NVPC recognises 13 winners at President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards 2024
The awards acknowledge those who have made lasting contributions to the community
THE National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) on Wednesday (Nov 13) awarded 13 winners at the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA).
Held at Raffles Hotel with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the guest of honour, the 12th edition of the PVPA featured winners across 10 categories from a pool of 294 nominations – more than the past two years.
Tony Soh, chief executive of NVPC, said: “(This) reflects a spirit of generosity and the greater awareness and recognition of those who are committed to making a difference in society.”
The awards recognise those who have made lasting contributions to the community and were spread across four pillars: City of Good Award, People of Good, Organisations of Good and Leaders of Good. Each pillar was further broken down into categories, varying by age and company size.
Soh added: “These awards seek to inspire more people to engage in volunteerism and philanthropy, by highlighting exceptional achievements and uncovering inspiring stories that have brought about positive change in society.”
Supporting vulnerable communities
Singtel won the Organisation of Good (Large Enterprise) award for its inclusivity efforts. Besides providing connectivity as a telco, it also wants to “enable people” and “give them the confidence to act”, said Aileen Tan, group chief people and sustainability officer of Singtel.
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Since 2015, the company has run workshops on digital literacy and scam awareness for seniors and migrant workers. So far, it has benefited more than a million individuals and small and medium enterprises.
Tan said: “We tackle the segments that have been left behind because of technology or a lack of digital inclusion, or because they are more prone to scams… During Covid, we started to see that the silver generation was falling behind.”
The workshops taught digital skills such as using apps for ride-hailing or ordering food, and how to be resilient against scams.
As for migrant workers, the company identified areas in which they could increase digital awareness, such as when they send money home.
“We wanted to help them better understand the risks associated with (remittance)... We didn’t want them to fall into the risk of fraud and scam,” she added.
NVPC also recognised the telco for the Singtel Touching Lives Fund, which was established in 2002. The fund has raised more than S$58 million to support six special education schools – it benefits about 1,800 children and youths with special needs annually.
Inclusive and sustainable efforts
Another winner was Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), under the Organisations of Good (Public Institution) category.
Since October 2023, about 150 staff – from SDC and businesses operating in Sentosa – attended disability awareness workshops as part of their orientation programme. The training equipped them with the skills and knowledge to integrate colleagues with disabilities in the workplace, as well as better serve guests who have disabilities.
Last year, SDC inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable to create more fair employment and social opportunities for persons with disabilities and families living in public rental housing.
Thien Kwee Eng, chief executive of SDC, said: “Under this three-year MOU, SDC and its island partners will leverage SG Enable’s programmes to train their employees to build inclusive workplaces, as well as provide mentorship and internship opportunities for persons with disabilities and ComLink families.”
On the sustainability front, SDC established the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, an alliance of 33 businesses and organisations that account for more than 95 per cent of the island’s carbon footprint. The network was set up for the members – which include integrated resorts, hotels and dining establishments – to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.
Thien added: “SDC only accounts for 7 to 8 per cent of the island’s overall carbon emissions. As such, it is important to take on a whole-of-island approach to deal with our island’s footprint.”
To track carbon usage, SDC engaged a consultant to develop a carbon emissions template that the members can use.
“This helps to accelerate and stardardise the data collection and data aggregation process, for SDC to produce an islandwide carbon emissions profile,” she added.
In addition, members can identify decarbonisation projects and interventions more easily.
Another initiative is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Accessible and Inclusive Travel Course, to provide employees with “practical strategies” to serve individuals of all abilities.
SDC has also worked on making the island’s features more accessible for persons with disabilities, from its website to its infrastructure.
“With the trial of Singapore’s first accessible beach track and our range of inclusive tours, we are setting a new benchmark and taking a significant step towards making our destination welcoming and enjoyable for all,” Thien said.
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