Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Launch of President's Challenge 2012

Good afternoon

Mr Chan Chun Sing
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports

Madam Halimah Yacob
Minister of State
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports

Mr Sam Tan
Senior Parliamentary Secretary
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        The President’s Challenge has become an established flagship fund-raising platform for our social services sector. Every year, tens of thousands of people come together under the auspices of the President’s Challenge to raise funds for the less fortunate in our society. Many of you who are here today have contributed to this effort. I would like to thank you for your support.

        I am happy and committed to continue and expand this worthwhile annual effort. Today marks the launch of the President’s Challenge 2012. In addition to fund-raising, the President’s Challenge can, in my view, be expanded to involve people from all segments of our society to give of their time, their talents and their enterprise to create a better society for all.

        President’s Challenge 2012 will therefore include two new elements: the President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive & the President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award.

President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive

        We will expand the volunteering element in the President’s Challenge.  Volunteerism should be universal and inclusive. Anyone, regardless of occupation, education or income, can make a difference by contributing their time, energy and ability for the good of their communities and of society at large. Volunteerism builds social capital and promotes community bonding. It is an essential part of nation building.

        President’s Challenge 2012 will include a Volunteer Drive to promote volunteerism. The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) will work with corporations, institutions, community and charitable organisations to raise awareness of the impact of volunteering. They will also create more volunteering opportunities within our communities. NVPC will release details on the specifics later this year.

        Currently, slightly more than one-fifth of Singaporeans volunteer. More can be done to promote the spirit of volunteerism and I hope that the President’s Challenge can contribute towards efforts to nurture a culture of volunteerism to build a strong and caring society.

President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award

        The second new element of President’s Challenge 2012 is the promotion of social enterprises. Social enterprises tap on our people’s innovative energies, passion and initiative to create new business models and services to address social needs. Let me share with you a few examples who are involved in today’s event.

        I had the pleasure of visiting O School, which is located in this building earlier this afternoon. O School is a social enterprise that channels its earnings from dance classes and performances towards financing the education of low-income Singapore youths. It also provides training and employment opportunities for talented youths who are passionate about dancing. Some of them in fact performed in the dance item at today’s event. 

        Another example is Adrenalin Events. This social enterprise, which provides event management services, trains and employs disadvantaged youths and persons with physical disabilities for its engagements. Adrenalin helped put together today’s event.

        The food that you will be having at the reception later this afternoon has been catered from Laksania. Laksania is a social enterprise that trains and employs beneficiaries who were formerly from the Institute of Mental Health.

        Social enterprises like O School, Adrenalin Events and Laksania provide additional avenues for Singaporeans to address the special needs of disadvantaged groups. These social enterprises complement the Government’s social safety nets and the services of voluntary welfare organisations to create a more inclusive society. 

        I would like to encourage the formation of more such social enterprises. President’s Challenge 2012 will include a President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award to recognise outstanding social enterprises which are innovative and have made significant sustained contributions to the disadvantaged in our community. I hope that through this new element, the President’s Challenge will inspire more individuals, particularly our youths, to develop business ventures that also serve social causes.

Fundraising

        Fundraising will continue to be at the heart of the President’s Challenge. I am pleased to announce that in 2011, the President’s Challenge raised more than $12.5 million for 39 social service organisations. On behalf of the beneficiaries, I thank all our partners and donors.

        The demands on the social service sector are growing. Even as the Government sets aside more funds for social services, the community can and should do more. President’s Challenge 2012 will be raising funds for 55 social service organisations this year. One example of these organisations is the Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS) which provides support to Muslim families. Our funding will provide additional support for PPIS to provide safe and conducive after-school care for disadvantaged children and youth so that their parents may seek employment to support their families.

        Singaporeans’ continued support will go a long way towards bettering the lives of the beneficiaries supported by the President’s Challenge. Here, I would like to thank Singapore Pools and the Singapore Totalisator Board for funding the President’s Challenge administrative cost. Their contribution means that we can channel every cent raised to our beneficiaries.

Conclusion

        Let me conclude by sharing a quote by the late Khalil Gibran, a 20th century Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. He wrote, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

        I hope that the President’s Challenge will continue to grow into a community movement that involves all Singaporeans in giving not only of our money but also of ourselves in terms of our time, talents, and enterprise to create an engaged and inclusive society. 

        Thank you and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.