SINGAPORE, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 – Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada Singapore Branch (“Sun Life Singapore”) has signed an inaugural Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Community Chest, the philanthropy and engagement arm of National Council of Social Service (“NCSS”) to support charities and philanthropic giving in the Singapore community. The MOU marks the first step in the company’s newly unveiled Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) strategy, which includes a donation of S$500,000 over the next five years to support various local non-profit and social causes.
Under the MOU, Sun Life Singapore will raise awareness of philanthropic giving among its client base and broader community of High-Net-Worth (“HNW”) and Ultra-High-Net-Worth (“UNHW”) individuals in Singapore. As a trusted partner serving the wealth planning and protection needs of the HNW and UHNW community through insurance solutions, Sun Life Singapore aims to spread the message of philanthropic giving as part of legacy building, through content driven conversations that will build a knowledge base for its clients and partners. Under this collaboration, clients and business partners of Sun Life Singapore have the valuable opportunity to be guided by a Community Chest Relationship Manager through a structured process to start, manage and track their philanthropy journey. Sun Life Singapore is honoured to be the first insurance organization in Singapore to partner with Community Chest to spread the importance of philanthropic giving in the HNW and UHNW community.
Michael Wei, Chief Partnership and Marketing Officer, Sun Life Singapore, said: “Through our first partnership with Community Chest, we are thankful for the opportunity to be able to give back to the Singapore community in a bigger way. Our core purpose at Sun Life Singapore has always been to foster healthier lives, through charitable giving and philanthropic initiatives that aim to support and educate our beneficiaries. This five-year pledge, which focuses on the key areas of Diabetes awareness and mental wellness, signifies our steadfast commitment to building a harmonious, sustainable and healthy society.
Through this tri-sector partnership between private, public and civil society, we especially hope to elevate the awareness of philanthropic giving in the HNW and UHNW community we serve in Singapore, so as to generate more support for the families and individuals in need.”
Rae Lee, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Engagement, Community Chest, said: “We are delighted to be the one-stop philanthropic partner of Sun Life Singapore to support the HNW community in building their giving legacies while empowering communities in need. We hope more organisations will be inspired to collaborate with us to build sustained impact within our community and contribute to building a more caring and inclusive society.”
As part of Sun Life’s ongoing global commitment in fostering healthier lives and helping its clients and the community achieve lifetime financial security, Sun Life Singapore is also partnering NCSS members, namely the Singapore Association for Mental Health (“SAMH”) and TOUCH Community Services (“TOUCH”), to promote mental wellness, as well as build advocacy for Diabetes prevention among vulnerable individuals.
Supporting Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) in enhancing community wellness
The pandemic has brought to the forefront the importance of mental wellness across all areas of work, life and play. In recognizing the growing significance of positive mental and emotional well-being, Sun Life Singapore is the first insurance organization in Singapore to focus on mental health advocacy in its philanthropic efforts.
Sun Life Singapore will contribute towards SAMH first integrated wellness centre, a one-stop wellness space for recovery and growth that is targeted for launch in early 2023.
Ngo Lee Yian, Executive Director, Singapore Association for Mental Health,said “We are grateful for Sun Life Singapore’s donation in enabling SAMH to increase mental health access in the community where people can improve their resilience through creative approaches, using the arts, sports, and the outdoors. Sun Life Singapore’s contribution empowers us to keep doing all we can to create more safe spaces and we look forward to their continued support to enhance ‘Mental Wellness for All’.”
Continued partnership with TOUCH Community Services
Since 2012, Sun Life Group has been advocating for Diabetes awareness and prevention, and had committed C$42.7 million across all the global markets it serves in. Sun Life Singapore has an ongoing collaboration with TOUCH to drive Diabetes awareness, as part of its commitment to building sustainable, healthier communities for life. As a continuation of its Diabetes awareness campaign that started last year, Sun Life Singapore will support TOUCH’s healthy living programmes for vulnerable individuals and families. Ongoing initiatives such as cooking demos, exercise sessions, art therapy and diabetes mobile clinics will educate beneficiaries about diabetes prevention and care and help them better manage the disease.
Anita Low-Lim, Chief Transformation Officer, TOUCH Community Services, said: “Sun Life Singapore has been a valued partner of TOUCH since 2021, and has organised educational workshops on healthy eating for our children and a family day carnival to promote family bonding. We are excited to continue on this journey together to build a community of care and enhance the well-being of our beneficiaries.”
