SP Group launches initiatives to help seniors and young at inaugural Community Festival
They were accompanied by SP employee volunteers as they took in views of the city's skyline and iconic landmarks.
The initiative offers customised itineraries for 600 seniors, youth and children and their families. SP added that the excursions are aligned with its focus on sustainability, as an electric bus will be used to convey the beneficiaries to the places of interest.
These day trips will take place from June to August.
Jocelyn Toh, head of senior service at Allkin Singapore, said: 'Excursions like these allow the individuals and families we serve – many of whom are from lower-income backgrounds – to explore Singapore with renewed wonder, meet new friends and create shared memories they might not otherwise get a chance to experience.'
Likewise, Amelia Shepherdson, 72, and Alison Chan, 68, Allkin beneficiaries who went on Wednesday's excursion, said such events give them a chance to socialise with people in their age group, which is beneficial because they can relate to each other's problems. This is in contrast to family members, who may not understand the struggles they are going through.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Sign Up
Sign Up
SG60 Journeys from the Heart is one of the three initiatives announced by the national grid and energy solutions operator on Wednesday, at its inaugural Community Festival where it also celebrated its 30th anniversary and Singapore's 60th year of independence.
At the festival, various social service agencies who are SP beneficiaries set up booths so that the group's staff could find out more about their causes. Some employees also shared about their volunteering experiences.
SP Heartware Fund and Power Packs
To commemorate its anniversary, SP is enhancing its donation-matching initiative for the SP Heartware Fund, which was launched in 2005 in partnership with Community Chest. It supports nearly 100 critical social service programmes to help vulnerable communities.
Until Dec 31, SP will match staff donations by three times – instead of the usual one-to-one ratio – up to a total of S$1 million.
As part of the SGShare campaign to commemorate SG60, all donations to the fund will also be matched dollar-for-dollar under the SG Gives matching grant, which was announced during Budget 2025.
For every dollar that an employee donates, S$8 will thus go towards helping recipients of the programmes.
To date, the fund has raised more than S$30 million.
Stanley Huang, group chief executive of SP, said: '(To amplify the) fundraising efforts for the SP Heartware Fund, SP provides platforms for its customers and business partners to make donations through the SP app and (runs) donation appeals via the monthly utilities bills.'
From Wednesday, SP will also be distributing care packs worth S$300,000 to 10,000 lower-income households throughout the year under its SP Power Packs initiative.
'The packs are now tailored for each age group, providing daily essentials to reduce household expenses, especially amid rising costs,' Huang added.
For example, seniors will receive items such as cereal and rice; youth will receive energy drinks and refreshments; and children will receive stationery items and learning tools.
Mohamed Fareez, CEO of Allkin Singapore, said Singapore's ageing population, rising mental health concerns and higher cost of living make such initiatives – especially by corporates – essential to improve well-being.
'We are looking at ways to bridge the gap and provide resources to allow and increase the possibility of social mobility as well,' he added.
SP Group has been a partner of Allkin Singapore since 2017 and has conducted various long-term initiatives such as reading programmes for children, befriending activities and helping seniors with errands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Put unused voucher balances to better use
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Recently, I came across a discarded supermarket receipt where a customer had used a $20 CDC or SG60 voucher but forfeited $3.20 in change. This is because supermarkets do not provide change for voucher transactions. It made me wonder why someone would willingly forgo such an amount. More importantly, this raises a broader question: How much unclaimed change is being accumulated across all supermarkets from such voucher redemptions? If these small amounts add up significantly, could they be pooled and directed towards a more meaningful purpose, such as donations to charity or community support programmes? These vouchers were introduced by the Government to help Singaporeans cope with the rising cost of living. It would be a missed opportunity if the unused portions simply became extra revenue for large retailers, instead of continuing to serve the public good. Perhaps agencies or retailers could consider a system where customers are given the option to donate any unredeemed balance to a designated charitable fund. This would allow even small amounts to be put to constructive use – reflecting the spirit in which the vouchers were issued. Kamaruzaman Mohamad Shariff
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Ground feedback, digital tools: How she helps 8,000 workers finish work safely every day
From monitoring work activities to innovating with tech, this SP Group safety and health manager ensures safety remains as her highest priority Ms Yuan Yinxi (right) an SP Group safety manager works closely with site teams (seen here starting their day with a safety pledge), to champion ground-up safety practices and ensure everyone returns home safely. As dawn breaks across over 300 of SP Group 's worksites around the island, the same scene unfolds: Technical officers and contractors huddle for a toolbox meeting to flag potential hazards and agree on safety precautions before work gets underway. While it often takes just a few minutes, the meeting is vital and must be checked off before a cable is handled or a spanner lifted. Each day, over 8,000 workers from SP Group's authorised contractors rely on this routine to stay safe. Overseeing these processes is Ms Yuan Yinxi, 36, a manager from SP's Group Safety and Health (GSH) team. As one of the dedicated safety professionals at GSH, a key part of her role is to ensure rigorous processes are in place to prevent accidents while SP's engineers and contractors focus on maintaining and upgrading underground electricity cables and gas pipelines to keep Singapore's grid strong and reliable. SP Group's technical officers from Electricity Operations carry out regular maintenance at overground boxes connected to underground cables, ensuring safety protocols are followed. PHOTO: SP GROUP Among her daily tasks is supervising a team that monitors activities at sites via closed-circuit television cameras throughout the day. 'We regularly review observations made from the footage to see where we can do better. Good on-site practices are commended and shared with other contractors for learning and adoption,' she says. Ms Yuan's team joins SP's senior leadership for regular dialogues and check-ins with contractors. These conversations ensure that safety concerns from the ground are heard early and potential risks are flagged and addressed before they escalate. While SP Group enforces strict safety protocols, it sees these efforts not as top-down mandates, but as a partnership. Toolbox meetings, observation reviews and site walk-throughs are all part of a shared commitment – one that involves internal teams, as well as contractors and workers on the ground. 'It's about upholding safety together,' says Ms Yuan. 'We're not just ticking boxes. Everyone has a part to play in ensuring the well-being of our people, customers, contractors and the public.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business No clarity yet on baseline or pharmaceutical tariffs with US: DPM Gan Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore Liquidators score victory to recoup over $900 million from alleged scammer Ng Yu Zhi's associates Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore Child and firefighter among 7 taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong Raising safety standards with practical training, digital tools New practical safety training stations for contractors have been added to Singapore Institute of Power and Gas' expanded campus. PHOTO: SP GROUP Beyond traditional safety processes, the GSH team was involved in the design and development of a new immersive training facility in Bedok run by SP's training arm, Singapore Institute of Power and Gas. Launched last March, the 1,500 sq ft facility has eight stations for hands-on safety training in areas such as trenching, lifting operations, ladder use and scaffolding. To streamline daily site operations, Ms Yuan and the GSH team also worked with SP's digital team to develop the SAFE365 mobile app – a digital tool that allows technical officers to confirm all safety checks are completed before work begins, making activities at the start of each day more efficient and coordinated with just a few taps. The app was conceived based on ground feedback, including engagement sessions with contractors who shared suggestions to improve on-site safety, says Ms Yuan. 'The idea stemmed from observing how technical officers were bogged down by manual processes – chasing updates via messaging apps, requesting site photos to verify safety compliance, and compiling documents from multiple sources,' says Ms Yuan. 'We saw an opportunity to simplify and centralise these tasks through technology.' Contractors use the SAFE365 app to complete safety checks before work begins, streamlining daily operations with just a few taps. PHOTO: SP GROUP Approaching safety holistically But safety is not just about protective gear and procedures, it also entails making sure people feel supported and healthy, mentally and emotionally, says Ms Yuan. That is why she is a strong advocate for maintaining a healthy work-life harmony. Ms Yuan plays badminton every week, often with SP Group colleagues. As a committee member of SP Group's workplace health programme, she also drives weight management, exercise and other wellness initiatives, aiming to make healthy living an everyday experience at the workplace. 'If we can take charge of safety and wellness in our own lives, we can and should do the same in our work environment, to protect ourselves and others. 'At the end of the day, we all deserve to be able to go home safely to our loved ones,' says Ms Yuan.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
US baseline 10% tariff not ideal but Singapore ‘can live with it': PM Wong
[SINGAPORE] While the US' baseline tariff of 10 per cent is not ideal, it is a rate Singapore 'can live with', said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Jul 29). While zero tariffs are preferred, the baseline rate is the lowest category, he noted. 'We can live with it, and we can still do business.' There will still be many opportunities for trade and investment with the US, PM Wong added. Even as Singapore must 'be realistic and take the world as it is', it can also shape its own destiny, he said at a dialogue at an SG60 conference held by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Singapore Business Federation. Beyond tariffs, the US is pulling back from upholding the global order, leading to a messier world with no leadership, he noted. Asked by moderator and IPS director Janadas Devan if Singapore is helpless, PM Wong said: 'There is not much we can do to change these large, powerful forces, but at the same time, we are not passive bystanders.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Singapore has the agency to shape its own destiny, he said. It can work to strengthen multilateral institutions; deepen partnerships bilaterally and in different groupings; and focus on Asean. On partnerships, for instance, Singapore is pushing for ties between the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union. This is gaining traction, said PM Wong, adding that he hopes the partnership can be formalised. In Asean, more can be done to strengthen integration, remove non-tariff barriers and create a single market. 'If we can remove all the unnecessary distractions like border issues and make sure that we have peace and stability to focus on concrete initiatives that can bring Asean together, we can make progress.' Asean's per capita gross domestic product is low at under US$6,000, but if it rises to US$10,000 or more, that would be 'a complete game changer for the region', he added. Replying to an audience question about Asean's growing income gap, PM Wong said 'it does help when you have a bigger pie'. Individual countries will have to try to uplift the poor, he added, noting that Singapore can share best practices as it has also tried hard to reduce income inequality. The real benefits of AI To a question on artificial intelligence (AI), PM Wong said Singapore 'should not rush headlong into AI' but harness it to benefit rather than replace workers. Frontier technology may be impressive, but the true benefits come with broad-based adoption, he said, He drew a parallel to the chemical industry. Germany was a pioneer at the start of the 20th century, but the US became the leader as it institutionalised chemical engineering in university: raising skills, embedding it within industrial processes and creating scale. Singapore must think hard about how to encourage broad-based adoption, he added. 'Most of us use AI the way we use Google – that's not exactly the best way to use AI or to harness the potential of AI.' More can be done, and the government aims to help businesses tap AI for transformation and productivity. Acknowledging concerns about jobs, he said history has shown that 'jobs will disappear, existing jobs will evolve, but new jobs will get created' with new waves of technology. Yet history may not guide the future, given how powerful AI is, he added. 'We also have to think equally hard about applying AI in a meaningful and deliberate manner that creates jobs for Singaporeans.' Navigating the changed world will be a theme of the upcoming National Day Rally in August, said PM Wong. This is not just about immediate uncertainty, but preparing for the longer-term. Some Singaporeans feel that 'the big moves have all been done because we went from third world to first', and that the country cannot advance much further, he noted. 'It's a misconception.' That journey was a dramatic one, and that magnitude of change cannot be achieved again – at least not without going back down, he said. Yet, there is still room for Singapore to progress, he concluded. 'We should not ever think that the era of bold moves is over, but we have to take the same mindset of our pioneers, think boldly and chart a new way forward for Singapore that will continue to secure Singapore's future (and) keep Singapore exceptional.'
