M1 and the community

We continued to invest strongly in the community in 2010 under our Corporate Social Responsibility programme with a mix of ongoing and new projects. The programme maintained its traditional focus on the arts, sports and children’s causes in Singapore which have been keenly associated with M1 since our early days.

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival continued to enliven the arts scene with its sixth edition at the beginning of the year. The Festival reached out to students and young working adults with the aim of promoting appreciation and enjoyment of the arts in its many variable forms.

M1 was again conferred the Distinguished Patron of the Arts award in 2010 for the ninth consecutive year, in recognition of our long sustaining arts sponsorship programmes.

2011 will see M1 entering into a new partnership with the National Arts Council to support and nurture local dance and dance talents under its Arts Adoption Scheme. The partnership will be for an initial period of three years.

In sports, our ongoing support to the Singapore Netball Association in promoting the game to the schools and clubs was brought to another level when we signed on as the exclusive telco sponsor of the 2011 World Netball Championships. Teams from 16 countries will be competing in the event to be held in Singapore, which is the only Asian host in the Championship’s history.

The plight of needy children in the community was not forgotten as we engaged our employees and business partners in two successful fundraising events for the benefit of our adopted children’s charities. The staff charity carnival held for the first time at Downtown East and the M1 Charity Golf at Sentosa Golf Club raised much needed funds for charities such as the Children’s Cancer Foundation and the Singapore Children’s Society.

This was complemented by other initiatives involving M1 customers and employees. The M1-LASALLE T-shirt design contest enabled customers to purchase t-shirts designed by LASALLE College of the Arts students, and proceeds from the sale were donated to Beyond Social Services. Various social activities organised throughout the year by dedicated staff volunteers from the SunCare Club, brought much endeared cheers to the children from our adopted charities.

Singaporeans of all ages were entertained in the closing days of the year by Walking with Dinosaurs; a theatrical production adapted from an award-winning BBC television series. M1 was the title sponsor of this educational and entertaining spectacular which was presented in Singapore as part of an Asian tour.