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  Straits Times 29 Aug 07
HSBC launches scheme to link SMEs with charities
By Josephine Tay

Today Online 29 Aug 07
Of mangroves and responsibility

Visiting a nature enclave isn't just fun. It is also corporate social responsibility (CSR), as some businesspeople will discover on Sept 28 when they take part in HSBC's latest community involvement project on Pulau Semakau.

The nearby island, a landfill for Singapore's waste disposal, is thriving with mangroves and marine life.

On that day, volunteers will lead participants on a tour and clean-up project. This is part of the bank's CSR programme, a concept of integrating social values with business practices.

To show that CSR is not for big companies alone, HSBC launched a toolkit yesterday on how small and medium enterprises (SME) can adopt such initiatives. "We hope to bridge the gap between SMEs' limited resources and their CSR aspirations," said Ms Tan Siew Meng, head of commercial banking at HSBC Singapore.

You can call 6827 6825 for a copy of HSBC's 22-page guidebook. Soft copies will be available from Sept 1 at HSBC Singapore's website and www.csrsingapore.org.

Companies can consult the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre for help on organising employee volunteer activities.

Straits Times 29 Aug 07
HSBC launches scheme to link SMEs with charities
By Josephine Tay

HSBC is stepping up its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by launching a programme linking small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with charity groups.

The bank is working with the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre to give SMEs a chance to work with volunteer organisations on environmental and community involvement activities.

Four charity organisations have joined the programme - Christalite Methodist Home, Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home, Singapore Leprosy Relief Association and the Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick.

HSBC expects 150 participants from 15 to 20 firms to participate in the initiative, which are in support of the President's Challenge.

The bank and a CSR body, Singapore Compact, have also launched Singapore's first guidebook on CSR titled Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility - An Easy Toolkit For Better Business.

HSBC's head of commercial banking, Ms Tan Siew Meng, said at the HSBC Living Business Seminar for SMEs yesterday: 'CSR has become a key component of good business practice. Companies must...demonstrate their strong commitment to long-term sustainability by integrating social and environmental practices with their business operations.'

Mr Victor Li, business development director of waste-recycler Dunwell Enviro-Tech (Holdings), said: 'It used to be the case that only big firms could afford the luxury of CSR involvement. With seminars like these and the guidebook, SMEs can kick-start their CSR activities. This is increasingly important in an environment where disregarding the planet and its people can cost the firm.'

HSBC, the only bank here with a CSR scheme for SMEs, is also rallying corporate partners for a clean-up project in Pulau Semakau, Singapore's only landfill but one that boasts a diverse range of flora and fauna.
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