$100,000 raised by Shell Jurong Island for student services

On March 19, 2016, approximately 100 cyclists geared up early in the morning and pedalled in the name of charity at the SJI + LFS Charity Ride cycling event. A collaboration between Shell Jurong Island (SJI) and Lakeside Family Services (LFS), the charity ride was aimed at raising S$100,000 to fund student care services for children of low-income families or youth at-risk. 

The cycling contingent included Shell staff and business associates of Shell, as well as members from LFS, who pedalled from the Road Safety Community Park to Gardens by the Bay and back. Amongst the cyclists were host Stephen Fowler, General Manager, SJI and Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President, Shell Global Commercial. The event also saw Guest-of-Honour Mr. Ang Wei Neng, Member of Parliament, Jurong GRC, Ms. Goh Swee Chen, Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore, as well as Mr. Teo Tee Loon, Executive Director, LFS, officiated the flag-off ceremony of the charity ride. 

SJI’s partnership with LFS, which started in 2011, has the twin objectives of motivating children from disadvantaged backgrounds and empowering employees to contribute to the community in which Shell operates. LFS provides individuals and families in the Jurong community with financial assistance, family bonding and education, and also helps children and youths from underprivileged upbringings with educational and counseling services. This unique two-way partnership has enabled SJI to support the community through LFS initiatives, while LFS’ Family Life experts in turn run lunch-and-learn sessions at the site.

“Shell has been in Singapore for the last 125 years, and over this long period of time, we have made many relationships and established roots in the wider community in Singapore that we are very proud of,” Mr Fowler said. 

“Our longstanding collaboration with Lakeside Family Services is one such example of those good relationships. Since the start of our partnership in 2011, Shell Jurong Island has been consistently engaging our communities in Jurong – the residential community closest to our site – with outreach activities and providing support for the less privileged families, including today’s cycling event. We will continue to synergise with Lakeside Family Services to help build a brighter future for our children,” he added.

Mr. Teo then said, “Lakeside Family Services has been supporting disadvantaged communities in Jurong, having served more than 5,000 individuals and their families since 1993. These include youths at-risk, ex-offenders, problem gamblers, and children from low-income or displaced families.”

In regards to education, he also mentioned, “In the area of education, our purpose of raising funds through the charity ride is to develop student care programmes that will help youths advance their social mobility, which will result in better career prospects in the future. Though we receive government grants, a lot of our programmes do not receive funding or are partially funded. So thank you to Shell Jurong Island and the extended Shell family for your generosity, hard work, and support.”

In his opening address, Mr Ang said: “When we first unveiled Jurong Island, we faced cynicism towards how this small piece of land could become the prided petroleum hub of our city-state that it is today. Shell Singapore was one of the few early investors of Jurong Island. Its strong support has seen Jurong Island grow to become the cornerstone of Singapore’s energy and chemicals industry. Today, to celebrate Shell’s contribution to the industrial Jurong precinct, we’re cycling for a cause – to make a difference to the children and families that live in our neighbourhoods here.”

The event was organised as part of a year-long series of community projects that Shell staff have committed to, in a bid to achieve 125 volunteering hours as a celebration of Shell’s 125th anniversary in Singapore. The targeted amount of S$100,000 was successfully raised through participants’ registration fees, as well as donations from SJI and Shell’s business associates. Alongside the cycle fundraiser, SJI hosted children from LFS to experience the Road Safety Community Park, educating them on the importance of traffic safety. 

Apart from its longstanding partnership with LFS, Shell’s focus on supporting and powering community causes that promote social mobility has seen it work in tandem with various government, community and non-profit organisations, including NParks and NorthLight School. 

Lakeside Family Services

Ms Pearl Lee

Director, Community Partnerships

DID: 6265 6522 Ext 103

Email: pearl-lee@lakeside.org.sg

Shell

Ms Rachel Ho 

Senior Manager, Edelman Public Relations on behalf of Shell Singapore

DID: 6494 1560

Email: rachel.ho@edelman.com

About Lakeside Family Services

Lakeside Family Services (LFS) is approved by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, and is a full member of the National Council of Social Service. LFS provides quality services, focused on the needs of underprivileged individuals and families in the Jurong Community, regardless of race, language or religion, and works in harmony with her neighbours, the community and the government. Today, LFS runs three centres at Jurong East, Jurong West and Taman Jurong, as well as a Shelter for the Homeless, with a staff strength of 85.

About Shell Singapore in the Community

At Shell, we strive to meet current energy needs in responsible ways. This means operating safely, minimising our impact on the environment and sharing wider benefits with the local community. This is evident in Shell’s longstanding contribution to Singapore’s economic, social and community development in the areas of STEM education, innovation and biodiversity. For more details, please refer to the factsheet appended.