Bank employees give last hour’s pay to charity

January 11, 2011

Standard Chartered raises funds for Seeing is Believing

Standard Chartered employees donated their last hour’s pay in 2010 to a good cause, raising more than USD 600,000 for Seeing is Believing, the Bank’s programme to tackle preventative blindness.

Standard Chartered aims to raise USD 20 million by 2012 to provide access to eye care for twenty million people across 20 cities. This is in addition to the USD17 million that already has been raised since the programme’s inception. Seeing is Believing was initiated by Standard Chartered employees in 2003 as a way of celebrating the Bank’s 150th anniversary. Through the immense support from employees Seeing is Believing has become the Group’s flagship fundraising programme.

The majority of avoidable blindness – 90 per cent of cases – occurs in the developing world, creating a key issue affecting economic productivity in communities where the Bank operates. Improving the eye sight of this population means bringing people back into the workplace. As it is one of the most cost-effective health interventions (cataract operations cost on average USD 30), preventable blindness was identified as a worthwhile focus for Standard Chartered’s fund raising activity.

Richard Meddings, Group Finance Director at Standard Chartered and Chairman of Seeing is Believing said, “Seeing is Believing has grown exponentially, driven by the generosity of our employees and our customers and suppliers. Thanks to those individual staff members who chose to donate their last hour’s work for 2010, we have made a great leap towards meeting our objective to raise USD 20million. This will enable Seeing is Believing to continue its work of funding eye care for those in need, helping them to move back into work or education and better care for their families.”