New Delhi, India, October 8, 2013: Standard Chartered Private Bank (the Private Bank) will be launching ‘Art for Sight’ – an online art auction to raise funds for ‘Seeing is Believing’.
‘Seeing is Believing’ is Standard Chartered Bank’s global programme to help tackle preventable and curable blindness. The programme was launched in 2003 to celebrate the Bank’s 150th anniversary and celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013.
The Private Bank is partnering with AstaGuru.com, an online auction house to host the online art auction on 10th and 11th of October 2013. Over 150 pieces by renowned artists such as M. F. Hussain, S. H. Raza, F. N. Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna, Anjolie Ela Menon, and Paresh Maity will be up for auction. Art from newer, modern and contemporary artists will also be available. All proceeds over and above the list price will go towards ‘Seeing is Believing’, with the Bank matching dollar for dollar. The base price of the works is approximately a million dollars and the auction is open to clients and prospects of the Bank.
Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, Regional Head South Asia and Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer Banking, Standard Chartered Bank said, “We believe that with wealth comes responsibility. There are 45 million blind people in the world; 80% of blindness is avoidable (preventable or treatable). In India alone, ‘Seeing is Believing has benefitted close to 5.5 million people. Through this initiative with our clients, we hope to continue to make a positive difference in the communities in which we live and work.”
‘Seeing is Believing’ is the Bank’s global programme which raises money to tackle avoidable blindness across the world. It is a collaboration between the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness and Standard Chartered, to fund sustainable eye-care services in areas of poverty and high need across the world. Launched in 2003, the initiative has grown into a multi-million dollar global programme reaching over 41 million people to date. Standard Chartered matches, dollar for dollar, all
donations made to this programme. In India, in partnership with its trusted non-government organisation partners, the bank provides poor communities access to eye care services through 74 vision centres across 10 states, through an investment of USD 4.9 million. The bank has committed additional spends of USD 6 million until 2020.
© Mouseworld Now News Service