Recreational activities enable our members to network and build camaraderie, while promoting a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance.

The sixth edition of the annual ISCA Run, held on 4 May, attracted over 1,900 participants in friendly competition over 5 km and 10 km routes, while children joined in the fun at the Kids’ Obstacle Course.

The race was also an opportunity for participants to give back to the profession via ISCA Run’s chosen beneficiary, ISCA Cares.

This year’s ISCA Games, held from May to October, saw over 250 teams compete in 28 events. The series closed with a night of celebration for all participants, with KPMG crowned the overall champion.

ISCA hosted this year’s Inter-Professional Games, a platform for members of different professional associations, including Singapore Institute of Architects, Singapore Medical Association, Institute of Engineers Singapore, Law Society of Singapore and Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers, to foster friendship, network and have fun. The Institute was crowned the overall champion, taking top spot in Basketball, Floorball, Soccer (Ladies), Squash and Table Tennis.

ISCA members also had a chance to network with peers from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and ICAEW at the ISCA Mingles sessions which are held quarterly. These light-hearted networking sessions featured speakers who spoke on topics like the role of women in the 21st Century, geopolitics and workplace communication.

Staff activities in 2019 included the Lunar New Year Lunch, Movie Night, Happy Hour and the annual Dinner & Dance.

ISCA’s senior management shared ISCA’s Strategic Roadmap and priorities for 2019–2020 at a townhall meeting, while dialogue sessions with the CEO enabled staff to share their views on topics like teamwork, collaboration and learning culture

There were also ample opportunities for employees and senior management to build rapport through bonding sessions, including two new activities – DIY musical box and cooking challenge

In line with efforts to raise cybersecurity awareness and improve productivity among staff, ISCA invited speakers from Trend Micro and Microsoft to speak at a lunchtime talk focusing on how Information Security Awareness and AI could contribute to productivity.

ISCA also continued to promote employee well-being with fitness programmes and health screening sessions, while fostering a learning culture by providing training opportunities for staff.

ISCA Cares – the Institute’s charity arm that supports disadvantaged Singapore youths by giving them financial assistance to access quality accountancy education at polytechnics and universities – disbursed over $110,000 in bursaries to 36 beneficiaries in 2019.

ISCA Cares relies on the strong support and generosity of our members and the accountancy profession. They include the charity’s largest corporate donors in 2019 – BDO, Deloitte & Touche, RSM Singapore – as well as KPMG, which hosted the ISCA Cares Bursary awards ceremony at its clubhouse.

Apart from providing financial assistance, ISCA Cares provides career and personal development guidance to beneficiaries through mentoring and internship opportunities, guiding the beneficiaries towards their aspirations in the accountancy profession. ISCA Cares also promotes volunteerism by matching charities looking for skill-based volunteers with ISCA members who are keen to offer their time and expertise.