Companies, individuals recognised for their giving efforts
The 10th edition of the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards celebrates the culture of generosity
AFTER being incarcerated for the third time, Anil David decided to turn his life around once and for all. He set up a social enterprise called Agape Connecting People after his release from prison in 2012 to provide upskilling and employment opportunities to help others in need.
Today, the company has a collaboration with Barclays Bank to help underserved local communities - former prisoners, single mothers, and people with disabilities - learn life skills and rebuild their lives.
Joseph See, the chief executive officer of Agape Connecting People, said: “In 2021, we placed nearly 100 people from vulnerable communities back into the workforce. We are expected to exceed 400 by the end of this year, and this is made possible by the success of our collaboration with Barclays.”
This collaboration helped both companies earn the City of Good award at the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA).
Alexander Harrison, the chief operating officer (Asia-Pacific) and Singapore country CEO at Barclays, described the recognition as “a tribute to our steadfast commitment” in supporting the local communities in which the bank operates in.
“We recognise that an organisation’s success is linked to the progress of the people, communities and businesses they serve. We strongly believe that a vibrant, skilled workforce ensures that the economy can thrive and that individuals, along with their families and wider communities, can achieve financial independence and security,” he said.
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This year’s awards, organised by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, took place at the Istana on Oct 11. The awards recognise individuals, organisations and leaders that have achieved excellence in giving. There were a total of 11 winners across four categories.
Since the first edition in 2012, PVPA has garnered almost 1,400 nominations and honoured 94 awardees. Over 550 nominations were received in 2020 and 2021, and this is a “testament to the generosity of Singaporeans in times of crisis”, said President Halimah Yacob.
In a speech at the event, she said: “While the award and its categories have evolved and been refreshed to reflect the changing landscape over the past decade, what has remained constant is the willingness of people to give and uplift those who need a helping hand.”
The National Library Board (NLB) was one of the winners under the Organisations of Good category. It was hailed for not just being an avenue for Singaporeans to improve their literacy skills by encouraging reading, but also for being an inclusive employer that employs 31 people with special needs.
Soh Lin Li, director of partnership at NLB, said: “We continually explore how our libraries can support different segments of the community. Inclusive hiring is a very natural extension of this role. We have been providing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities over the past 30 years, and will continue to provide a safe space for everyone to contribute to.”
In 2019, NLB collaborated with the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) to enable more than 20 people from the centre to take up roles within NLB. This includes positions to digitise archival content to help make Singapore’s history and heritage collections more accessible to the public, said Soh.
NVPC CEO Tony Soh noted: “At each year’s PVPA, we are reminded of the strong desire and huge potential of Singaporeans to uplift one another. This spirit of generosity and other-centeredness has taken on many forms over the past decade and will continue evolving in tandem with changing needs in the world around us. What has not changed is the importance of giving in helping to strengthen our social compact.”
For the full list of winners and categories, visit www.cityofgood.sg/pvpa
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