Pinnacle Award spotlights SP’s sustainable philanthropic efforts and inclusive practices 

SINGAPORE, 7 OCTOBER 2024 – For the second year running, SP Group (SP) has received the Pinnacle Award, the highest accolade at the Community Chest Awards. This marks a first for the awards, affirming SP’s sustained dedication in empowering the community, and its inclusive practices. SP also received the Charity Platinum Award, Enabler Award, and Volunteer Partner Award.

As an early adopter of the National Council of Social Service's new sustainable philanthropy framework, SP Group invests in programmes with impact that endures over time. The company’s philanthropy and volunteerism outreach span across age segments and communities, with contributions of S$5.3 million last year – an 18 per cent increase over the past three years. The total number of staff volunteers also more than tripled during the same period, forming more than a quarter of the company’s 3,700-strong workforce.

SP’s Group Chief Executive Officer Stanley Huang received the awards from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam this evening. Mr Huang said, “We have expanded our giving year on year to meet targeted and evolving needs of more seniors, youth and children. Our outreach ranges from support for daily activities and necessities, educational and enrichment programmes and regular volunteers’ engagement in partnership with social service agencies and Community Chest. It is heartening to see more lives uplifted through these sustained efforts.”

SP’s partnership with Allkin Singapore exemplifies this commitment. Among its beneficiaries is 12-year-old Muhammad Amsyar, a student at the Allkin Student Academy. Through speech and drama training that SP’s contribution provides, he has gained confidence in social interactions and presenting his views. SP’s philanthropic funds and volunteerism have helped Allkin Singapore to level the playing field for students from lower-income backgrounds, providing learning devices essential for their education and engaging the students in both STEM activities and the arts. This includes digital arts and robotics, helping students like Amsyar holistically bridge education and development gaps and uncover their latent talents and interests. SP’s staff volunteers, known as SP Heart Workers, lead in several of these programmes and workshops, further inspiring the students in their learning journeys.

Caring from within
SP Group’s commitment to holistic giving starts from within the organisation through inclusive employment practices, supporting the hiring and integration of persons with disabilities. Such initiatives are part of the company’s commitment to creating a work environment that enables employees of different abilities to thrive.

Another initiative, Project Silver+, is a joint effort between SP Group and the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE), which pre-emptively addresses potential challenges faced by mature workers at our workplace. Key solutions implemented include modifications to facilities at work areas, the provision of age-appropriate work tools and aids, and programmes that enhances wellbeing and ensures retirement adequacy.

Sustained impact across the age spectrum
The SP Heartware Fund, established in 2005 in partnership with Community Chest, currently supports vulnerable members of the community across the age spectrum. To date, the company has raised close to S$30 million for the three key segments it supports – seniors, youth and children. Through almost 100 critical social service programmes, contributions from the Fund enable seniors to age with dignity and empower young children and youth to optimise their learning and realise their potential by enhancing their social mobility.

In 2021, SP expanded its giving focus from the seniors segment, to include children and youth. Since then, SP has contributed a cumulative S$3.2 million to KidSTART to date, enhancing the learning and developmental needs of children from lower-income families. The launch of Green Adventures by KidSTART and SP Group in March 2024 has also seen more than 700 KidSTART children and their families benefitting from green learning journeys.

In the past year, in its ongoing mission to uplift at-risk youth from lower-income families, SP has contributed S$500,000 to TOUCH Community Services, S$480,000 to Care Corner, and S$350,000 to SHINE Children and Youth Services.

Enabler of Doing Good
SP Heart Workers lead an array of activities that encourage meaningful contributions of time and talent. In addition to sustaining signature programmes like SP Power Packs which provide 10,000 lower-income families with essential daily items, they continue to collaborate with social service partners, including sports activities for youth. This comes as the company rallied its staff through its inaugural Volunteers Festival in October last year.

Amplifying fundraising efforts for the SP Heartware Fund, SP provides platforms for its customers and business partners to make donations through the SP app and donation appeals via the monthly utilities bills. Our business partners also contribute to the annual SP Charity Golf, which raised a record S$1 million this year. SP matches dollar-for-dollar donations made by its staff to the Fund, and underwrites all fund-raising and operational costs of the Fund and its programmes, so that all donations will go fully to the social service organisations.

Embedded in SP Group’s Strategy 2030, holistic giving is integral to the company’s vision of a sustainable energy future and community well-being. For more information on SP Group’s community efforts, please visit https://spgrp.sg/csr.