ComChest funding rises to $74m, with $13m for mental health support

More than $74 million was given by the Community Chest to fund social service and community programmes in 2024, the highest amount of funding since 2019.

- Syarafana Shafeeq

The total funds of $74.1 million represent an increase of more than 7 per cent from 2023 and supported more than 94,000 people, 15 per cent more than in 2023.

Of the total amount, over $13 million went towards supporting people with mental health needs — an increase of more than 40 per cent from 2023 - in response to a growing demand for mental health support, the charity said in its annual impact report released on Oct 8.

In 2024, for the sixth consecutive year, suicide was the leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 29, the report said.

The Community Chest, the philanthropic arm of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), supported 13 social service agencies, which run services like a suicide hotline, helping people with mental health needs.

It found that almost 90 per cent of callers felt less distressed after calling these hotlines.

For programmes that helped people with mental health needs, the report showed 73 per cent of the beneficiaries found employment and were able to stay employed for at least six months.