Singapore: As part of its efforts to renew itself, the People’s Association (PA) will do more to engage a broad group of Singaporeans who are keen to get involved and do something for their communities. can be done, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday (October 29).
In order to cultivate a habit of engaging with them, PAs can provide a platform beyond their current grassroots structure and offer opportunities that are less structured and more flexible, he added.
Speaking at PA’s Community Seminar 2022 at Our Tampines Hub, Wong said PA is an integral part of the ‘Forward Singapore’ exercise. trust society.
“Over the past few months, we have heard from many Singaporeans how we can move forward on our nation-building journey and what changes must be made. We will take it in and carefully consider how we should adjust our policies,” he added.
Along these lines, Wong said it’s important to consider how the PA itself must be refreshed.
Although it has become synonymous with community activities and events in Singapore’s residential estates, he pointed out that the PA’s job is not to be the organizer of the event. Instead, he said, the event is a vehicle to the more important goal of building a cohesive community.
community volunteer scheme
One way is for the PA to work more closely with the Housing Development Board (HDB) to create opportunities for residents to play an active role in revitalizing their neighborhood’s shared spaces, he said. explained.
“PA helps us bring together groups of like-minded Singaporeans to undertake projects around issues and causes they are passionate about,” he added.
Mr Wong pointed out that the association is well positioned to do this given that it knows the needs on the ground and has a network to bring in other stakeholders and partners as needed. did.
To support more residents with diverse interests to participate in the community, PA introduces a community volunteer scheme. This gives them more flexibility in choosing the causes they want to contribute to and determining their level of commitment. Saturday.
PAs provide these volunteers with available opportunities or work with them to identify community needs and facilitate projects from the ground up. We also connect volunteers to networks and resources, and collaborate with partners and other agencies to share volunteering opportunities.
Starting next year, PA will roll out this initiative in phases, offering grants of up to S$1,000 per project to further support volunteer efforts.
Individuals or groups interested in learning more about community volunteer schemes can contact a community center or community club.
“We must always match the aspirations of our population and grow with them. It is also important to consider how we can better engage with them, especially in the post-pandemic environment,” said PA Deputy. Edwin Tong, Chairman and Minister of Culture, Communities and Youth, said a reporter on the sidelines of a community seminar.
“These are some of the measures we are taking, especially working with various community volunteers to support causes they care about, build relationships with them, and help them in terms of support. See how it can be improved, this organically created and initiated activity.”
