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Plan Ahead to Protect Your Family  

With more time on your hands, you might finally be getting around to those jobs on your ‘to do list’: taking up a new hobby or cleaning the cupboards, Marie Kondo style.  Perhaps you’re taking time to review your budget and question what you spend your money on and whether some expenses could be put to better use. I was shocked at how much I spend on coffee – two take-away coffees a day, five days a week… a habit I’ve now stopped, saving myself over $200 a month.

As well as reviewing your daily budget, now is a good time to look at all your financial plans, benefitting both your financial and mental wellbeing. Financial wellbeing is about being secure and in control, knowing that you can pay the bills today, deal with the unexpected tomorrow, and ensure you’re on track for a healthy financial future. Poor financial wellbeing has a knock-on effect on your mental, physical health, and relationships.

Now could be the perfect time to ensure you are on your way to financial wellbeing and have the following in place:

Emergency fund: Make sure you have an adequate financial safety net for those unexpected costs that can come along without warning.

Insurance: Ensure you and your family are protected in the event of ill health or death. Regularly reviewing your level of life insurance cover is important, particularly when there is a change in your circumstances, such as a house purchase, or adding to your family.

Critical illness: Having the right cover in place reduces your financial burden if you are diagnosed with a critical illnesses or disability.

Estate planning

When your family is everything to you, protecting and providing for your dependents after you are gone is bound to be a priority. But it can be complicated to make sure that your wishes are followed. This requires timely and proper estate planning with the help of experts to get it right.

Additionally, as an expatriate and a parent, it is essential to nominate a temporary guardian. If you don’t, the Singapore authorities have a duty to take children into social care from day one if something happens to both parents. Your children will remain there until a legal guardian arrives in Singapore and is approved by the Courts.

As it’s likely your nominated legal guardians, named in your will, do not live in Singapore, a delay will occur until they arrive in the country and are able to take up their responsibility. Temporary Guardianship will ensure that your children can remain in the care of someone they know and trust until their legal guardian can take over.

Temporary Guardians are usually close neighbours or friends and can be nominated by way of a simple signed authority, a copy of which should be left with the nominated temporary guardian.

The current COVID-19 crisis was unforeseen, and you couldn’t plan for it until it had already happened. You can however plan ahead to ensure that you and your family’s protection needs are covered.

If you would like to arrange a call to discuss your protection needs with one of our AAM Wealth Managers, email Audrey: audrey.mitchell@aam-advisory.com

** This article is intended for general circulation and information purposes only.  It may not be published, circulated, reproduced or distributed in whole or part to any other person without prior consent of AAM.  This article should not be construed as an offer, solicitation of an offer, a recommendation or provision of financial advice.  The information does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any person. Advice should be sought from a licensed financial adviser before making any decisions.  Whilst we have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this article is not untrue or misleading at the time of publication, we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness.  Any opinion or estimate contained in this article is subject to change without notice. AAM advisory Pte Ltd is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, FA Licence no 100032.

Getting Your Kids Ready for a New International School

Many factors will come into play when selecting a new international school for your kids

A move abroad always means there are major changes in the family. As parents, we may gain new ground in our careers, prompting us to start working for a new organisation or being redeployed to a new station overseas. Our kids are also affected – they will have to change schools, make new friends and adjust to a new culture and climate. Many factors will come into play when selecting a new international school for your kids, especially in an entirely new country.

  • Consider your child’s needs: Search for the best school by thinking about what you want that school to achieve for your child. Does your child need extra learning support? An environment that fosters creativity? Are they gifted? Every child needs an environment where their individual needs and talents will be honed and adequately appreciated.
  • Location of school: Your family is new to the neighborhood, so it’s best to choose a school that’s nearby if possible. This will enable the kids to familiarise themselves with their new neighbourhood, and not have to spend too much time travelling between school and home.
  • Gather the necessary information about the new school: Search online through reliable school websites, and try to gain thorough knowledge about the school’s curriculum and philosophy, tuition fees, extra-curricular activities, sports, and clubs. SIR Move can assist with connecting you to school admissions consultants if you’d like more information or to book a personal school tour.
  • Pay a visit: It’s necessary to actually visit schools to get a sense of the campus, classrooms, facilities, teachers, and what to expect if you do enroll your child.
  • Your kids’ input: Your kids themselves will be the ones attending these schools and not you. Make sure they’re part of the selection process. Ask them for their thoughts and preferences and take them on school tours if possible.

Now you’ve made a choice about their new school. How do you prep your kids for their new academic life? This can be achieved by:

  • Reading with them: This is important as it can build their literacy and cognitive skills. It can also be a part of the bonding process for you and your kids.
  • Discussing their school’s schedule: This way, your kids can know what to expect at their new school, and how to adapt to the upcoming changes.
  • Planning morning routines: A well planned morning routine can make a huge difference in your kids’ academic performance in their new school and boost their confidence. Teach them to prepare for school the night before and how to rise early and get themselves ready for the day ahead.

Finally, remember a change in school is usually challenging for kids – they’re leaving friends and classmates from their old school, which can be an unsettling and emotional time. It might take some time for them to adjust to the changes in their routine and environment. Listen to their fears and worries, and support them in whatever way you can.

About SIR MOVE

Established in Singapore in and Malaysia since 2006, SIR Move Services is a Singapore/British brand and it is a moving company that continues to build a business based on integrity and trust. SIR provides Complete Move Solutions for International, Commercial and Domestic Relocations inclusive of storage and insurance. We move pets too. Moove My Box (MMB) is the newest addition to our suite of services allowing customers to ship small shipments faster. Similar to Air Express Delivery with the addition of packing and collection services.  SIR Move is a qualified FIDI/FAIM Quality Mover.

 

SIR Move Services

Email talk2us@sirmove.com

Visit www.sirmove.com

Call 65 65347345

 

 

Become a Bronzie!

It’s not about the waves
Our family comes from a small beachside town called Barwon Heads, in Victoria, Australia. One of the summer activities our kids participate in back home, are the Nippers programs. While we love Singapore, we’ve missed the beach terribly and we felt our kids were missing out. That was, until we discovered there was a Singapore Nippers program, held each Sunday morning on Sentosa island – where the water is always warm and the waves are never too big. Our seven-year-old daughter loves the water and was keen to sign up. I informed our friends back home that we’d just joined Nippers in Singapore. ‘Singapore has Nippers? But there are no waves in Singapore!’ were their responses.
We’ve learnt from our first few weeks of Nippers, lack of waves certainly doesn’t stop this fantastic group of people from having fun, swimming, using the boards, and learning about vital water and beach safety skills. As a family, we are thoroughly enjoying our Sunday mornings at the beach. Along with socialising, parents are always needed to help in the water, set up beach games, gather boards, or man the BBQ, so there’s always someone to chat to, or something to do. Even our four-year-old (who is too young to participate in Nippers this year), loves playing in the sand and water with the other younger kids.

Bronze Medallion training
To ensure the safety of the kids in the water a ratio of one qualified Bronze Medallion holder to five kids is required. As most of the age groups are currently full, in order to expand the numbers of Nippers kids, there needs to be more qualified “Bronzies”. Each year, trainers from Avalon SLSC in NSW come to Singapore to train up the next group. Last year, 13 participants successfully completed their surf rescue training. It was a proud moment for all when they received their red and yellow rashie and Bronze Medallions.

Jenn, one of the parents and program volunteer, completed her training last year. She gives us an insight into why she signed up and what skills she learnt:

“I grew up on the golden beaches of Queensland, Australia and had done my bronze medallion when I was younger, but had let it lapse over the years of moving abroad. When I realised I had the opportunity to do it again with ANZA Singapore Nippers, and in turn help support the club, I jumped at the chance. I’ll admit the physical side of the course (qualifying swim and a run/swim/run) did make me a little apprehensive initially, but I didn’t allow that to stop me from taking on the challenge.
I had hoped to get a little more swim fit, learn skills to be able to rescue people from the water and assist in providing first aid. What I didn’t expect was the friendships I would make along the way. There is something about having your nose very close to someone else’s butt on a board rescue that helps solidify a life long friendship! The trainers who came up from our sister club Avalon’s SLSC had nearly 150 years of surf lifesaving experience between them. They knew their stuff! They were engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, relatable, but most of all fun! Knowing that I have the skills and ability to save someone’s life is something I’m very proud of. I can’t recommend this course highly enough.”

Become a bronzie!
The next Bronze Medallion training session is due to run in August 2020. If you’re interested in joining us, please contact Singapore Nippers at sgnippersbm@gmail.com Please note that participants must be 15 years of older to gain this qualification.
Not interested in getting your bronze? There are many other volunteer positions available and the club welcomes sponsorship. Send an email to singapore.nippers@gmail.com

anza.org.sg/sports/nippers

ANZA Netball – Staying Strong

The final weeks were turbulent, but the 2019/2020 ANZA Netball season concluded as planned in late March. The ANZA Netball Committee were kept on their toes, attempting to keep up with the changing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the ANZA Netball Carnival, scheduled for February had to be cancelled. However, the final five sessions of the ANZA Netball season were ultimately moved to Saturday afternoons at the Kallang Netball Centre.

Playing at Kallang provided the ANZA Netball girls with a range of new and unexpected conditions. They’ve all now coped with playing outdoors in the steamy late afternoon Singapore heat, facing windy conditions, threatening rain clouds and storms, as well as the odd lightning alarm! In addition, the court surface was not as forgiving as the indoor courts at Tanglin Trust School. The girls had a minimum of one professional coach per court, so were able to learn some new drills and receive excellent coaching tips.
Other season highlights included the fantastic performance of the ANZA teams in the Sport Ready Junior League, as well as the ANZA Accelerator Series, which provided match exposure to our developing players not participating in the leagues. We are looking forward to next season, when we can include entry in the Junior League for the first time for girls born in 2010.


Planning for season 2020/2021 is well underway, and registrations are now open! Make sure you enrol early as there are many age groups with existing waitlists. The season runs from 5 September 2020 to 20 March 2021.

anza.org.sg/sports/netball

Top 5 Challenges Facing Teens Today

Depression
Dr Jane: While occasional bad moods or acting out is part and parcel of the teenage years, rebellious and unhealthy behaviours or attitudes in teens can indicate depression. Depression can cause low energy and concentration difficulties and can trigger and intensify feelings of ugliness, shame, failure, and unworthiness. It can have a bearing on school life as well, leading to poor attendance, a drop in grades and frustration with school work – all feeding into a vicious cycle of negativity.

Behaviours which may indicate depression:

  • Not enjoying, or not wanting to be involved in things they would normally enjoy.
  • Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns.
  • Being easily irritated or angry for no reason.
  • Their performance at school is not what it should be, or once was.
  • Involving themselves in risky behaviour, like taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Seeming unusually stressed, worried, down or crying for no reason.
  • Expressing negative, distressing, bizarre or unusual thoughts.

Dr. Natalie G: If you’re worried that something is wrong, seek an evaluation from a trusted clinician. You can also help by having a conversation with your teenager. The best places for these difficult conversations are in the car with limited eye contact, in the park while kicking a ball, or just before bed when their defensives are down. Listen more, talk less, and be your teenager’s biggest supporter. Try to re-engage your teenager in activities that boost their confidence and skills – i.e sports, drama, art or music. Help them find their spark. Discuss positive self-talk while modelling it yourself – resilient teenagers (and adults) talk compassionately and supportively to themselves.

How to help:
Encourage your teen to talk to a parent, teacher, GP, counsellor or psychologist – someone they trust and feel are on the ‘same page’ as them. Teach them the importance of accepting and sharing their feelings. Encourage them not to shut themselves off — it makes depression worse. Get the whole family to adopt healthy habits in exercise, sleep, eating and internet use. Encourage the whole family to adopt fun ways to manage stress and anxiety — even simple things like eating together or playing board games can have a very positive effect on stress levels.

Eating Disorders
Dr Jane: Eating disorders are complex psychological disorders that affect every aspect of a person’s functioning. Generally, it affects people in the following ways:
Behaviour – disordered thought processes around food, eating and exercise – often in extreme and destructive ways, i.e restricting food, overeating, purging and over-exercising.
Thoughts become distorted, irrational and extreme – very ‘all or nothing’ or ‘black and white’. These distorted thoughts and ideas in turn encourage, trigger and influence the disordered behaviours.
Emotionally – behaviour and thinking becomes distorted, which causes emotional distress and chaos. In addition to this, eating disorders often develop due to underlying emotional distress or turmoil of some kind.

Keep in mind:
An eating disorder is primarily not about food – it’s how emotional distress and turmoil manifests itself.
An eating disorder is a destructive coping mechanism, so stopping, letting it go, and trying to recover is frightening, difficult and will trigger resistance.
People can and do recover from eating disorders.

Dr. Natalie G: The most important consideration for parents is to role model exercise within a healthy limit, encourage their children to be active, and emphasise balanced eating, rather than labelling foods as “good or healthy”  or “bad or unhealthy”. Describe foods as “anytime foods” or “sometimes foods”.
In this way, you are able to educate your child about processed and unprocessed foods.
Avoid discussing your own body image problems or obsessing about your weight in front of your child. Parents are encouraged to focus on their teen’s body in terms of what it can do (strong, healthy, etc) and her/his achievements, rather than their appearance. Early intervention for eating disorders is key for successful treatment. Recovery rates for ED’s that persist over a long period of time are alarmingly low. Seek help if you have any cause for concern. No-one should spend their life at odds with their body.

How to Help:
Recovery from an eating disorder often requires both medical and psychological help. It is recommended that people with eating disorders have access to advice from a consultant psychiatrist, a psychotherapist and a dietitian, as well as a GP, so that all of their needs can be addressed.

Self-Harm
Dr Jane: Self-harm is a symptom of underlying mental or emotional distress. Young people who self-harm mainly do so because they find it helps relieve distressing feelings and cope with problems in their lives. It’s rarely about trying to end their life but it is important to ask about suicidal thoughts in this situation.
Very often there are multiple triggers, or daily stressors, rather than one significant change or event. Factors can include:

  • Feeling alone and isolated
  • Academic pressures
  • Suicide or self-harm by someone close to them
  • Family problems, including parental separation or divorce
  • Being bullied
  • Low self-esteem

Dr. Natalie G: If your teen is engaging in self-harm behaviours, seek professional help to understand them. They may be relying on self-destructive ways to manage powerful feelings (deep sadness, self-hatred, anger, loneliness, and guilt) and need to learn helpful ways to cope with these feelings.
Self-harm behaviours can be very upsetting for parents – you may feel shocked, sad, confused or angry. Do try to stay calm and try not to jump to conclusions or find solutions. Try not to take it personally if your teen doesn’t want to talk to you about the situation. Be understanding – this is a difficult situation for them. Parents could suggest their teen write them a letter or email about their thoughts and feelings, if they don’t want to talk directly, or encourage them to talk to another trusted adult. In the meantime, continue to work on promoting healthy engagement in activities such as drama, music, sport, arts to build self-confidence. Please do not ignore early signs of these self-destructive behaviours.

How to help:
There is strong evidence that finding ways to distract from self-harm can be useful for many young people. Distraction techniques include using a red pen to mark rather than cutting, rubbing with ice, hitting a punch bag or flicking elastic bands on the wrist. More important than distraction techniques is seeking professional help to address underlying anxiety, depression, and other psychosocial issues. Developing strategies for management of stressful situations will in turn improve resilience and coping skills.

Toxic Relationships
Dr Jane: Adolescence is a time when children are working out who they are. This can lead to changing friendship groups and interpersonal challenges, including toxic relationships.

Signs of a toxic relationship are:

  • The other person constantly puts you down and makes you feel bad about yourself
  • You are arguing one day, and things are great the next
  • They often make you feel guilty
  • They are jealous of your other friends
  • You feel like it’s your responsibility to fix things
  • You change yourself to please them
  • You worry about setting them off and feel like you have to watch what you say
  • You feel anxious or unwell when you know you’re going to see them
  • They text and call you constantly
  • You have lost confidence in yourself
  • They break your trust

Dr. Natalie G: There are three situations when parents need to worry about their teen’s social life: if your child doesn’t have a social group or ‘tribe’; if your child is a victim of bullying; if your child bullies others. In any of these situations, seek some additional help from a professional or your teen’s school.

How to help:
Encourage your child to surround themselves with people who make them feel good, and educate them about setting boundaries with the people in their life so that they understand what is appropriate behaviour. It’s important your teenager feels empowered to walk away from unhealthy relationships.

Staying safe online
Dr Jane: Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to exploitation on line. This can include exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and catfishing.

What to do:

Encourage your children to stay safe when setting up a social media profile:

  • Use first names or nicknames when talking online, or when setting up a social profile.
  • Be honest about your age.
  • Keep your account private by choosing a password that others wouldn’t be able to guess and only share your password with your parents or guardians.
  • Set your privacy settings to ‘private’ so only people you are friends with can see your photographs, information and posts. A trusted adult can help you with this.
  • Delete and block unknown contacts. If somebody you don’t know adds you as a friend, you can delete and block their request.
  • To stay safe, avoid sharing personal information with someone you don’t know offline.

Dr. Natalie G: The teenage brain is under construction and many young people are not able to predict the consequences of their behaviours. It’s imperative for parents to teach their children to be responsible, safe and smart internet users.

How to help:
Encourage teens to be open with you about their online activity and start conversations about safe internet use early. Be a good role model and establish rules around internet use, but exercise flexibility in your approach so that your child learns to be responsible for their own safety too.

Dr Jane Foley is an Irish trained GP based at IMC Camden. Dr Jane has extensive experience in Obstetrics and Paediatrics and has worked in schools in Australia. To make an appointment please call: 6733 4440 or visit imc-healthcare.com/services/imc-camden

Dr. Natalie Games is an Australian trained Clinical Psychologist based at Alliance Counselling. Dr Natalie has worked with children, adolescents and families in public and private settings and has also worked in schools in Australia, UK and Asia.
To make an appointment please call: 6466 8120 or visit
alliancecounselling.com.sg

Makeover your Home Office or Workspace

Your home office could look like this.

Over recent months, it’s become clear that our future work lives will look very different. Post coronavirus, working from home will continue be the norm for millions. Whether you’re tapping into a laptop from a quiet corner of your bedroom, or in a dedicated study, you’re probably realising that workspaces should not only be functional but aesthetically pleasing and comfortable too. Everyone in the family needs a dedicated workspace- and it doesn’t matter if you have an entire room, cloffice (office in a closet!) or just a wall. Here are some tips to help transform your workspaces into fantastic feel-good zones.

1. Setting the scene

Make use of wall space to set up multiple work zones and storage options

Look at the space you have available for your work area. It is a tight squeeze? Ikea has superb office solutions for small spaces, which can be combined to create dual desk workspaces along a wall. This solution is particularly good for two or more children, or for the creative type who likes to spread out. Consider also placing two desks in front of each other when the room is narrow. Place storage or a bookshelf underneath. Got a walk-in wardrobe? Create a “cloffice” – a personal and private workspace!

TIP: Allow 90cm between the desk and any other furniture for movability. Don’t throw away an old desk – upscale by painting it a refreshing new colour using Annie Sloan Chalk paint, available at Big Blue Trunk, Cluny Court. They offer great workshops too. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a new desk, either. Check out Pinterest for great Ikea desk hacks!

2. Light it up

Good lighting is key

Lighting is very important in a work space, so don’t position your desk in front of a glaring window (unless you want to wear sunglasses) or behind a window that throws out too much light during the day and may obscure your screen. My rule of thumb is to have three sources of light – natural, desk and overhead. Overhead task lighting is important, but difficult to position perfectly in rental properties, so a desk lamp is imperative for grey Singapore days and transitioning work from day to night.

3. Sensible Storage

Storage is key – from baskets to shelving

The perfect office is tidy and not just a dumping ground for random items found around the house. Good storage systems help keep your office space highly organised, and functional (and you productive!).  As a stylist I have drawers for colour samples and swatches and others to keep fabrics and samples. A book shelf on its side or at the end of a table top offers a perfect place to store books but gives you more surface space to work or place items.

Consider a toolbox for each child, which can be easily put away in a cupboard at the end of the day. What better way to store school bags, folders and books than using a selection of baskets tucked under a desk or on shelves?  Look online at Layard Interiors for a great selection in all sizes. Hanging shelves are a good way to create more space in a rental property and with neat boxes and folders, they look attractive. Don’t clutter the top of your desk, but curate a small collection of relevant and aesthetic objects and a few pens. Keep everything else stored away but within easy reach.

4. Textiles

Textiles and pops of colour make an office space feel warm and inviting

All spaces are improved with the addition of textiles – brighten up your workspace at home with a pop of colour (around 10% is a good guide to how much to use) For your office makeover, add colour in the form of a chair, shelves or soft furnishings. A sheepskin throw, scatter cushions and a bean bag provide a separate area to relax while working and make the whole area cosy and comfortable. A jute throw rug looks great too. During CB, you can look around your home and make use of what you have around.

4. Wall to wall

A wall doesn’t have to be boring!

Who ever said; “Nothing kills creativity faster than a wall.”? Not true! Living in a rental property it may not be possible to paint the walls of your office space or even consider wallpaper, however you can add an attractive book case, floating shelves and art. A gallery wall is a great way to showcase your travel photos and the frames are light enough to withstand the hanging strips available at all small hardware stores. Feeling inspired? You can buy self adhesive wallpaper in the form of subway tiles, florals and wall stickers at https://dekorea.com.sg/self-adhesive-wallpaper

 

Juliet’s Office – Before and After

“As with many designers my office space was a dumping ground and the furniture placed in the same position it was when we moved in. By repainting, moving the desk to a central position, and placing the storage behind, it immediately felt more balanced. A gallery wall of photographs and kids art work added an element of interest and a focal point. Cushions made from a selection of fabrics from Spotlight placed on the window seat provided a pop of yellow to complement the chair in the otherwise achromatic room. It’s lighter, brighter and more inviting! In just a few steps, even in lock-down, you too can wake up with a new look tomorrow. Get inspired!”

Before:

A dumping ground for clutter, and a forgotten space

After:

A lick of black paint for an existing desk, a gallery wall and great lighting
Pops of yellow, teamed with classic black and white
A few personal touches make an office feel cosy
Minimal clutter and an inviting work space

Volunteer with ANZA Netball

Volunteers are the heart and soul of ANZA Netball, dedicating their time and talents to ensure our players have fun, improve their game, and achieve great results on the court. From the coaches and parents who run weekly training sessions, to the volunteer committee who provide strategic direction – we couldn’t do it without them!  As the Netball program has grown in numbers, new events and tournaments, so has the workload and we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join the ANZA Netball committee in the following roles:

  • Committee Secretary– This role would involve the taking of minutes at committee meetings (approximately once a month) and following up on agreed actions.  We are looking for an organised and highly motivated person who is good at keeping to deadlines and is a good communicator.
  • Communications Coordinator– With over 400 players in the ANZA Netball Programme, the amount of communication has increased significantly.  We are therefore seeking someone with a background in communications/marketing that can assist in keeping the community informed.

In addition to these Committee roles, we are also searching for:

  • IT Manager– If anyone has an IT background and would be able to assist with the management and ongoing use of the ANZA Netball ‘Team App’ please contact us.
  • ANZA Netball Photographer – ANZA Netball are always in need of good clear photos to accompany news articles and magazine editorials.  Therefore if there is a passionate photographer in our community please let us know.

–      Presentation Day/Event Coordinator –  This role would coordinate the presentation day held at the end of the season. Arranging the trophies and thank you gifts.

If you would like to join our passionate team in any of these roles it would be truly appreciated. It really is a great way to give back to the community and support our budding netball players. Please drop us a line at: anzanetball@hotmail.com

Heart and Sole

Indosole’s shoes are made from re-purposed tyres
ANZA member Jennifer Gregory is the GM of Indosole

Tell us about your Singapore journey so far?
I moved here from Melbourne with my husband, Jason, and two kids, Zoe and Max, just over three years ago. Both my kids are at AIS and we joined ANZA about six months ago.
We immediately enrolled the kids into ANZA Athletics, which they absolutely love!

How did you become involved with Indosole?
I came across the brand at The Social Space cafe in Kreta Ayer Road after hearing about their social enterprise mission and great coffee. They stocked Indosole Flip Flops and I thought it was an awesome idea to turn tyres into shoe soles.
A few months later I met the founder, Kyle Parsons, at his flagship store in Canggu, Bali during an open day. It was serendipitous – getting to meet core members of the Indosole team. We got on well, had a shared vision for the future of using waste as resource, the need for more sustainable and responsible production in all industries. The idea to bring Indosole to Singapore grew from there.

Why is it important to you to work with a company with green ethics?
There are so many issues our planet and people are facing and I want to be part of a solution, not part of the problem. There’s a quote I’m reminded of every day as a Mum: ‘We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.’ What impressed me about Indosole is their commitment to B-corp certification – proof that they meet the rigorous standards of social and environmental performance required by the non-profit, B Lab. It’s all about using business as a force for good – putting purpose, people and planet at the forefront of everything they do.

What’s Indosole’s mission?
To become the most responsible footwear company in the world, delivering high quality, responsibly made, environmentally-friendly footwear.

Tell us about tyre waste globally?
1.5 billion tyres are disposed of globally every year. In some countries a percentage is recycled, but most are still dumped into landfill or sit in stockyards, illegal dumping sites, and even rivers. In tropical countries tyres can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which lead to nasty diseases like malaria and dengue fever. In developing countries, tyres are used as a cheap alternative for fuel, resulting in toxic oils and fumes that are harmful for human health.

How does Indosole use tyres to make shoes?
Indosole began with humble beginnings – manually cutting soles for shoes out of tyres but there was still waste as they couldn’t use the whole tyre. After intensive research and development, Indosole developed their own process which pulverises the tyre into a fine powder and resets it with natural and recycled rubber. This malleable tyre gel is then set in a mould to form the sole of a shoe with minimal waste. We now use 100% of the tyre and have so far saved over 80,000 tyres from landfill. And if you’re wondering, this equates to 220,000 pairs of Indosoles!

What shoes do you make?
The ESSNTLS range, which includes men’s and women’s Flip Flops, Slides and the Cross Sandal, and a Kid’s Flip Flops range. In Singapore, many people are being introduced to responsible fashion and sustainability concepts through purchasing Indosole shoes. We like to think we are part of many customer’s journey towards more conscious and sustainable consumerism.

How do you personally live a green lifestyle in Singapore?
As the primary shopper in the household, I consciously choose minimal packaging wherever possible and shop in bulk using my own containers at both Unpackt and Scoop Wholefoods whenever I can. I make green swaps for household products – like not using cling wrap (we haven’t bought any in three years!) and using solid shampoo and conditioner bars (from local brand Solid Skincare Co) which have made a huge impact on the waste we create.
We take reusable shopping bags when we go out, and even our own cutlery and cups when we go to Hawkers, so we don’t have to use disposables.

How do you educate your kids to make better choices for the planet?
By living by example. The most important thing we can teach our kids is to question where things come from, who made them, and what the impact of their choices have on our planet.

Finish this sentence… “we can save the planet if we” …
…are aware our choices can have a positive impact on both the environment, the people that produce our goods, and the global shift to conscious consumerism.

indosole.com.sg

Meet the Pink Matildas!

The Pink Matildas!

The Pink Matildas team is ANZA Soccer’s youngest all-female soccer team, playing in the Group 6 age group. A gaggle of seven and eight-year-olds first gathered in August 2019 at The Cage, Turf City. In the hot sticky air, there was shyness mixed with a little apprehension. Most had never played soccer, let alone been on an organised team. Nonetheless, professional and parent coaches, supportive parents, and players enthusiastically formed the Pink Matildas of the 2019–2020 season.
Today the team is made up of 19 girls, from 12 schools and nine nations. Twice a week, the players meet on the pitch with excited giggles and colourful water bottles. No loss or unlucky play robs these girls of the positive energy that bonds them. The team spirit and connections they’ve built testify the commitment that genuinely forms when you just have fun… and do these girls have fun!
In February, the Pink Matildas were invited to the 2020 Bangkok International Girls Football Festival. We had questions: Are they ready? Can they compete? But when the girls heard about the chance to travel all the way to Thailand, their eyes lit up and lots of jumping and screaming ensued. So, the Pink Matildas became the youngest ANZA team ever to enter the tournament! What happened during the weeks of preparation was even more inspiring than the life-sized trophy we brought home: a major shift occurred in the girls’ attitude as they became even more determined, driven, and united.

Six Pink Matildas travelled to Thailand with their families, joining the more experienced U10, U12, U14 and U16 Matildas. Playing alongside the older girls was a dream, and the weekend turned into one our kids will never forget. Due to the current world situation, we were left with only six girls to play in a 7v7 tournament. Fortunately, we had Risa, an angel on loan from a local team, which allowed us to play. Our little warriors battled it out in eight matches over two days, achieving a second-place finish against formidable Thai opponents! Our girls played their absolute best with amazing grit and perseverance through injury, heat, humidity and exhaustion. These young athletes had the time of their lives, on and off the field, and we all felt proud and fortunate to experience it together as one ANZA family. Our girls learned that winning isn’t everything; friendship, family, and a love for soccer are more important!

– Team Parents Janelle Dong MacBay and Derek MacBay

Find out more about ANZA Soccer here

JCU: A Global Education in Singapore

The Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU) is fully owned by James Cook University Australia, ranked in the top two per cent of universities in the world, based on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). James Cook University Australia established its Singapore campus in 2003 and it offers a suite of university level programs in Business, Information Technology, Psychology, Education, Accounting, Arts, Aquaculture, Environmental Science, Games Design, Tourism and Hospitality. Here are some of the reasons tertiary students choose to study at JCU.

Excellent commitment to learning experience
James Cook University is Australia’s leading university for the tropics and has three campuses in the tropical cities of Singapore, Cairns and Townsville. In 2016, JCU’s Singapore campus achieved ‘University’ status as part of the Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership process – the only Australian institution in Singapore to be recognised in this way. Programs offered at the Singapore campus follow the same curriculum as the Australian campuses, ensuring the same high-quality program content. Students will graduate with exactly the same globally recognised degree as students who study at JCU in Australia. Additionally, the academic staff at the Singapore campus of JCU are experienced and highly qualified. All full-time lecturers are PhD qualified as a minimum, based in Singapore, and the majority are involved in research. Students can benefit from the valuable insight their lecturers gain from active participation in the field. At JCU, the internationalised teaching faculty make the real difference because they bring diverse perspectives from western countries and deep knowledge of Asia.

Staying relevant for the future
Technological evolution in business and society continues to accelerate; digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cashless societies, autonomous transportation, and delivery systems will all become ubiquitous. As a leader in research that addresses critical challenges facing societies and the environment in the tropics, it’s not enough for JCU to merely be an educational institution; it must contribute to the good of business and society. To ensure the university stays relevant, JCU listens closely to industry and business, and constantly explores ways to extend its research collaborations with industry partners. “Society is changing, and current generations of graduates may need to reinvent their professional profile several times during their working lives. It is JCU’s duty to deliver skills that are relevant to the future workforce needs of Singapore as, like many tropical locations, we adapt to the challenge of climate change, population shift, natural disasters and food security. JCU’s very existence is underpinned by the strategic intent of creating a brighter future for life in the tropics world-wide through graduates and discoveries that make a difference. This is not a passing strand or a short-term project but defines our existence as an institution,” says Professor Chris Rudd OBE, JCU Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of Campus, Singapore.

Conducting research of excellence
At the Singapore campus of JCU, areas of research strength include aquaculture and marine science, business, education, psychology and tourism. Within these research strengths our highly qualified academics are delving into research interests as diverse as reef fish evolutionary ecology, selective breeding of aquaculture species, vandalism in tourism, machine learning, data mining, behavioural learning theories, social and cross-cultural psychology, healthy ageing, interpersonal attraction, suicidology and mental health interventions. For instance, JCU lends its expertise in aquaculture in support of Singapore’s 30 by 30 strategy (to produce 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030) and builds capabilities for food security locally. As a member of the Aquaculture Innovation Centre (AIC), JCU plans to play a big role in helping the AIC achieve its major objectives and to work closely with consortium partners in solving problems faced by Singapore’s aquaculture industry and provide the future skilled workforce required as the sector expands. Meanwhile, in line with this, the Singapore campus of JCU launched a new Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility in July 2019.

Preparing career-ready graduates
JCU provides industry-oriented education to help graduates join the workforce successfully and prepare its graduates for the evolving workplace, matching its programs to employer needs and the evolving business landscape. Relevant professional associations and accreditation bodies in Australia and Singapore recognise JCU’s programs. The benchmarking of the programs against industry-best practices provides graduates with cutting-edge skills. “Higher learning institutions should impart to their students the right knowledge, skills and attitudes; transferable across a range of jobs addressing diverse industry needs. An educational journey should culminate in the graduate making a meaningful impact on the community — be it professional or social. JCU’s collaborative learning environment facilitates communication skills and teamwork. Our graduates are likely to be employees who are more productive,” says Professor Abhishek Singh Bhati, Campus Dean and Head of Teaching, Learning and Student Engagement.

To find out more about the programs offered at the Singapore campus of James Cook University, click here.

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