The AustCham Community Fund committee has identified the following areas as a guide for donation: Cultural, Educational, Arts/Literature, Charitable, Business.

If you are aware of any programs that would benefit from our support, and that align with the culture and aims of the AustCham Community Fund please contact Annette Tilbrook at info@austcham.org.sg. 

Current Programs

Educating communities about Australia’s indigenous art and culture
In 2011, AustCham partnered Australasian Arts Projects to present a public outreach and education program conducted by visiting Australian art writer, publisher and curator Susan McCulloch OAM. The series of public events were aimed at educating various Singaporean communities about indigenous art techniques and traditions, including lectures, panel ‘conversations’, art tours and demonstrations of ochre-painting techniques.

aidha
As part of its continued commitment to supporting community-based projects in Singapore the AustCham Community Fund is joining forces with aidha - a local not-for-profit organisation dedicated to 'enriching lives through financial education.'

Inspired by Unifem Singapore, aidha serves women migrant workers, primarily domestic workers.  It offers a range of confidence-building, money management and entrepreneurship training, along with the micro-credit services necessary for these women to launch small businesses when they return home.

As a Friend of aidha, AustCham is sponsoring a series of educational awards and an innovative savings club scheme.  AustCham is also sponsoring aidha's Financial Compass Investment Clubs.  These clubs each comprises 10 members and enables migrant workers to put into practice what is taught in the financial literacy courses. For more information visit www.aidha.org

Chris Rand Memorial Cancer Fund
As part of the Community Fund, the Chris Rand Memorial Cancer Fund was established in 2006, in memory of Chris Rand a long serving member of the AustCham committee who died of cancer. This fund donates to a cancer cause each year, focusing on research and helping those who cannot afford treatment.

The Signs Project
Celebrating “Clean up the World Weekend”, September 2008, the AustCham Community Fund is joining with the Australian High Commission to bring sculptor Trent Jansen, one of Australia’s hot, young emerging designers, to Singapore to participate in a series of workshops and presentations, including schools presentations highlighting sustainable design by recycling old road signs into useable furniture.

The Mandalay Projects - Burma
Like all of us in the Australian community in Singapore, Mr Ian Love was devastated by the death and destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma on 2 May 2008, causing catastrophic destruction.  For Mr Love and his wife Anna, news of the catastrophe hit even harder.  Five years ago, the couple banded together with several like-minded members of the international community to form The Mandalay Projects, which supports a senior citzen's home and a children's orphanage in Burma.

Using their network of friends and business contacts, The Mandalay Projects managed to raise S$27,000 within days of the Cyclone Nargis disaster.  This was topped up by a donation of S$5000 from AustCham, which was presented at our Business Connects event at Uluru restaurant and bar on Thursday 15 May.  These funds go directly to support the orphanage's efforts to rebuild and care for the injured children.

You can download an update on The Mandalay Projects here

If you would like to contribute to The Mandalay Projects, please contact e.coordinator@themandalayprojects.net or visit www.themandalayprojects.net. 

Prior Programs

Orphanage
Generally, funding for orphanages tends to focus on feeding, clothing and housing the children.  Therefore, the AustCham Community Fund’s focus was on providing the children with something that was fun and interesting but at the same time important for the children’s development - books.

Tsunami Relief
The AustCham Community Fund donated money to the Australian International School, Singapore’s (AISS) ‘Schools to Schools’ Partnership project’.  The project aims to support others who are disadvantaged and have little or no access to a quality education.

AISS partnered with a school in Sri Lanka in an area affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.  The BT/ Mankerni RCTM school, located 48 km north of Batticaloa city in Sri Lanka, saw much of its village and surrounding areas destroyed by the tsunami, except for a couple of sturdy buildings including the church and some of the school buildings.

The contribution by the AustCham Community Fund of approximately S$12,500 was used to replace books and equipment lost.

Bali Bombing Victims
AustCham organised a Business Luncheon with Rugby Legends Glen Ella and Mark Ella as well as Wallaby coach Eddie Jones on 26 November 2002.  AUD$10,401 was raised from the luncheon, and donated to the Australian Red Cross to assist victims and families devastated by the Bali bombings in October 2002.

The AustCham UNSW Golden Jubilee Scholarship
Between 2002 and 2005, AustCham funded the UNSW Golden Jubilee Scholarship to assist outstanding Diploma graduates from Singapore who found the transition to study in Australia difficult because of social and/or financial circumstances.  Recipients of the UNSW Golden Jubilee Scholarship were provided with course fees for their study as well as an allowance to assist with their living expenses.

AustCham is proud to have sponsored two outstanding students in their studies, Sindy Kueh (2002 to 2003) and Kou Shan Shan (2004 to 2005).  We are pleased that they have had the opportunity to further their studies, as without the scholarship, they would have had great difficulty in pursuing their dreams.