74 organisations named Champions of Good 2020

Singapore

THE latest list of Champions of Good is out - and 74 organisations have found their names on it.

They are being recognised as 2020's crop of companies that have done good for the benefit of the underprivileged and collaborated with their partners and stakeholders to make these projects happen - even as they went about their core business.

Champions of Good was launched in 2017 as a national recognition framework to celebrate such organisations. The conferment of the "Champion of Good" recognition is organised by Company of Good, under National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).

Of this year's 74 organisations, 28 have made the cut in all three editions of Champions lists; and of the 74, 23 are first-time Champions. Among the debutants are food and beverage social enterprise PopeJai Group, professional services group EY and Xylem Water Solutions Singapore, an American water technology provider.

In a congratulatory message to this year's Champions, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat applauded their efforts to uplift vulnerable members of society and to rally the support of their staff and stakeholders. He added that they embody the spirit of the "Singapore Together" movement, under which everyone steps up to do their bit.

A total of 97 Champions of Good have been recognised since the programme's inception. NVPC said that, by leveraging their core business assets to serve community needs, these Champions contribute in their areas of strength. And by working with strategic partners and non-profit groups, they also tap sources of technical and other areas of expertise for their community projects.

NVPC chairman Mildred Tan said: "By looking beyond conventional business goals, these Champions of Good have shown resilience and adaptability in overcoming the economic downturn. They are setting the precedent in robust corporate citizenship for other stakeholders and industry peers. With them leading the way, we will build a City of Good - a Singapore that cares."

Among the three-time Champions are Maybank and Singapore Press Holdings.

Maybank Singapore chief executive officer (CEO) John Lee said: "Strong communities are defined by their capacity to come together in times of need. As a bank with 60 years of presence in Singapore, Maybank strives to play a leadership role in engaging its networks of stakeholders, including our customers, to do good together."

SPH CEO Ng Yat Chung said: "As a socially responsible company, we believe in giving back to the community. We are honoured that SPH has been recognised as a Champion of Good. It is a strong affirmation of the impact of our corporate giving and how volunteerism is embedded in our company's culture. I am proud of the work of our staff volunteers, who have rallied for good causes and care for the vulnerable in our community."