Fifty-six keen golfers teed off at the Royal Phnom Penh Golf Club on January 22 for the 7th Lighthouse Club Annual Charity Golf Day, the centrepiece of the Cambodian construction sector’s CSR efforts.

Four corporate sponsors – COVA Cambodia, Evermore International, Hongkong Land and Seara Sports Systems Cambodia – 14 gold sponsors and a large number of raffle prize sponsors all ensured the event was a huge success.

The Lighthouse Club Cambodia reported “a record breaking event”, with all donated finances going towards driving the Kingdom’s construction sector through the support of local students, as well as continuing to assist workers and their families who have been impacted by construction-related accidents.

Always looking to transform more lives, the Lighthouse Club provides education, with tuition and allowances, for the training of young Cambodians – helping dozens go on to enjoy rewarding careers in construction.

“Sponsoring the Lighthouse Club allows COVA Cambodia to aid and support the industry in which we operate. Through providing education, we can ensure the next generation of construction workers are professionally trained and aptly qualified to complete work to the best possible level.

“The training and development of many Lighthouse Club students will have many benefits to the Kingdoms’ long term construction industry. By training a local work force, avenues to efficiency, quality and stability are opened up, allowing local Cambodians to thrive in an industry often dominated by international corporations.

“At COVA, we also employ graduates from the Lighthouse Club to work in our offices. This is great for all parties involved as we can get students into the workplace to support our teams while also providing them with an income and further training,” said COVA Cambodia country leader Kerr Thomson.

Since its inception, the principal aims of the Lighthouse Club’s branch in the Kingdom have been to support less well-off young Cambodians through education, help injured construction workers and promote good fellowship and cooperation among its members.

And such goals have seen Cambodia’s premium glazing solution specialists Evermore International sponsor the charity golf event for the past three years.

“The Lighthouse Annual Charity Golf Day is great way to promote the work the Lighthouse Club Cambodia does in the Kingdom. It’s also a fun day for serious and amateur golfers.

“The support the Lighthouse Club Cambodia provides to students in the construction industry is helping to develop the next generation of leaders in the Kingdom’s construction industry – without the Lighthouse Club Cambodia, many of these students would be unable to complete their studies and achieve their dreams.

“The Lighthouse Club Cambodia also provides support to construction workers who have suffered accidents while working, helping to cover medical expenses and supporting their families while they are recovering,” said Evermore International managing director Brenden McNally.

Formed in the UK in 1956, the Lighthouse Club has expanded to more than 30 branches across the world.

The Phnom Penh branch was established in 2010 and now has more than 100 members, including leading regional property investment, management and development group Hongkong Land.

“The work of the Lighthouse Club is very important to the Cambodian construction industry. The Annual Golf Day is a great way to support the Lighthouse Club by raising funds and awareness for the charity. Hongkong Land is pleased to be a part of these efforts.

“Hongkong Land very much seeks to provide support to the communities in which we operate. In Cambodia we participate in a number of CSR activities. We hope to see Cambodia continue to open up during 2022, as we plan to launch some new CSR initiatives,” said Hongkong Land country manager James Padden.

The Lighthouse Club’s efforts to “elevate standards in the industry” also saw leading fitness facility provider Seara Cambodia – which specialises in sports construction, as well as gym and fitness equipment supply and installation for private homes and commercial use – come on board this year as a corporate sponsor.

“The Lighthouse Club’s focus on supporting young Cambodians via vocational studies and providing financial aid where possible is remarkable because it helps to open so many opportunities in the lives of construction workers and contributes towards the Kingdom’s overall development.

“The charitable organisation has brought different companies together in good fellowship to strengthen the bond we share in contributing towards Cambodia’s growth and future while also helping elevate standards in the industry through their Golden Helmet Awards in promoting awareness on health and safety,” said Seara Cambodia country manager Anthony S Gaglardi.

The Golden Helmet Awards event to be held later this year celebrate contractors whose companies have completed projects with zero accidents or incidents.

Noting the huge importance of highlighting stringent safety practices and principles, the Lighthouse Club through the awards aim to encourage – among both contractors and clients – the belief that safety is not something to be forgotten and hidden, but rather something to be proud of.

And Thomson said the Lighthouse Club’s commitment to education and safety to support the Kingdom’s construction sector and develop the highest standards is unyielding.

“All of us in the Cambodian construction industry can never become complacent about safety and the value of a human life.

“We will never stop focusing on continued education of the construction workforce, and never stop striving to make sure that every man and woman that goes to work on a construction site returns home safely to their family and loved ones that night.

“The Lighthouse Club allows us to do just that, so our focus will be to continue to work in tandem with the club, supporting, employing and fundraising for many more years to come,” he said.

Families of construction workers injured at work, students interested in joining the Lighthouse Club Cambodia’s scholarship programme, or individuals or companies who would like to join Lighthouse and help develop the future of the Kingdom’s construction sector, should contact: [email protected].