Singapore Airlines Raises $2.6 Million For Communities With Special Needs
23 September 2023 - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has raised $2.6 million for Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) and SPD, two social service agencies that support communities with special needs in Singapore, as part of its SIA Cares fundraising drive. The Airline’s partners, members of the public, and its staff contributed $1.3 million to the drive over the last two months, and SIA matched this with another $1.3 million.
Ms Latha Kutty, Executive Director of CPAS, and Mr Abhimanyau Pal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SPD, each received $1.3 million on behalf of their respective organisations at today’s special SIA Cares open house at the SIA Training Centre from SIA CEO Mr Goh Choon Phong, alongside guest-of-honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development.
The $1.3 million will enable CPAS to set up a play sensory room at CPAS School (West), and augment its special education programmes by purchasing assistive technology and equipment that help to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. This will support more than 800 of CPAS’ beneficiaries.
SPD plans to use the $1.3 million to purchase three wheelchair-friendly vehicles and fund transportation-related costs. This will enable over 80 beneficiaries to travel to SPD's Day Activity Centre (DAC), where they engage in activities and acquire self-help skills through social and recreational programmes. This will allow their caregivers to get much-needed respite, or have the option to go to work, knowing that their loved ones are well cared for.
Ms Latha Kutty, Executive Director, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore, said: “With this generous contribution from SIA, we are delighted to be able to expand our services to more children with disabilities, giving them the specialised care and support they need to reach their fullest potential. In addition, this support will be instrumental in outfitting our newly opened CPAS School (West) with essential therapeutic equipment and assistive technology, as well as giving our students opportunities for growth and development with our overseas adventure trip to Australia. This partnership exemplifies the profound impact that corporations can have, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation to SIA for their dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of our beneficiaries.”
Mr Abhimanyau Pal, Chief Executive Officer, SPD, said: “We have been partnering SIA in several upcycling projects at our sheltered workshop since 2020, and are very glad that this collaboration has grown to other areas of support this year. The generous donation that SIA has committed towards providing specialised transport services means that our beneficiaries, many of whom have multiple disabilities and are from low-income families, can have access to a much-needed service at fees which will be heavily subsidised.”
At today’s open house, the Airline welcomed over 400 individuals from communities in need at the SIA Training Centre. Coming from 30 Singapore-based social service agencies, these individuals were joined by representatives from SIA’s business partners, who had contributed to the fundraising drive. During the special two-hour tour, all guests interacted with SIA’s pilots, cabin crew, and ground staff to learn more about their roles, got a better understanding of the intensive training that they undergo, and enjoyed a selection of the Airline’s popular in-flight meals.
More than 500 Singapore-based SIA staff volunteered to organise the open house and lend a hand with the various community activities. This is the culmination of the SIA Cares week, which saw another 800 overseas-based SIA staff volunteers across over 50 cities around the world taking part in various community activities.
Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “We are grateful for the strong support from our business partners, members of the public, and our staff, and we are glad to match their $1.3 million in donations with an additional $1.3 million. All of the $2.6 million that we have raised goes to CPAS and SPD, enabling them to augment their programmes and offer more support for people with special needs, as well as their families and caregivers.
“At Singapore Airlines, we firmly believe in giving back to the communities that we serve. These efforts were intensified over the last week as more than 1,300 of our people, both in Singapore and around the world, made a coordinated difference in 53 cities that SIA flies to. This has culminated with today’s open house in Singapore, where it was highly satisfying to see our guests enjoy the various activities that we had organised for them.”
Please refer to Annexe A for more details on the SIA Cares suite of activities and the list of participants and corporate partners, and Annexe B for more details on CPAS and SPD. Photos for publication can be found here.
