NTUC Income has announced its collaboration with Liverpool Football Club as its official partner of OrangeAid, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme of the insurance co-operative.

Liverpool FC are one of the best supported English Premier League clubs in Singapore and the two-year partnership with NTUC Income OrangeAid involves tapping the club’s regional presence and brand to increase awareness of the programme’s objectives and initiatives, as well as to aid its fundraising.

Marcus Chew, senior vice president of strategic marketing and communications at NTUC Income, said: “We are delighted to partner Liverpool Football Club because it is a well-renowned football club with a very large fan base in Singapore. More importantly, it is a club whose values are very much aligned with the underpinning values of NTUC Income’s OrangeAid – being involved in the community, helping people build better futures, and developing people to reach their full potential.”

He added: “Our collaboration with this iconic team is unique because it is one with the primary purpose of helping students from low income families and to let them know they will never have to walk alone as they strive to secure their future.”

In July, NTUC Income launched a $2.5 million Future Development Programme, an initiative under OrangeAid to help needy students studying in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics.

The Future Development Programme offers 1,000 bursaries over three years to students from low-income families who are likely to forgo their tertiary education in favour of entering the workforce to support their families.

The bursaries provide students from polytechnics $3,000 annually, while those from the Institute of Education receive $1,800 a year. Besides monetary assistance, NTUC Income empowers the chosen students by enhancing their financial literacy, and provides opportunities for their personal and career development.

Established in 2010, OrangeAid is NTUC Income’s flagship CSR vehicle to help disadvantaged children and youth. Under this initiative, NTUC Income commits one per cent of its annual insurance operating profits to fund programmes and to help adopted charities related to this cause.

Billy Hogan, LFC’s chief commercial officer, said: “We look forward to working with NTUC Income’s OrangeAid to support a segment of the community in Singapore that needs a helping hand. Liverpool Football Club has many passionate fans in Singapore and we are pleased with the opportunity to contribute to this great cause and hope our fans will support it too.”

Under the partnership, Liverpool will contribute sets of signed jerseys for NTUC Income to raise funds for OrangeAid. The club’s legends will also be in Singapore in the coming months to champion fundraising events and participate in activities involving OrangeAid’s beneficiaries, while current players will rally support for the OrangeAid cause.

In addition, NTUC Income has pledged to match the amount raised through the partnership over and above the $2.5 million it has committed for the Future Development Programme.

“The additional funds raised through our partnership with Liverpool Football Club will go towards the Future Development Programme to help more needy students,” said Mr Chew. “In so doing, we hope that these students will have the opportunity to strive for a better future, one that we believe no one should be deprived of because of their financial circumstances.”