[straitstimes by Kash Cheong] The Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS) is organising its first charity concert to raise funds for its psychiatric rehabilitation and support services.
Called Giving Hope and To Love In Deed, the concert will feature a professionally trained community choir drawn from various mainstream churches in Singapore. Renowned soloist Ms Anna Kapoor, harpist Ms Wong Kae Chee and vocal group Agapella will also be performing at the concert held on 14 Sept, 7.30pm at the Mrs Lee Chong Guan Concert Hall in Anglo-Chinese School, Barker Road.
The Singapore Mental Health Study, released in 2011, said that the number of people with schizophrenia in Singapore will rise by 2 per cent annually. In the near future, one in 10 Singaporeans will have some form of mental illness, SACS said.
SACS runs care six centres to help those afflicted by mental illness, with programmes such as counselling and employment training to help patients re-integrate into the workforce. Last year, the six centres helped 1,349 people recovering from mental illness.