Lim-Tan said: "We hope our pupils will pick up values like responsibility, respect and compassion and experience how a small kind gesture can go a long way.

"The Pay-it-Forward project serves as an annual renewal of the Yu Neng community's commitment towards helping other people, especially those less privileged - one stitch at a time."