Ascendas Collaborates With Health Promotion Board To Launch Healthy Workplace Ecosystems In Seven Business Clusters

Singapore, 8 November 2014 – As part of its continuous strong commitment to promote and bring healthy living initiatives to its tenants, Ascendas will be introducing the Healthy Workplace Ecosystem to seven of its business clusters for a start, commencing from November 2014. This was announced at the Ascendas Healthy Lifestyle Family Carnival, the grand finale to their month-long Healthy Lifestyle Campaign during which Ascendas collaborated with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to offer a series of activities such as mass exercise and health education sessions.

Ascendas’ Healthy Workplace Ecosystem

As a leading business space provider, Ascendas has been actively engaging and promoting healthy living initiatives among tenants in its business parks and industrial spaces, as it understands the importance and benefits of workplace health.

Ascendas has been organising sporting competitions and fitness programmes on an ad-hoc basis for its tenants. The encouraging response from the tenants motivated Ascendas to partner HPB to create more comprehensive and sustainable programmes, starting with the Healthy Lifestyle Month and the implementation of healthy workplace ecosystems.

The healthy workplace ecosystem approach allows for greater aggregation of demand at better cost efficiency, thus creating a supportive environment that gives employees greater accessibility to healthier options. The approach also makes possible the provision of a wider variety of programmes which small organisations may not be able to organise for its employees. Amenities within the ecosystem, such as food and beverage outlets and open spaces can be tapped on for health promotion purposes.

Ascendas will partner HPB to roll out the healthy workplace ecosystems to seven clusters - Singapore Science Park, International Business Park, Changi Business Park, Aperia, Techlink, Techpoint and Techplace. This partnership is expected to benefit approximately 35,000 workers. Employees in these clusters can look forward to activities and programmes in the areas of obesity control, chronic disease management and mental well-being such as regular health education sessions or instructor-led exercise sessions. The content and delivery format of the health programmes at the different clusters will be tailored based on the profile, health concerns, interest and lifestyle of employees. Besides the provision of health programmes, Ascendas will also work with HPB to make healthier food choices readily available at the clusters.

Participation in Million kg Challenge Season Two

Ascendas is also the first business space provider to participate in the second season of the Million kg Challenge. The Million kg Challenge is HPB’s national-wide weight management initiative. Ascendas will work with HPB to organise inter-cluster challenges for seven of its clusters. The winning cluster will be determined based on the greatest average weight loss among employees with unhealthy Body Mass Index (BMI). Ascendas will reward the winning cluster with attractive prizes. The participants of the inter-cluster challenge will also be included as participants of the main Million kg Challenge, allowing them to take part in activities and be eligible for incentives offered under the Challenge.

The employees of Ascendas’ tenants can start signing up for the second season of the Million kg Challenge at the Ascendas Healthy Lifestyle Family Carnival. Thereafter, roadshows will be held at all seven clusters to facilitate sign-ups by the employees. HPB programmes such as the Lose to Win will also be brought to these clusters to help participants in their weight management journey.

Ascendas’ Healthy Lifestyle Month

Ascendas has been organising its own Healthy Lifestyle Week annually as part of its health promotion efforts within its business clusters. Following past years’ successes, Ascendas has extended its campaign to a month-long event this year, in support of Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign.

During the campaign month, mass exercise sessions such as aerobics and runs, health education sessions, as well as inter-company sporting competitions like futsal soccer, captain’s ball, dodgeball and bossaball are organised. The activities were held on Ascendas premises island-wide, including Science Park, International Business Park, Changi Business Park and Techpoint. In total, approximately 800 employees from the tenants of Ascendas were engaged through these activities.

Mr Manohar Khiatani, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Ascendas Pte Ltd said: “We are delighted to partner with the Health Promotion Board to engage our communities across Singapore through healthy living initiatives. The need for public-private partnerships is coming at a time when Singapore has taken the work-live-play approach very much to heart, and government and corporate organisations coming together to work hand in hand will enable us to achieve better outcomes.”

The Health Promotion Board (HPB)

The Health Promotion Board was established as a statutory board under the Ministry of Health, Singapore, in 2001 with the vision of building “A Nation of Healthy People”. HPB aims to empower the people of Singapore to attain optimal health, increase the quality and years of healthy life and prevent illness, disability and premature death. As the key partner of national health promotion and disease prevention programmes, HPB spearheads health education, promotion and prevention programmes as well as creates a health-supportive environment in Singapore. It develops and organises relevant health promotion and disease prevention programmes, reaching out to the healthy, the at-risk and the unhealthy at all stages of life – children, youths, adults and older Singapore residents. Its health promotion programmes include nutrition, mental health, physical activity, smoking control and communicable disease education. HPB also promotes healthy ageing, integrated health screening, and chronic disease education and management.

About Ascendas Group

Ascendas is Asia’s leading provider of business space solutions with more than 30 years of experience. Based in Singapore, Ascendas has built a strong regional presence and serves a global clientele of over 2,400 customers in 26 cities across 10 countries including Singapore, China, India, South Korea and Vietnam.

Ascendas specialises in masterplanning, developing, managing and marketing IT parks, industrial & logistics parks, business parks, science parks, hi-specs facilities, office and retail spaces. Leveraging on its track record and experience, Ascendas has introduced new business space concepts such as integrated communities and solutions which seamlessly combine high-quality business, lifestyle, retail and hospitality spaces to create conducive human-centric work-live-play-learn environments. Its flagship projects include the Singapore Science Park and Changi City at Changi Business Park in Singapore, International Tech Park Bangalore in India and Ascendas-Xinsu in Suzhou Industrial Park, China. Ascendas provides end-to-end real estate solutions, assisting companies across the entire real estate process.

In November 2002, Ascendas launched Singapore’s first business space trust, Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (A-REIT), and in August 2007, Ascendas India Trust (a-iTrust) was listed as the first Indian property trust in Asia. In July 2012, Ascendas listed Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTRUST), which comprises a portfolio of quality hotels in Australia, China, Japan and Singapore. Besides managing listed real estate funds, Ascendas also manages a series of private funds with commercial and industrial assets across Asia.

Issued by Health Promotion Board & Ascendas

Media Release

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