Jardine Matheson Group and its mental health charity, MINDSET, named ‘Organisation of Good’ (Large Enterprise Category) At The President's Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards 2021
Source: press release
• Jardines and MINDSET have been recognised for their commitment to Singapore’s mental health sector as the charity celebrates 10 years of positive community impact
• PVPA is the highest honour for community giving, conferred by NVPC and MCCY
The Jardine Matheson Group (“Jardines”, “怡和”) has been named the Organisation of Good in the Large Enterprise Category at the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards 2021 (“PVPA”) for its contributions to the mental health sector through its registered charity MINDSET Care Limited (“MINDSET”, “思健”). The pinnacle award and platform recognises individuals, organisations and leaders of good for achieving excellence in giving.
The PVPA represents the highest honour for giving to the community aligned with three broad pillars: People of Good, Organisations of Good and Leaders of Good. These are awarded by the President of the Republic of Singapore and organised by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (“NVPC”) with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (“MCCY”).
This year’s PVPA was awarded to five organisations, with Jardines being the only recipient in the Large Enterprise Category. Jardines was lauded for its contributions and corporate giving focused on mental health, going beyond advocacy and raising awareness, as well as devoting manpower and resources to support beneficiaries. Other winners include mental health non-profit Caregivers Alliance Limited and public institution Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Five individuals also received the People of Good and Leaders of Good Award.
Acknowledging the award, Ben Birks, Chairman of MINDSET shared,
“We are humbled to receive this prestigious award and recognition of our efforts in the mental health community of Singapore.”
“Mental health is an essential part of daily life and should be regarded as equally important as physical health. We are heartened to see the positive rise in society’s awareness around this topic since we established MINDSET in 2011.
Jardines and MINDSET believe that driving change needs to come from a holistic and committed response to mental health challenges, whether it is by extending support to persons-in-recovery or by working to change perceptions among the wider community.”
This year marks MINDSET’s ten years of leading the way as a corporate partner in Singapore’s mental health community. When MINDSET was first set up, the mental health community was underserved, and conversations around it were often avoided because of the associated social stigma. Today, the landscape, awareness and understanding of mental health have vastly improved. More resources have been made available for persons-in-recovery to reintegrate back into the community and there are impactful initiatives across sectors to promote mental wellness and neuro-diversity.
Jardines’ ongoing commitment to supporting Singapore’s mental health community
The Jardine Matheson Group is committed to making a meaningful contribution to the communities in which it operates. Jardines ensures that the Group’s social efforts are aligned to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being.
Since MINDSET’s inception, Jardines has channelled over S$8.2 million to mental health projects in Singapore. In 2016, MINDSET set up Singapore’s first integrated vocational rehabilitation centre for mental health persons-in-recovery in collaboration with the Singapore Association for Mental Health. Through a S$2 million pledge, the MINDSET Learning Hub (“MLH”) provided training and job placement opportunities for persons-in-recovery. To date, MLH has trained 408 mental health clients and provided 312 job placements across various companies.
Recognising the growing prevalence of mental health related issues arising from gaming and excessive technological device use, particularly among youths, MINDSET launched DigitalMINDSET in 2019 together with TOUCH Community Services. DigitalMINDSET is an intervention programme for youths with emotional regulatory issues resulting from excessive device usage. With S$1.6 million in funding, the programme has received close to 900 enquiries and, to date, helped close to 100 youths.
The private sector acknowledgement that Jardines and MINDSET are leading mental health partners took to a global stage in 2019. Jardines and MINDSET co-organised the International Together Against Stigma Conference held in Asia for the first time. Hosting over 500 delegates from 24 countries, the conference brought together stakeholders from around the world and provided the opportunity to discuss and share ideas on mental health and wellness. The invitation to co-host this important conference acknowledges the positive impact Jardines and MINDSET have effected in the mental health community in Singapore.
Working together with Jardine Matheson Group companies
Attesting to its vision, For Inclusivity, For Mental Health, MINDSET, Jardines, and the Group Companies aim to maintain its positive momentum and is dedicated to making a tangible difference in the community. The five key areas of focus include Awareness & Outreach, Back to the Workforce, Social Enterprise, Fundraising and Fund Allocation.
Employment is a key driver of the social reintegration of mental health persons-in-recovery. Since 2011, Jardines, MINDSET, and the Group companies have promoted inclusion in the workplace by providing suitable opportunities to these individuals. These include 11 job placements offered in Jardine Cycle & Carriage. Meanwhile, Dairy Farm Singapore has provided 188 placements to mental health persons-in-recovery, with 149 persons working various roles today.
Maintaining an income contributes to the mental well-being of persons-in-recovery as it provides a sense of stability. Through MINDSET, mental health clients have been given income providing opportunities and avenues through profit-generating business activities. Starbucks Coffee Singapore, for instance, has been supporting MINDSET’s social enterprise efforts and has generated revenue of over S$75,000 to date.
Raising awareness and building understanding of mental health is essential to break the social stigma and provide the necessary support to persons-in-recovery. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore has been contributing to this cause by providing sustainable wedding favours to couples tying the knot at their venue. Since 2018, close to 6,000 bottles of customised sustainable wedding favours have been sold, which have generated total revenue of over S$18,000 to date, all of which goes to mental health beneficiaries.
Community and corporate engagements, as well as partnerships for mental health programmes and projects, contribute to fundraising efforts by MINDSET. One such is event is The MINDSET Challenge & Carnival (“TMCC”), an annual fundraiser which has raised a total of over S$2.55 million for various mental health projects in Singapore since its first event in 2012. This would not have been possible without the support of Hongkong Land and Raffles Quay Asset Management, who are the venue sponsors for TMCC.