Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean’s wife, founder of a stroke support charity, dies aged 67
SINGAPORE - Ms Chew Poh Yim, the founder of a stroke support charity who held leadership roles in NTUC FairPrice and the wife of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, died peacefully on Sunday (Oct 31). The 67-year-old founded Stroke Support Station (S3) in 2015, an initiative that was started by volunteers to support stroke survivors and caregivers. S3 programmes are supported by medical professionals and therapists from various acute and community hospitals in Singapore. Ms Chew started the charity after realising that there was a need for increased community support to reintegrate stroke survivors into society and ensure their well-being. She helmed various portfolios at NTUC FairPrice, including in procurement and marketing and corporate communications, and was general manager of NTUC FairPrice Foundation. She had more than 25 years of experience in management, marketing and branding in the consumer and retail market. Ms Chew was a supporter of community programmes for the elderly through collaborations with institutions such as the National University Health System and People's Association. She was also on the board of trustees of SingHealth Foundation (now known as SHF-Foundation) a...
Shoppers with Chas Blue cards to get 3% discount at FairPrice on Thursdays till end of year
SINGAPORE - Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Blue cardholders can enjoy a 3 per cent discount at all NTUC FairPrice outlets every Thursday, from July 15 till the end of the year. Shoppers with the card can present it to enjoy the discount at all 149 FairPrice stores, the FairPrice on Wheels mobile truck and 84 Unity pharmacies here. The discount is capped at $200 per transaction each day, NTUC FairPrice said in a statement on Monday (July 12). This is the fourth discount initiative to help seniors and low-income families cut costs at FairPrice, adding to the Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Seniors discount schemes, which also provide price cuts of up to 3 per cent. The Blue card discount scheme will cost FairPrice an estimated $500,000 this year, in addition to the roughly $10 million passed on to seniors through its existing programmes annually, it said in the statement. NTUC FairPrice group chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng said: "The prolonged uncertainties brought about by Covid-19 have affected the lower-income families adversely. "FairPrice's Chas Blue discount scheme will complement our various discount programmes by serving a focused and targeted segmen...
FairPrice’s ‘no plastic bag’ initiative extended for another year following positive response
SINGAPORE - NTUC FairPrice will extend its "no plastic bag" initiative for a year from Thursday (Nov 12) following positive responses from customers, the supermarket giant said on Wednesday (Nov 11). A total of 15.6 million plastic bags were saved since the initiative began last November with 25 outlets onboard, FairPrice said. Customers at these outlets who require bags could purchase them at 20 cents for each transaction at FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra supermarkets, or at 10 cents for each transaction at Cheers and FairPrice Xpress convenience stores. "About seven in 10 customers who shopped at participating supermarkets chose to bring their own bags or refused plastic bags, while close to nine in 10 customers did the same at convenience stores," said FairPrice. The $600,000 in plastic bag charges collected in the past year will be donated to environmental and community causes. "The significant number of plastic bags saved in this short span of one year is a testimony of the greater public awareness for the environment," said FairPrice group chief executive Seah Kian Peng. From Thursday (Nov 12), there will be 11 FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra su...
Share-A-Textbook returns for 38th year to help families in need in Singapore
SINGAPORE - An initiative making educational resources such as textbooks and assessment books more accessible to needy families is returning for the 38th year, this time to help those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as well. The Share-A-Textbook scheme by FairPrice has over the years collected, redistributed and recycled over 5.8 million textbooks. As part of its safe management measures, there will an extended distribution period this year and families will have to book time slots for the collection of textbooks. Noting how the pandemic has disrupted the economy and further impacted the less fortunate, FairPrice group chief executive Seah Kian Peng on Thursday (Oct 29) said: "Through this initiative, we hope to create a positive social impact by allowing students from less privileged background gain access to resources for their educational needs." FairPrice said that it will work with social service organisations and Community Development Councils to identify the students from low-income families and those impacted by the crisis. They can collect the textbooks at Our Tampines Hub between Dec 13 and 16. Families can start booking a time for collection from Nov 27, by scanning th...