SINGAPORE - The 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner for the Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (Iscos) on Wednesday night raised half a million dollars for a programme that helps ex-offenders' children.

Iscos, a social organisation that helps ex-offenders reintegrate, raised $502,000 for the Yellow Ribbon Fund-ISCOS Fairy Godparent Programme, an initiative which caters to the academic needs of ex-offenders' children. It offers mentoring support, enrichment activities, family bonding workshops and other events.

The group also launched a new tagline, "You've got a friend", to emphasise their aim of befriending ex-offenders and their families.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say, who was the guest-of-honour at the event, said he was glad to know that Iscos leverages on more than merely tuition and bursary programmes to help children.

"Adult volunteers have also been roped in as mentors to the children to guide and encourage them, and to be positive role models for them," he said at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. "The interaction between the mentors and the children will go a long way to make a lasting positive impact on the value system of the children."