Standard Chartered brings National Day cheer to young and old
The bank says it takes a long-term view to building a sustainable business that can contribute to both the local economies and communities
Vivien Ang
CHEW, a resident of Peacehaven Nursing Home, was looking forward to face-to-face interaction with volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) this National Day. However, due to safety regulations from the home’s management team, his wish did not turn into reality.
Nevertheless, this roadblock did not deter the staff volunteers from giving back.
In fact, Standard Chartered supported social enterprise ACE Seniors to expand its reach in August to engage over 10,000 senior residents of 38 nursing homes and community hospitals.
The bank has been celebrating this occasion with ACE Seniors since 2018 and this year, over 360 volunteers gathered to pack and distribute the National Day care pack from early July to August.
The items for the participating homes differed based on the wishlist of the beneficiaries.
Tang Wai San, executive director from ACE Seniors, said that it was to ensure the items were tailored to what the homes needed and there was no wastage.
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Each care pack also came with a greeting card made by the volunteers and a 10-kg birthday cake for each home.
Judy Hsu, CEO, Consumer, Private and Business Banking (CPBB) at Standard Chartered Bank, said: “The bank has a uniquely Singapore community initiative called Silver Lining to address the issues of a rapidly ageing population. As we celebrate our nation’s 57th birthday, it is also a time for us to appreciate our seniors who have collectively built Singapore as we know today.”
When asked why long-term partnerships with organisations such as ACE Seniors are important, she said: “The bank takes a long-term view to building a sustainable business that can contribute to both the local economies and communities. We need partners to help us ensure that social development grows in tandem with economic development. Partners such as ACE Seniors and Life Community Services Society (LCSS) are important as they help ensure that social development progresses in tandem with economic growth and they are key stakeholders to drive the last-mile impact and delivery.”
Tang from ACE Seniors concurred and added: “With organisations such as Standard Chartered which has the financial resources and a ready pool of volunteers, it provides sustainability for the National Day celebration to continue annually and expand to more nursing homes across the island.”
Increase in giving
The NVPC Corporate Giving Study 2021 showed that there was an increase from 52 per cent to 75 per cent of businesses engaging in corporate giving during the pandemic.
Mohammad Zuhair, operational resilience director, CPBB, said that this was his first year volunteering for this project.
“Meticulous planning and organisation skills are key elements of what made the entire celebration a success. Volunteers were all clear on the jobs we had to do to meet the target and be productive”.
He added that professionally, such volunteering events provided a networking opportunity and allowed for interaction with colleagues that one does not normally interact with.
Helping the youth
Besides helping the elderly, the bank also supports the youth through Futuremakers, its global initiative to addressing inequality and promoting economic inclusion for the next generation.
As part of the initiative, fun packs that comprise stationery and snacks were also sent to children aged 7-12 at LCSS this month. The bank has been a volunteer partner to the organisation since 2019.
Hsu of Standard Chartered said: “The mission of LCSS closely aligns with our bank’s global Futuremakers community initiative to support disadvantaged youths. We are committed to improving the well-being of the communities we serve and as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, I hope this community spirit will continue to prevail and strengthen.”
Evelyn Loke, assistant manager, Fundraising & Partnerships, LCSS, said: “We reached out to Standard Chartered at short notice to check if they could support one of our centres. However, we were also not too sure if we could do it onsite at that time. Despite the tight timeline, we were glad that the celebration was able to continue in a different format this year. More than 400 children received a gift pack specially shopped and put together by individual volunteers.”
Staff volunteer from Standard Chartered, Pauline Tee, who is also executive director, Governance and Portfolio Management, CPBB, said: “Volunteering gives me more opportunities to stay connected with people and reminds me of the humanity that is sometimes forgotten or overlooked during my busy life.”
Both beneficiary groups have expressed their wish for next year’s event to include face-to-face interaction.
Tang from ACE Seniors said: “We would like to have more interactive activities with the seniors for next year. Currently, the National Day celebration is planned and organised by ACE Seniors and a small pool of dedicated volunteers.”
84-year-old Chew from PeaceHaven Nursing Home echoed such sentiments and said that while he enjoyed the snacks and beverage sachets that were in the food pack, he is already looking forward to seeing fresh faces and celebrations in person next year.
This article is part of a series on doing good for our community, supported by Standard Chartered Bank
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