Singapore, October 19, 2007
- Leading media organisation Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) and its
Paragon Shopping Centre are proud to be sponsors of an environment
protection project that will promote the use of attractively-designed
dustbins placed along a stretch of Orchard Road and allow the public to
vote for their favourite bin from December.
Organised
by an informal group of youth leaders, who include polytechnic and
university students and national servicemen, the project called
Creative Home involves a painted dustbin design competition open to all
artists and art students below the age of 25 years old. Apart from the
graffiti designs of the artists, the dustbins will carry messages
urging the public to help protect the environment and keep Orchard Road
clean.
Eighty-eight dustbins, provided by the
National Environment Agency, will be painted and placed from near the
junction of Orchard Road and Scotts Road to Le Meridien Hotel for at
least three months, starting from early December 2007.
This
will allow the public to admire the artwork on the dustbins and vote
for their favourite dustbin on The Straits Times’ social networking
website at www.stomp.com.sg from December till January 2008.
The
project leader is Mr Faris Abdulkadir Basharahil, 19, an avid youth
volunteer and Temasek Polytechnic hospitality and tourism student. The
other members of his team include an NUS medical student, a student
doing MBA on art history, a youth leader of @scape youth centre, an NTU
mass communications student and a family service centre volunteer.
These
youth volunteers are among those who are responding to the Government’s
call to youths to step forward to make a difference to the lives of
others. While working together in other youth projects, they have
decided to come together to organise the Creative Home project.
Ms
Ginney Lim, Executive Vice President of Legal & Corporate
Communications at SPH, said: "The Creative Home project involves art,
education, conservation and youth development, areas that SPH has been
supporting as part of our corporate social responsibility. We hope this
project can help encourage everyone to participate in environment
protection, and instill in people a sense of responsibility and
ownership towards the upkeep of not just Orchard Road but also the
general environment."
Project leader Faris
Abdulkadir Basharahil, a volunteer at Halogen Foundation, said the
Creative Home project would take a holistic approach when educating
youths and those taking part in the dustbin design competition. His
team will organise workshops on character development, on how youths
can contribute positively in mainstream participation in social and
environment matters and the use of a softer approach towards solving
environmental problems.
Said Mr Faris: "We hope to
soften the image of a ’fine city’ by encouraging the public to use
dustbins happily when they see the attractive artwork on them. We are
aware that littering is not just simply a careless act - it is a
serious problem that can lead to pollution and fatality, as in the case
of killer litter.But we believe a soft and cheerful approach in
encouraging people to keep Singapore clean and to cultivate a sense of
ownership and care towards the city would go down better with the
public. It may be easy to paint a dustbin but to turn it into a work of
art and a vehicle to promote social change would be something
challenging and refreshing."
"We also hope that the
graffiti dustbins will add to the remaking of Orchard Road as a lively
and fun leisure and shopping destination for Singaporeans and
visitors," added Mr Faris.
Supporting the idea, Mrs
Linda Kwan, General Manager of Paragon, said: "The appeal of our mall
is all about good design, as in our products, mostly high-end and
luxury fashion items. As we interact with the public who come to our
mall to shop, we would also like to support activities that promote a
clean and civil image at our doorstep. Just as we do our best to
maintain our mall and keep it spick and span, we would also like to
play our part in supporting the upkeep of public spaces in the heart of
Orchard Road."
Calling for entries
The
Creative Home organisers are now inviting artists and art students
under the age of 25 years who care for the environment to take part in
the contest. They can register at www.creativehome.youth.sg and at The Straits Times’ Stomp site - www.stomp.com.sg. They can also call Mr Faris at 9459 4004. The last day for registration is October 30, 2007.
There
will be cash prizes for the winners.The first prize is $3,000, the
second prize $1,500 and third prize $1,000. There will be seven
consolation prizes of $100 each. Among the judges are well-known ’Mr
Charity’ Gerard Ee, chairman of the Council for the Third Age; Mr Erzan
Adam, a well-known art teacher and an award-winning artist; and Mr
Sulhan Rawi, Art Editor of Berita Harian, a Malay-language daily of SPH.
The
results of the competition will be announced in February 2007 in order
to give the public enough time to take a good look at all the 88
dustbins in Orchard Road and vote for their favourite.
Adopt a dustbin at $500 each
Individuals and organisations can adopt a painted dustbin at $500 each.
Their name and/or logo will be placed on the dustbin. Alternatively,
they may adopt on behalf of a VWO. Those interested in adopting a
dustbin or sponsoring/supporting the project in other ways can also
call Mr Faris at 9459 4004.
SPH
UnionWorks’ Radio 91.3FM is the supporting radio station for this
project, which is receiving aid from The Young Changemakers programme
funded by the Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports. The
project partners are Halogen Foundation; The Government’s National
Environment Agency; *scape youth centre at Somerset Road and Home Club,
an entertainment club.
For more information on Creative Home and pictures of painted dustbins, please contact:
Mr Faris Abdulkadir Basharahil
Organising Director, Creative Home
HP: 9459 4004
Email: zeanbas@yahoo.com
For more information on SPH’s sponsorship, please contact:
Ms Chen Jingwen
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
HP: 9743 5503
Email: chenj@sph.com.sg
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading
media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through
print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes
14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.7 million individuals or
83 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news
publications. SPH also publishes over 90 magazine titles in Singapore
and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to
information technology.
Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 110
million pageviews with 7 million unique visitors every month. Apart
from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH’s online and new media initiatives include
a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode;
recruitment and job search service, ST701; and STOMP (Straits Times
Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts
with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.
Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which
operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent
stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper,
Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH
UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3
in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 in English.
Outdoor Advertising
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its
wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore´s
largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a
35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor
advertising company in China.
Properties
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in
the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping belt. SPH’s
wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing
a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson
Road.