The Mindset Challenge & Carnival goes virtual for second year running

Singapore

JARDINE Matheson Group kicked off its annual The Mindset Challenge & Carnival (TMCC) on Sunday (Nov 7) with approximately 200 participants.

Traditionally, TMCC includes a vertical race up the 33 floors of Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 1, and a large-scale family-friendly carnival at The Lawn @ Marina Bay. However, due to Covid-19, the 2021 fundraiser has pivoted to a virtual event for the second consecutive year.

Hence, the one-month steps challenge - which comprise the Competitive Individual and Individual Fun Challenge categories - has come into the picture. Tapping into TMCC's Around the World theme, participants for the Competitive Individual Challenge will have to climb the equivalent number of steps of one of 3 tallest buildings from around the world - the Burj Khalifa (163 levels), Shanghai Tower (128 levels) and One World Trade Centre (94 levels). Meanwhile, the Individual Fun Challenge includes an international walking trail steps challenge, scavenger hunt and food adventure.

Besides raising awareness for youth mental health, the event aims to raise up to S$300,000 for beneficiary DigitalMindset, an intervention programme for youths aged 12 to 21 suffering from emotional regulatory issues as a result of excessive gaming or usage of devices.

A study conducted by the National Youth Council showed that throughout the polling period (April to December 2020), approximately half of the youth respondents indicated that mental health was a challenge they faced due to the pandemic.

Guest of honour Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Social and Family Development, said that "having such initiatives to uplift the mental wellness of our community is important as we build an inclusive and empathetic society for future generations".

Chairman of Mindset Benjamin Birks said: "The persistence of the pandemic has shone a spotlight on the importance of mental health, a matter close to our heart as Mindset celebrates 10 years of contributing to Singapore's mental health community . . . Mental health issues have no boundaries and can affect individuals of any age, background or circumstance, so driving change needs to be inclusive and holistic. We are glad that through The Mindset Challenge & Carnival, we have provided continued support to this important cause."

In the same vein, global integrated facilities management company Sodexo recognised the additional toll that coping with the pandemic had on its workforce, and recognised the importance of re-investing resources into programmes to support employees during this period.

This is especially so as the Institute of Mental Health found that between May 2020 and June this year, about 13 per cent of over 1,000 participants reported experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms, during the one year since the pandemic started.

Johnpaul Dimech, CEO geographic regions & region chair, Asia-Pacific at Sodexo, said: "Hence, last year, in addition to Sodexo Supports Me - a go-to hotline for employees and families to seek confidential third-party counselling on issues - we also launched the APAC Health & Well-Being Hub intranet portal to share resources with our teams . . .

"These include conversation starters on mental health so that managers and employees can have more structured conversations around mental health or other issues they might be facing."

The company has also started engaging with its workplace well-being partner to conduct webinars to provide additional tools and support to its staff. "Businesses need to recognise that building a mentally healthy workplace is beneficial for everyone. Having a mentally healthy workforce increases productivity, decreases absenteeism and total medical costs, and enables businesses to be more resilient when facing future challenges," Dimech added.