SINGAPORE – Holding the lift door open for other users, keeping corridors clean and tidy and sharing of food were among some of the neighbourly acts featured in video submissions for a challenge launched by the Housing Board in April.
Helpful acts were displayed in almost 100 videos uploaded on video-sharing platform TikTok as part of the #OurGoodNeighbours challenge, which aims to increase awareness of the importance of good neighbourly ties.
The winning submissions were among efforts recognised for strengthening relationships between neighbours at the launch ceremony of the annual HDB Community Week on Saturday (May 28).
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who officiated the launch at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh, said the heartlands were integral in fostering strong and cohesive communities.
“To truly forge strong communities, we also need to actively encourage mixing – especially through ground-up active citizenry and good neighbourliness,” he said.
Outstanding projects from the Lively Places Challenge, where residents initiate community-driven initiatives to encourage bonding in community public spaces in the heartland, were also awarded at the launch ceremony.
Among the winning projects is Good Neighbours Great Sharing, which transformed the rooftop garden of Kampung Admiralty, a housing complex in Woodlands, to a community garden space by planting passion fruit vines on the steel pillars. This initiative was led by resident Doris Yuen, 63.
The retired administrative assistant said: “Most of the residents are elderly, so we thought that plants and greenery would uplift their moods and allow them to de-stress.
“There are stubborn neighbours who will close their door on you, but I still try to help and include them since we will be living together for a long time.”
The project team also organised workshops for residents on growing vegetables, such as bell peppers and chilli, in pots.
In 2021, 18 such projects were rolled out under the Lively Places Programme. Since HDB launched the initiative in 2016, close to $850,000 has been used to fund around 270 community projects that have reached over 100,000 residents.
The efforts of over 700 volunteers and organisations from the Friends of Our Heartlands network, a volunteering programme launched by HDB in 2017, were also recognised with awards and certificates of appreciation.
Students from West Spring Primary were commended for organising virtual cooking sessions for residents and seniors.
To date, the volunteer network, which comprises almost 14,000 volunteers, has reached out to over 158,000 residents through various activities and courses.
The tenth edition of HDB Community Week runs till June 5. The public can sign up for daily virtual workshops covering topics such as health and eco-living.
To find out more about HDB Community Week 2022 and register for virtual workshops, visit the HDB InfoWEB at https://www.hdb.gov.sg/community/hdb-community-week-2022
