Singapore, 11 November 2022 – 2,000 students from 18 special education schools (SPED) were treated to a day of fun at Singapore’s largest event dedicated to children with special needs – the annual Singtel Carnival. This is the largest turnout for the Singtel Carnival since it was first introduced in 2013. The much-anticipated event, now in its 8th year, was held at Singapore Expo, marking the Singtel Carnival’s return following the easing of COVID-19 safe management measures. To safeguard students’ safety, Singtel held localised mini-carnivals at individual schools in 2021.
More than 1600 employees from Singtel and Singapore Business Network on Disability (SBNoD) companies[1], a community of Singapore businesses that share the vision of advancing inclusion for the disabled, volunteered at the pirate-themed mega event. The volunteers set up about 50 food and game stalls, as well as creating many exciting activities such as carousel rides and typical carnival games, and dance performances for the students.
"We are committed to making an enduring positive impact in our community, in line with our Group Purpose to Empower Every Generation. Many of our beneficiaries have told us how much they look forward to the Singtel Carnival every year, and we too were disappointed the pandemic prevented us from bringing the full Singtel Carnival to them. "
Aileen Tan,
Chairman of Singtel Touching Lives Fund (STLF)
Group Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Singtel
Ms Aileen Tan, Chairman of Singtel Touching Lives Fund (STLF) and Group Chief People and Sustainability Officer of Singtel said, “We are committed to making an enduring positive impact in our community, in line with our Group Purpose to Empower Every Generation. Many of our beneficiaries have told us how much they look forward to the Singtel Carnival every year, and we too were disappointed the pandemic prevented us from bringing the full Singtel Carnival to them. This year, with the easing of the restrictions, we went all out to create an awesome day of interaction and fun in a safe and nurturing environment for the students and their family members, and I am glad to hear that our beneficiaries really enjoyed the event.”
Ms Angela Lee, Principal of ASPN Chaoyang School said, “The annual Singtel Carnival is a purposeful and meaningful event that our students keenly look forward to every year. It is that one day a year when they can put everything aside and simply enjoy themselves while making friends with students from other SPED schools. Fun aside, it allows our students to develop their social skills and gain self-confidence, while interacting with the caring Singtel volunteers who accompany them during the Carnival. Thank you, Singtel, for this opportunity!”
Sponsored and organised by Singtel since 2013, the Singtel Carnival is a flagship initiative of its corporate philanthropy programme, the Singtel Touching Lives Fund (STLF). The STLF works with charities that offer critical and specialised education, as well as supports programmes for children and youth with special needs. Its six beneficiaries are APSN Chaoyang School, APSN Delta Senior School, APSN Tanglin School, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, Eden School, and MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School. To date, the STLF has raised more than $50 million.
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[1] Singtel is one of the founding members of the Singapore Business Network on Disability and is currently the co-chair. Fellow members in the SBNoD which volunteered at the Singtel Carnival include Allen and Gledhill, AIG, Barclays, Bank of America, Michael Page, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Tictag
