President's Challenge to Champion a National Senior Volunteerism Movement

The President’s Challenge will champion a national senior volunteerism movement, to encourage more seniors to contribute their talents and experience to community development. To achieve this, a Silver Volunteer Fund will be established to support the training of seniors as volunteers and build capabilities in various community organisations to recruit, develop and support seniors as volunteers. President Tony Tan Keng Yam announced this at the opening ceremony of the National Senior Volunteer Month 2015 at HDB Hub this morning.

The national senior volunteerism movement was one of the initiatives included in the whole-of-nation Action Plan for Successful Ageing that was unveiled by Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister-in-Charge of Ageing and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Ageing on 26 August 2015.  The aim of starting the movement is to encourage seniors to age actively through volunteerism, and the target is to reach out to an additional 50,000 seniors to participate in volunteer activities by 2030. This is the first initiative under the Action Plan to be formally launched.

The President’s Challenge will catalyse this movement through the establishment of a Silver Volunteer Fund to provide funding support to volunteer host organisations to recruit, develop and recognise their senior volunteers. The Fund will support programmes that offer volunteer opportunities to seniors, volunteer training, establishment of volunteer management systems, as well as provide recognition for volunteers. The Fund can serve as a platform to draw a diverse and growing network of volunteer host organisations to come forward and offer seniors a wide range of volunteer opportunities in areas such as aged care, health and wellness, arts and heritage, horticulture, learning and community development.

To kick-start the national senior volunteerism movement, Tote Board has pledged close to $10 million to the Silver Volunteer Fund over the next five years and the Government has matched this amount.  The President’s Challenge will aim to raise $10 million via donations to the Silver Volunteer Fund. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Government, capped at a total of $20 million from the Government. This will bring the Fund to a targeted size of $40 million.

To encourage more seniors to come forward as volunteers, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre will introduce a new senior volunteerism category in the annual President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards for deserving senior volunteers.  President Tan said, “Through senior volunteerism, older Singaporeans can be a positive new social force in our nation building beyond SG50, helping to drive our nation forward in the years to come.”

Volunteer host organisations welcome the set-up of the new Silver Volunteer Fund.  Mr Edmund Song, executive director of RSVP Singapore, who organised the National Senior Volunteer Month this year said, “The setting up of this fund will give a much needed boost to the growth of senior volunteerism in Singapore. It is a strong signal by the Government to encourage our seniors to keep active and healthy through meaningful volunteer activities, which will also at the same time create a giving and caring Singapore society.” Another volunteer host organisation, Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully (WINGS), which helps women to embrace ageing with confidence, is happy to learn about this new fund.  “Our action-learning programmes are all led by senior volunteers who embody our fundamental belief that volunteerism is a key tenet to active and happy ageing. We want to do more to engage our community of over 6,000 WINGS women to volunteer for WINGS and our mission partners. With the Silver Volunteer Fund, we can now build more capacity and opportunities in meaningful volunteerism” said WINGS President, Ms Anthea Ong.

Mr Fong Yong Kian, Chief Executive of Tote Board, said, “Tote Board is glad to participate and support the Silver Volunteer Fund.  We know the seniors have the capacity and expertise to volunteer.  This programme will enhance the platforms for seniors to volunteer and contribute actively to society.  The contributions by the seniors will help to build a resilient community.”

The President’s Challenge Silver Volunteer Fund will be administered by the Council for Third Age (C3A).  More details on the fund application process and eligibility criteria for volunteer host organisations will be released next year. Volunteer host organisations that are interested to know more about the fund may send their enquiries to C3A at c3a@c3a.org.sg

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
4 September 2015

For media queries, please contact:

Saleh Bin Ali
Head, Media and Communications
President’s Office
DID: 6835 5342
Email: Saleh_Ali@istana.gov.sg

For queries on the national senior volunteerism movement, please contact:

Ong Jue Qi
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
DID: 6325 9008
Email: Ong_Jue_Qi@moh.gov.sg

For VWO spokesperson, please contact:

Edmund Song
Executive Director
RSVP Singapore
DID: 6485 6103
Email: edmundsong@rsvp.org.sg

Anthea Ong
President
WINGS
DID: 9687 8204
Email: antheaong@yahoo.com