Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has given and raised more than $6 million to the needy in 2009.

This includes the SPH 25th anniversary charity giving of $500,000 to the Community Chest of Singapore in October and the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, which has raised over $4 million for needy students.

SPH management and staff have also donated more than $20,000 worth of gifts and food items to the Boys' Brigade Sharity Box this year. Part of the gifts were given to the beneficiaries from Toa Payoh Care Corner at a year end party organised by SPH for 100 needy elderly folks and children this morning.

Other charity giving by SPH and its various subsidiaries include:

• The New Paper "Be Yourself Day" and the Youth Talent Concert by the Chinese Newspapers Division, which raised over $136,000 and $116,800 respectively to date for the President's Star Charity;
  
  
• The Chinese Newspapers Division gave out $30,000 worth of book vouchers to needy students at the Singapore Book Fair 2009;
  
  
• Business Times' Children Helping Children project, which raised $235,000 for needy children;
  
  
• SPH subsidiaries like SPH Magazines donated about $10,000 to the Children's Cancer Foundation, while SPH UnionWorks raised $50,000 for a young cancer victim, Charmaine Lim;
  
  
• SPH-owned Paragon raised close to $10,000 for the ST School Pocket Money Fund through its Paragon Style Auction.

The next charitable event would be the ChildAid concert by the Straits Times and the Business Times on 19, 20 and 21 December. It aims to raise $1 million for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, and will be the first event to be held at Resorts World Sentosa.

Mr Alan Chan, Chief Executive Officer of SPH, said: "It is SPH's corporate philosophy to give back to the community and we have been doing so all these years. Many of our projects involve both our staff and fellow Singaporeans, so that we can assist and inspire everyone to help the needy. With your support, we hope to continue contributing to the many charitable causes around us."

Besides giving to charity, SPH's diverse corporate social responsibility programme also involves supporting the arts, education, wildlife conservation, and sports, among others.