Singapore, 21 August 2006 --- For the third successive year, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) donated $200,000 to 20 charities and for the first time, the media group chose to support programmes serving the needs of the disabled.

The 20 selected programmes provide training, job matching, employment, day care, rehabilitation, counseling and other services to more than 5,000 disabled adults.

SPH Chairman Dr Tony Tan handed the $200,000 cheque to Ms Jennie Chua, Chairman of Community Chest, who received it on behalf of the 20 charities this afternoon at the SPH News Centre Auditorium.

The donation will benefit intellectually or physically disabled adults, such as Anton Fernando from Singapore Cheshire Home (SCH). Formerly an award-winning bartender, Anton met with an accident and suffered head injury which left him wheelchair-bound.

A member of the SCH Day Care Centre, Anton makes sure he maximises his time there by doing as many exercises as possible. SPH’s donation of $10,000 to the centre would contribute towards defraying its operating expenses and hence make its services affordable to people like Anton. This will in turn, help to alleviate the financial burden of their families.

“With the donation, we hope that the learning environment and the programmes for the disabled will continue to improve. This will help them gain self-confidence and independence. Through training workshops and job placement services, many of them can be gainfully employed and become productive members of our society,” said Dr Tan.

5 programmes that SPH supported this year provide job matching and employment services for the disabled workers. One of these programmes, Bizlink, is a job placement agency for the disabled that helps to emplace more than 250 people each year. Notably, some members of this non-profit organisation have been tasked to produce 6,000 souvenirs for delegates of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group annual meetings held next month.

Dr Tan also urged everyone to play their part in supporting efforts to integrate the disabled within the community.

“Our care and encouragement will help to motivate the disabled to go beyond the constraints of their disabilities. We should bear in mind that disability does not mean inability,” he said.

Beneficiaries from the 20 charities who attended the event this afternoon were treated to an entertaining magic show by local magician Jason Law and given attractive goodie bags containing towels, t-shirts, healthy snacks and beverages.

Said Ms Jennie Chua, Chairman of Community Chest, “The Community Chest is grateful to Singapore Press Holdings for its support for the disabled in Singapore. This important donation will go a long way to help people with disabilities enhance their job skills, obtain gainful employment and receive counseling support, thereby helping them to lead independent lives.”

The 20 charities are:

1. APSN Centre for Adults
2. Bizlink Centre Singapore Limited Employment Placement Division
3. Community Integration Support Programme for People with Visual Impairment
4. Community Rehabilitation & Support Services
5. Disabled People's Association
6. Disability Registry
7. Enhanced Sheltered Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs)
8. Metta Day Activity Centre for the Intellectually Disabled
9. MINDS Clementi Training and Development Centre
10. MINDS IDEA Employment Development Centre
11. MINDSVille@Napiri-Home
12. SADeaf Community Services
13. SAMH Oasis Day Centre
14. SCAS Day Activity Centre for Persons with Cerebral Palsy and Other Disabilities
15. SIA-MINDS Employment Development Centre
16. Skills Training and Sheltered Employment Programme for People with Visual Impairment
17. SPD-SOKA Day Activity Centre
18. SUN-DAC Centre for the disabled - Choa Chu Kang
19. The Singapore Cheshire Home Day Care Centre
20. Very Special Arts

15 K Byte

SPEECH BY DR TONY TAN KENG YAM, CHAIRMAN OF SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS FOUNDATION. please click here

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E

For more information, please contact:

Ms Lye Peixian
Corporate Communications Division
DID : (65) 6319 1225
Email : peixian@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Main board listed Singapore Press Holdings Limited is the leading media company in Singapore, in the print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. It publishes 14 newspapers in the four official languages, including Singapore's first free Chinese newspaper, My Paper, and over 80 magazine titles. Everyday, 2.7 million individuals, or 83 per cent of the people above 15 years old, read one of the SPH publications. Its Internet Business Unit manages the online editions of SPH's major newspapers, which enjoy over 100 million pageviews from 6 million unique visitors every month. More recent online additions are the classified website, ST701, and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Internet and via mobile messaging.

SPH also owns a 20% stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40% stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes free sheet Today. SPH has a 70% stake in UnionWorks, which operates two entertainment radio channels, Radio 100.3 in Chinese and Radio 91.3 in English. In addition, SPH holds an 80% stake in SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest LED network media company, and a 35% stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.