UOB raises more than S$1.65m in its latest Covid-19 relief effort

Singapore

UNITED Overseas Bank (UOB) colleagues and customers from across the bank's global network raised more than S$1.65 million in a month for the UOB Heartbeat Covid-19 Relief Fund.

The funds raised will help frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable communities around the world amid the pandemic. Throughout the month of May, UOB ran the global fundraising effort across its 18 markets which included Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, and Singapore.

The UOB Heartbeat Covid-19 Relief Fund is an initiative under UOB's UnitedForYou Covid-19 Relief Programme.

Wee Ee Cheong, UOB's deputy chairman and chief executive officer, said: "In times of crises, our community is never stronger than when we unite to care for those among us who may need a helping hand. I am grateful for the unwavering support of our colleagues and customers across the globe who readily contributed to the UOB Heartbeat Covid-19 Relief Fund to support our frontline healthcare workers and the vulnerable in our local communities."

The UOB Heartbeat Covid-19 Relief Fund will help drive the global initiatives of 31 beneficiaries which support frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable children and families.

In Singapore, the funds raised will support The Community Foundation of Singapore's Sayang Sayang Fund - Healthcare Face Shields Project and Food from the Heart's School Goodie Bag Programme.

Through The Community Foundation of Singapore's Sayang Sayang Fund - Healthcare Face Shields Project, UOB will provide funds to produce 500,000 3D-printed face shields for frontline healthcare workers at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

Safer and more comfortable

Catherine Loh, chief executive officer of The Community Foundation of Singapore, said: "The current protective equipment, such as goggles used by healthcare professionals during this pandemic, is not designed for prolonged use and many experience discomfort over the course of their work shifts. We are grateful for UOB's donation, which will enable us to increase and to accelerate the production of face shields that are designed to make it safer and more comfortable for our frontline healthcare professionals as they continue to combat the spread of Covid-19."

The bank last week also donated 800 meals to healthcare workers working on the Covid-19 frontline at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

When making the delivery, Rosalind Lee, head of Enterprise Banking, Group Commercial Banking, UOB, said: "Thanks to the care and tireless efforts of our healthcare workers over the past few months, we have seen the recovery of many Covid-19 patients. Even as Singapore continues to re-open cautiously, we recognise that the fight against Covid-19 is not over and that our healthcare heroes continue to work around the clock to keep us safe".

In addition to supporting the community, UOB Group Commercial Banking is helping its clients to overcome business challenges arising from Covid-19. Since April, it has extended more than S$4 billion in loans through government-assisted funding schemes to its mid-sized enterprise clients to help them manage their immediate liquidity challenges.