Manulife Singapore becomes the first corporation to sponsor a national water safety programme, as it commits some S$1 million to SwimSafer – an ongoing initiative which imparts children with water safety knowledge and water survival skills. SwimSafer is one of the many activities that come under the umbrella of ActiveSG, a key element of the Vision 2030 sports master plan.
Manulife Singapore will be working closely with ActiveSG to promote the importance of water safety in the community and in schools over the next three years. On top of its sponsorship of S$900,000, the financial institution will provide additional funding for outreach programmes. Mr Naveed Irshad, President & Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Singapore said, “Manulife has always been a big supporter of sports, both locally and internationally. As a strong, trustworthy and reliable financial services company; Manulife is here to help Singaporeans fulfill their dreams, be it a child who is learning how to swim or our clients, by giving them the financial security and peace of mind to do what they most want to do. We believe that this collaboration will create inroads to the sports industry, and by supporting a programme that is meaningful and aligned with our values.”
Additional resources will be pumped in to engage students on water safety in a more fun manner. This includes producing special skits and souvenirs, to complement at least 40 outreach programmes conducted by ActiveSG in its sports centres and to schools each year. Over 170 primary schools that participate in SwimSafer annually will stand to benefit from this effort.
Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer, Sport Singapore said, “We are excited to have Manulife on board in sharing our vision and journey towards a safer sporting environment for all. Manulife’s involvement in this national water safety programme is a testament of the company’s commitment to the people of Singapore and to partnering us to enable all to Live Better Through Sport.”