IT’S a Friday afternoon, and a young Girl Guide is buzzing with energy. It’s not only because it’s the end of the week – this is when she and her fellow Girl Guides visit the Narayana Mission Nursing Home @ Chong Pang. 

The trips to the Home are fun and exciting because they get to do activities such as bingo, fishing, exercising, painting and playing carnival games with the seniors. The arrangement is part of a long-term partnership between Girl Guides Singapore’s (GGS) North Division and the Sree Narayana Mission (SNM) social service agency.

For 13 years and counting, the Girl Guides have organised weekly interaction programmes with SNM’s residents. 

GGS and SNM were the winners of the City of Good award – the pinnacle award recognising cross-sector partnerships – at the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) 2023 on Tuesday (Oct 17) at the Istana.

Speaking about the origin of the partnership, Koh-Teh Yi Wen, chief commissioner of GGS, said: “We… approached SNM home to say, ‘Can we come together to do a project where we teach our girls about empathy, as well as (to see) how we can contribute back to society’.”

She added that the experience has instilled a spirit of volunteerism in the girls, and paved the way for a “sustained partnership” between the two organisations.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

S Devendran, chief executive of SNM, said: “We embarked on this initiative because we believed that it would make a difference in the quality of life of our residents, particularly through interacting with youngsters. The empirical evidence is out there (indicating) that intergenerational activities have a salutary effect not just on the residents – the seniors – but also on the young.”

The 11th edition of the PVPA recognised 11 winners for their philanthropic efforts. The awards shine a light on organisations and people that have made lasting contributions to their communities.

The PVPA is organised by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

The winning categories are all aligned to the pillars of People of Good, Organisations of Good and Leaders of Good.

Tony Soh, chief executive of NVPC, said: “With more than 200 nominations received (this year), we can see that the culture of giving remains strong in Singapore.”

Since the awards’ inception in 2012, the PVPA has received more than 1,600 nominations and recognised more than 100 awardees. 

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who conferred the awards, said: “The persons and organisations we are recognising today come from quite a range of backgrounds and even ages, but they’ve all been going the extra mile… to do good for others.”

This year’s edition highlighted senior volunteers and intergenerational giving – exemplified by SNM’s and GGS’ partnership – as well as an increase in skills-based volunteering.

IT services company Cognizant Technology Solutions won in the Organisations of Good (Large Enterprise) category. The group initiated various outreach programmes in which employees mentored and trained youths and women to better equip them with digital skills.

Jane Livesey, head of Asia-Pacific and Japan at Cognizant, said: “We believe that improved tech skills are instrumental in driving economic growth; technology can be harnessed for social and public good; and tech adoption should be inclusive, ensuring that everyone is part of this new narrative.”

The mentoring programmes are done on a one-on-one basis, and help grant beneficiaries access to a range of resources and opportunities.

“Our strategy of enabling inclusion in tech through people-centred programmes, skills-based volunteerism and mentoring has helped us leverage our biggest strengths to create a sustainable and holistic impact,” Livesey added.

GGS, SMN and Cognizant hope that the PVPA will inspire other companies to make a difference in their communities. 

SMN’s Devendran said: “If this award incentivises, excites and enthuses (other community groups and organisations) to volunteer, then I think we are heading towards the City of Good.”