HERITAGECARES TO OFFER S$750,000 WORTH OF HERITAGE PROGRAMMES FOR COMMUNITY CHEST BENEFICIARIES

Singapore, 13 March 2016 – HeritageCares, the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) newest initiative in cultural philanthropy, reaches out to the less privileged through a range of heritage programmes at our national museums, heritage institutions and heritage sites. It also offers a chance for Singaporeans to give back to the community as heritage volunteers.

2              HeritageCares was driven by Patek Philippe’s dedication to the support of charitable causes, and the promotion of the arts and culture in Singapore. This culminated in the auction of three unique dome table clocks created by Patek Philippe in commemoration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. One of the clocks inspired by the Esplanade in Singapore raised a donation of S$750,000 from Cortina Watch Pte Ltd. The donation will go towards supporting the first wave of HeritageCares programmes over three years, which aims to reach out to about 12,000 Community Chest beneficiaries. Part of the donation will be eligible for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s Cultural Matching Fund.

3              Programmes offered by HeritageCares include guided trails of historical sites, hands-on workshops, and interactive programmes at the museums, and are specially tailored to the needs of low-income families, adults and children with disabilities and/or special needs, youths at risk and senior citizens. These programmes encourage family bonding, enhance social skills, provide quality educational experiences, and promote active ageing through our shared heritage.

4              The initiative was launched earlier today by Guest-of-Honour Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, who flagged off some 80 Community Chest participants and corporate volunteers from Patek Philippe as they embarked on a section of the Jubilee Walk[ii], to sites such as the Spice Garden at Fort Canning Park, and the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Participants on the walk also used the Family Time Activity Sheet, which NHB co-developed with the Ministry of Education.

5              Said Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth: “HeritageCares brings together two very important purposes. First of all, it allows us to bring people of different segments of society, particularly those who are needy, to enjoy the heritage we have. It’s important that our heritage is presented to all, and we would like it to be as inclusive as possible. HeritageCares also allows volunteers to contribute to the community. Many of them are very passionate about our heritage, and they would also like to do something for the society, to care for someone else.”

6              HeritageCares also provides meaningful heritage volunteering opportunities for individuals and organisations. Patek Philippe is a great example of corporations going the extra mile in giving to heritage, with its staff volunteering their time as guides for the programmes on top of its financial support. The training of volunteers will be provided by NHB to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skillsets needed to facilitate the programmes.

7              Ms Deepa Chatrath, General Manager of Patek Philippe in Southeast Asia, said: “Patek Philippe’s initial contribution of the dome table clocks specially designed for Singapore’s Jubilee celebration received great support and raised donations for HeritageCares, the national museums, and arts and culture programmes. We are glad that with HeritageCares, we are able to do more as an organisation for both the community and Singapore’s heritage, and grow our gift to include guided tours by our staff volunteers. Just as how our masterpieces embody the passing on of family values, we believe heritage should be preserved and shared with future generations.”

8              Mr Anthony Lim, CEO of Cortina Watch Pte Ltd, said: “Cortina Watch has always supported charitable causes for the less fortunate. HeritageCares is a meaningful opportunity for us to do so as the participants do not just benefit from the programmes, but also get to enjoy and appreciate Singapore’s heritage at the same time.”

9          In addition, NHB is also leveraging on HeritageCares to attract more youth volunteers. For instance, it is collaborating with Youth Corps Singapore, a champion for youth volunteerism under the National Youth Council, to infuse youth volunteerism with heritage. As thefirst organisation to adopt the Jubilee Walk under NHB’s heritage trail adoption scheme, Youth Corps Singapore volunteers will be trained as trail guides to reach out to the underprivileged.

10           Other than Youth Corps Singapore, NHB is also reaching out to more youths through other tertiary partners such as Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). One such example is NHB’s collaboration with NAFA, where students conceptualise and customise a guided tour of Jubilee Walk sites for the underprivileged as part of their graduation project. The students will be invited to carry out their programmes for relevant Community Chest beneficiaries.

11           For more information on volunteer opportunities with HeritageCares, members of the public can visit: www.nhb.gov.sg/about-us/join-us/heritagecares