At Ascott Reit, corporate social responsibility and sustainability are integral to our business. We
believe that these entail balancing financial priorities with doing what is right for our stakeholders,
which include our communities, the environment and our people.
Caring for Our Communities
Ascott Reit champions various social causes aimed at providing a brighter future for underprivileged
children in the communities where we operate in. In particular, we focus on the areas of healthcare,
education and shelter.
Healthcare
Since 2007, Ascott Reit’s properties in Europe have supported Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, a
French charitable association that helps children with heart defects around the world to receive
treatment in France. In 2014, for the seventh consecutive year, we have provided complimentary
accommodation to the doctors who treat the children for their one-month training in Paris. In addition,
our properties in France launched a fundraising campaign, “Lumières Citadines du Coeur” in March
2014, lasting for approximately one month, to raise funds for cardiac operations. Through the event,
a total of C36,000 (approximately S$62,300) was raised and contributed to surgeries to save three
children.
Our serviced residence in Perth, Australia, raised AUD3,750 (approximately S$4,000) from staff to
purchase 10 distraction boxes from TLC for Kids, doubled the number of boxes purchased in 2013.
TLC for Kids is a registered Australian charity that helps children through painful medical
examinations and procedures by providing specially designed distraction boxes that contain items
to engage the children’s attention and reduce the need for medical sedatives. In addition to
sponsoring distraction boxes, our staff hosted a table at TLC for Kids’ annual fundraising dinner. TLC
for Kids raised over AUD21,000 (approximately S$22,600) from the dinner which was used to assist
more than 40 ill children and their families under the TLC programme.
Education
Our properties in Indonesia continued to support the education of underprivileged children under the
care of SOS Desa Taruna Cibubur. 2014 was the fifth year that our properties worked with the
foundation to establish an Ascott Children’s Education Fund. The fund’s S$5,200 was used to finance
the school fees for the academic year of 2013/14 for 33 orphans between the ages of 5 and 12.
In November 2014, staff volunteers from Ascott Reit’s properties in China organised a trip to
CapitaLand Gushan Hope School in Shannxi Province. Together with staff from CapitaLand, the team
gave out school bags and stationery to the children as they celebrated the school’s first-year
anniversary. Also in November, staff volunteers from our properties in South China and CapitaLand
staff from different countries visited CapitaLand Daping Hope School in Guangdong Province. The
team helped to refurbish the kitchen, classrooms and libraries together with the teachers and
students. A total of RMB100,000 (approximately S$20,800) was donated to upgrade its kitchen
equipment and improve the school’s facilities.
Shelter
In January, Ascott Reit’s properties in the Philippines, with strong support from CapitaLand Hope
Foundation and overseas colleagues, continued to raise funds for World Vision’s Typhoon Haiyan
relief and rebuilding operations. A total of PHP88,080 (approximately S$2,500) was raised to provide
food, blankets, mosquito nets, tarps, hygiene kits and emergency shelter to nearly 400,000 typhoon
survivors. Furthermore, a group of 18 staff volunteers from Ascott Reit’s properties in Philippines and
World Vision came together to rebuild one of the classrooms in Tabontabon Central School in
Our People and the Communities
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