Lendlease Foundation awards S$80,000 to nine outstanding leaders of social change in Singapore and Malaysia
- 20 Mar 2022
Committed to creating A$250 million of social value by 2025, Lendlease is partnering with diverse community organisations and social enterprises to shape resilient communities and a sustainable future.
Following the launch of the Lendlease Foundation Community Grant Asia in October 2021, Lendlease has awarded grants worth S$80,000 to nine outstanding community leaders of social change in Singapore and Malaysia whose missions are aligned with the Foundation’s social impact areas. These award recipients were chosen from about 60 applicants that included local charities, community organisations and social enterprises.
Lendlease is awarding grants to three Singapore-based community organisations – Engineering Good, RiverLife and Soapcycling. In Malaysia, six organisations will receive the grant, namely Engineers Without Borders, National Cancer Society Malaysia, The Banana Club, IDEAS, Yellow House and Reef Check Malaysia. These community organisations support a wide range of causes aligned with Lendlease’s Sustainability Framework such as community inclusion, mental health, upskilling and training, and climate action. They also showcase a genuine community connection and commitment to address social and environmental issues where Lendlease operates.
Lendlease Foundation aspires to create a future where people and communities thrive while delivering impact across areas that align with Lendlease’s Sustainability Framework. Staying true to its focus on value creation and creating positive social change, Lendlease announced an ambitious social value target of creating A$250 million of social value by 2025 through its shared value partnerships, beyond any project or asset obligation.
Michael Long, Head of Sustainability, Asia, Lendlease said, “Listening to and empowering our local community groups who understand the social and environmental challenges in their neighborhoods is where making a positive impact really starts. We do believe that small grassroots initiatives like these can grow into larger shared value partnerships that provide more sustained benefits to the wider community over the longer term.
As part of these grants, we are also excited to explore how our employees can contribute their time and skills by volunteering with our partners on future projects. This is just the beginning for us as we continue to support our community partners and share our learning journey with others.”
Jeremy Chia, Director, Soap Cycling Singapore said, “We're very grateful for Lendlease's support of Soap Cycling Singapore. The grant will go a long way in supporting our efforts to reduce wastage, improve sanitation and hygiene, and raise awareness of these issues, especially during these challenging times. We’re looking forward to doing more together."
Julian Hyde, General Manager, Reef Check Malaysia said, “The grant will enable us to improve the recycling facility on Mantanani Island and ensure it can continue to operate safely. More importantly, we will be able to operate more consistently and process a larger volume of plastic waste. In turn, we can produce a larger volume of items for sale and increase our contributions to the incomes of local islanders.”
Information on the grant recipients is in the attached Appendix.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Lendlease
Esther Ee
esther.ee@lendlease.com
Omnicom Public Relations Group
SNG.LENDLEASE@omnicomprgroup.com
About Lendlease
Lendlease is an international real estate group with core expertise in shaping cities and creating strong and connected communities.
Our purpose is Together we create value through places where communities thrive.
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas, with approximately 8,000 employees internationally.
Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Development, Investments and Construction. We are known as 联实 in Chinese. For more information, please visit: www.lendlease.com
APPENDIX
About grant winners from Singapore
Engineering Good is a non-profit that empowers inclusivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, such as persons with disabilities and low-income families, through sustainable engineering and technology solutions. It bridges the digital divide in communities by providing devices and know-how to those who do not have the means to be digitally connected to the world and proliferates low-cost assistive technology solutions by using readily available materials or “hacking” things into assistive devices. Engineering Good also salvages parts from unfixable laptops and upcycles them for other purposes.
RiverLife Community Services (RCS) was set up in 28 June 2007 to bless and reach out to the community around RiverLife Church. RCS is a non-profit organisation located in the northeastern part of Singapore. It provides community services such as clinical support and financial assistance for families in need, social support for the elderly, as well as academic coaching and character development programmes for children.
Soap Cycling Singapore started in 2017, launched by students from the National University of Singapore, with support from Soap Cycling Hong Kong. It is a non-profit organisation, and a member of raISE Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise. Soap Cycling works with students, hotels, corporates, volunteers and WASH charities across Asia to recycle soap in a movement to reduce preventable hygiene-related diseases and suffering by distributing this life-saving resource to where it is needed the most. Its mission is to reduce hospitality wastage, improve sanitation and hygiene of vulnerable communities, both locally and regionally, as well as provide students with empowerment opportunities in local communities.
About grant winners from Malaysia
Engineers Without Borders Malaysia (EWBM) is a non-profit organisation that aims to harness the expertise of engineering students and professionals in Malaysia for engineering projects that benefit local, underprivileged communities with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and community empowerment. It is affiliated with Engineers Without Borders – International, a globally recognised international federation of national Engineers Without Borders/Ingenieurs Sans Frontier (EWB-ISF) Members Associations. Its vision is for all Malaysians to have access to the six basic human needs: water, food, shelter, power, education and healthcare.
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Persatuan Kanser Kebangsaan Malaysia) (NCSM) is the first not-for-profit cancer organisation in Malaysia that provides education, care and support services for people affected by cancer and the general public. Its mission is to ensure that no Malaysian fears cancer by creating an understanding of cancer that leads to prevention and early detection, and by providing the best possible care and support for those affected by cancer.
The Banana Club of PPR Raya Permai was founded by a group of volunteers in 2020 to improve literacy and numeracy skills among children from B40 communities. Its volunteers tutor children who fall through the education gaps in PPR Raya Permai, Sungai Besi. The Banana Club also supplies bananas to children who come to class without breakfast, so that they can focus on learning with a healthy tummy.
The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) is a non-profit research institute dedicated to promoting solutions to public policy challenges. Its work is independent of vested interests and partisan influences. Its work also focuses on three overarching missions: advancing a competitive economy, ensuring trust in institutions and promoting an inclusive Malaysia. IDEAS acts as an intellectual centre creating space for cross partisan principles-centric and results-oriented dialogue.
Yellow House, a local grassroots NGO, has been working with marginalised, vulnerable communities since 2011. It thoroughly assesses the needs of these communities to match them with existing opportunities for maximum impact. Over the years, Yellow House has touched the lives of thousands of beneficiaries and in the process have developed a deep understanding of the needs of these communities who often rely on daily or weekly wages to make ends meet.
Reef Check Malaysia is part of the world-wide Reef Check network. Registered in 2007 as an NGO, its early work was focused on coral reef monitoring and island based educational programs. Today it monitors over 200 coral reefs annually around the country and is actively involved in reef management and conservation efforts.
Lendlease is awarding grants to three Singapore-based community organisations – Engineering Good, RiverLife and Soapcycling. In Malaysia, six organisations will receive the grant, namely Engineers Without Borders, National Cancer Society Malaysia, The Banana Club, IDEAS, Yellow House and Reef Check Malaysia. These community organisations support a wide range of causes aligned with Lendlease’s Sustainability Framework such as community inclusion, mental health, upskilling and training, and climate action. They also showcase a genuine community connection and commitment to address social and environmental issues where Lendlease operates.
Lendlease Foundation aspires to create a future where people and communities thrive while delivering impact across areas that align with Lendlease’s Sustainability Framework. Staying true to its focus on value creation and creating positive social change, Lendlease announced an ambitious social value target of creating A$250 million of social value by 2025 through its shared value partnerships, beyond any project or asset obligation.
Michael Long, Head of Sustainability, Asia, Lendlease said, “Listening to and empowering our local community groups who understand the social and environmental challenges in their neighborhoods is where making a positive impact really starts. We do believe that small grassroots initiatives like these can grow into larger shared value partnerships that provide more sustained benefits to the wider community over the longer term.
As part of these grants, we are also excited to explore how our employees can contribute their time and skills by volunteering with our partners on future projects. This is just the beginning for us as we continue to support our community partners and share our learning journey with others.”
Jeremy Chia, Director, Soap Cycling Singapore said, “We're very grateful for Lendlease's support of Soap Cycling Singapore. The grant will go a long way in supporting our efforts to reduce wastage, improve sanitation and hygiene, and raise awareness of these issues, especially during these challenging times. We’re looking forward to doing more together."
Julian Hyde, General Manager, Reef Check Malaysia said, “The grant will enable us to improve the recycling facility on Mantanani Island and ensure it can continue to operate safely. More importantly, we will be able to operate more consistently and process a larger volume of plastic waste. In turn, we can produce a larger volume of items for sale and increase our contributions to the incomes of local islanders.”
Information on the grant recipients is in the attached Appendix.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Lendlease
Esther Ee
esther.ee@lendlease.com
Omnicom Public Relations Group
SNG.LENDLEASE@omnicomprgroup.com
About Lendlease
Lendlease is an international real estate group with core expertise in shaping cities and creating strong and connected communities.
Our purpose is Together we create value through places where communities thrive.
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas, with approximately 8,000 employees internationally.
Our core capabilities are reflected in our operating segments of Development, Investments and Construction. We are known as 联实 in Chinese. For more information, please visit: www.lendlease.com
APPENDIX
About grant winners from Singapore
Engineering Good is a non-profit that empowers inclusivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, such as persons with disabilities and low-income families, through sustainable engineering and technology solutions. It bridges the digital divide in communities by providing devices and know-how to those who do not have the means to be digitally connected to the world and proliferates low-cost assistive technology solutions by using readily available materials or “hacking” things into assistive devices. Engineering Good also salvages parts from unfixable laptops and upcycles them for other purposes.
RiverLife Community Services (RCS) was set up in 28 June 2007 to bless and reach out to the community around RiverLife Church. RCS is a non-profit organisation located in the northeastern part of Singapore. It provides community services such as clinical support and financial assistance for families in need, social support for the elderly, as well as academic coaching and character development programmes for children.
Soap Cycling Singapore started in 2017, launched by students from the National University of Singapore, with support from Soap Cycling Hong Kong. It is a non-profit organisation, and a member of raISE Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise. Soap Cycling works with students, hotels, corporates, volunteers and WASH charities across Asia to recycle soap in a movement to reduce preventable hygiene-related diseases and suffering by distributing this life-saving resource to where it is needed the most. Its mission is to reduce hospitality wastage, improve sanitation and hygiene of vulnerable communities, both locally and regionally, as well as provide students with empowerment opportunities in local communities.
About grant winners from Malaysia
Engineers Without Borders Malaysia (EWBM) is a non-profit organisation that aims to harness the expertise of engineering students and professionals in Malaysia for engineering projects that benefit local, underprivileged communities with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and community empowerment. It is affiliated with Engineers Without Borders – International, a globally recognised international federation of national Engineers Without Borders/Ingenieurs Sans Frontier (EWB-ISF) Members Associations. Its vision is for all Malaysians to have access to the six basic human needs: water, food, shelter, power, education and healthcare.
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Persatuan Kanser Kebangsaan Malaysia) (NCSM) is the first not-for-profit cancer organisation in Malaysia that provides education, care and support services for people affected by cancer and the general public. Its mission is to ensure that no Malaysian fears cancer by creating an understanding of cancer that leads to prevention and early detection, and by providing the best possible care and support for those affected by cancer.
The Banana Club of PPR Raya Permai was founded by a group of volunteers in 2020 to improve literacy and numeracy skills among children from B40 communities. Its volunteers tutor children who fall through the education gaps in PPR Raya Permai, Sungai Besi. The Banana Club also supplies bananas to children who come to class without breakfast, so that they can focus on learning with a healthy tummy.
The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) is a non-profit research institute dedicated to promoting solutions to public policy challenges. Its work is independent of vested interests and partisan influences. Its work also focuses on three overarching missions: advancing a competitive economy, ensuring trust in institutions and promoting an inclusive Malaysia. IDEAS acts as an intellectual centre creating space for cross partisan principles-centric and results-oriented dialogue.
Yellow House, a local grassroots NGO, has been working with marginalised, vulnerable communities since 2011. It thoroughly assesses the needs of these communities to match them with existing opportunities for maximum impact. Over the years, Yellow House has touched the lives of thousands of beneficiaries and in the process have developed a deep understanding of the needs of these communities who often rely on daily or weekly wages to make ends meet.
Reef Check Malaysia is part of the world-wide Reef Check network. Registered in 2007 as an NGO, its early work was focused on coral reef monitoring and island based educational programs. Today it monitors over 200 coral reefs annually around the country and is actively involved in reef management and conservation efforts.