Local steel specialist TTJ Design and Engg donates $41,000 to ST pocket money fund

The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) has received a $41,000 donation from local structural steel specialist TTJ Design and Engineering in celebration of the company's 41st anniversary.

TTJ donated a total of $410,000 to 10 local charities and organisations, including STSPMF, at a celebratory dinner at Raffles City Convention Centre on Thursday.

Symbolic cheques were presented to representatives from each organisation at the dinner, with STSPMF general manager Tan Bee Heong representing the fund.

Mr Teo Hock Chwee, founder and executive chairman of TTJ, said the donation to STSPMF was special to him, as he grew up in a low-income family.

"I was a kampung boy, and I did not receive any education. We were not financially well off, after my father passed away when I was seven years old. I know that these children need support, like I did, so I want to provide that support," he said.

STSPMF is a community project by The Straits Times that provides pocket money to children from low-income families to help them with expenses through school.

It has helped close to 180,000 children and youth since its inception in 2000, having disbursed more than $80 million.

Every year, the fund supports 10,000 children and youth from families whose per capita gross monthly household income is less than $690.

Other beneficiaries of TTJ's donations are Nanyang Technological University, healthcare charity Home Nursing Foundation, the Singapore Children's Society, St John's Home for Elderly Persons, the Singapore Indian Development Association, Community Chest, children's cancer charity Viva Foundation, Muslim charity Jamiyah, and Yellow Ribbon Singapore, which supports former offenders.

Former foreign minister George Yeo was guest of honour at the event.

TTJ, which has built structures in Singapore including the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay and the Helix Bridge in Marina Bay, wanted to donate money to charities to help mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and provide relief to the underprivileged in the current economic situation.

Mr Teo said: "Our company is doing well and we can afford to donate well, so that's why we decide to donate to not one, but 10 charities."