Singapore

CDCs play unique roles in mobilising volunteers, resources to help community: Chan Chun Sing


SINGAPORE – Community development councils (CDCs) play unique roles in Singapore’s ecosystem of mobilising volunteers and resources for various causes, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Friday (March 19).

The councils allow initiatives to be customised at the regional level while still achieving economies of scale, Mr Chan, who is deputy chairman of the People’s Association, said at an appreciation event for North West District volunteers.

His remarks come in the wake of Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh’s questioning the role of CDCs in government schemes during the Budget debate last month.

Mr Chan said: “Why do we run a system with national, regional and local schemes? Is it not overlapping and confusing?”

Broad-based national schemes are efficient and achieve economies of scale, but may not easily cater to the unique needs of individuals and families, he said, noting: “Local schemes allow us to narrow-cast and they can be customised to be more effective, but it is not easy to achieve economies of scale if the schemes are too small.”

Within the spectrum of national and local schemes lie regional efforts led by agencies like the CDCs, the minister noted. “Given the diversity of needs and scale needed for different operating service models for various causes, it should not surprise us to see a diversity of models, practices for experimentation and execution,” he said.

Adding that the situation is never static, Mr Chan said ideas can be scaled up or down between the national, regional and local levels, depending on their usefulness and maturity.

He added: “This spirit of customisation and using different models to bring out the dynamism of the local and regional level is something that is dear to us, something we should keep and continue to refine as we go forward.”

Mr Chan also stressed the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors and volunteers, instead of solely relying on public resources and agencies.

“The reason we insist on the public-private-people partnership is because we believe in a shared sense of responsibility towards each other,” he said. “This sense of camaraderie and collective social responsibility cannot be outsourced, monetised or discharged just by paying taxes.”

An example of such a partnership is a new $2 million fund set up for vulnerable residents in Singapore’s North West District.

Half of the money was donated by Crescendas Group and the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings, with the rest matched by North West CDC.

The fund will go towards food aid vouchers and other assistance schemes in the district.

It was announced at Friday night’s North West Volunteers’ Appreciation event, which was held in a hybrid format online and at *Scape.

The fund-raising efforts honoured the legwork of residents who took part in North West Steps of Solidarity, a virtual campaign in which they clocked over 952 million steps to show their support for those affected by Covid-19 – well past their initial target of 20 million steps.

North West District Mayor Alex Yam noted that 2020 was a very difficult year for both Singapore and countries around the world.

“Businesses in certain industries struggled, while workers also had difficulty keeping or finding jobs. Some vulnerable residents required more assistance, while others faced isolation and other social issues during this time,” he said.

“Instead of seeing this pandemic as a barrier and deterrence, our volunteers have instead stepped up initiatives to provide even more help during this difficult time.”

At the event, awards were handed out to 122 volunteers in six categories to celebrate their efforts in helping the community.

Mrs Tay Yang Fern, 54, principal of Woodlands Secondary School, which received two awards, said: “It is the least we could do as a school to help the community, especially during these trying times.

“I am proud of our students, who have brought joy and served the community while understanding the happenings around them beyond their classrooms.”





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