Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the President’s Challenge 2013 Thank You Reception

Ms Low Yen Ling
Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        Good evening. First, let me extend a very warm welcome to all of you to President’s Challenge 2013 Thank You Reception  Last year, I expanded the President’s Challenge beyond fund-raising to also include two initiatives - volunteerism and social entrepreneurship. The goal is to make the President’s Challenge a platform for interested members of our society to contribute to making Singapore a more compassionate and caring home through various initiatives, whether it is raising funds, volunteering or supporting social enterprises. 

        Through the President’s Challenge, everyone can play a part and be involved in the community and impact lives.  The amounts raised through the President’s Challenge will go a long way and make a difference to the beneficiaries of the organisations selected to receive the funds.  However, the President’s Challenge is not just about raising funds, although that remains important. The objective of the President’s Challenge is to build a stronger Singapore by encouraging our people to do what we can, no matter how big or how small, and to look out and care for one another. 

        This year, I was especially impressed by the variety and novelty of the activities organised, which involved Singaporeans from across many segments of our society working with one another to make a difference in our community.

Broad-based Fund Raising Activities that Promote Bonding & Caring

        Let me cite a few examples.  SingHealth has been championing the President’s Challenge since 2003 and I continue to be amazed by the creativity of SingHealth in coming up with new and fun activities to involve their employees and partners in raising funds for the President’s Challenge. 

        At their recent Cycle-For-A-Cause event, SingHealth staff and their partner organisations teamed up to pedal on stationery bikes and tandem mounted bikes.  They cycled more than 2,600 km in total in just one day.  What heartens me is that SingHealth also involved President’s Challenge beneficiaries in their activities. 

        Microsoft is another example of a long-time supporter of the President’s Challenge. They have been supporters of the President’s Challenge since 2000.   I attended their fund-raising event just last week and I was encouraged to see the bonding between the Microsoft senior management and their staff, with their partners and President’s Challenge beneficiaries over Telematch-style game challenges.

        Other examples include PUB and Ngee Ann Secondary School, which brought their staff and stakeholders together to raise funds through mass charity runs.   I applaud these organisations for the time and effort to develop initiatives which involve their staff, partners and beneficiaries in fun and meaningful activities that promote bonding and caring for one another.

Contributing Expertise and Other Resources

        I am also heartened that more organisations are taking part in the President’s Challenge by contributing their expertise and other resources.  For example, the video you have just watched earlier was produced pro-bono by FreeFlow Productions.  FreeFlow is an organisation with about 30 people and nine of them devoted one and a half months of hard work to this project.  This is an excellent example of an organisation contributing their expertise towards a worthy cause.

        Advertising and media companies also took part by sponsoring messages about the President’s Challenge on buses, bus-stop shelters, shopping malls, cinema screens and over the radio.  Thanks to the generous sponsorships of these sponsors, we reached out more effectively to encourage more people to take part in the President’s Challenge.

Volunteering to Meet Non-Financial Needs

        The needs of the less fortunate among us are more than just financial.  They need care and encouragement from the communities and also to be integrated into society.  Such needs can be met most effectively through volunteerism.   I am happy to note that many organisations and groups participated in President’s Challenge 2013 through volunteering. 

        The Boys’ Brigade, a long-time partner of the President’s Challenge, is one such organisation.   The boys are no strangers to volunteer work.   They have been organising activities for President’s Challenge beneficiaries for many years now.   This year, Boys’ Brigade groups from various schools visited President’s Challenge beneficiaries in seven Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).  They took these beneficiaries on outings, organised games and activities, and also helped to spruce up facilities at the VWOs.  It augurs well for us, when we can get our young people into the volunteering habit. 

        Volunteering can be more impactful and meaningful if volunteers are equipped with the right knowledge and skills.  A few months ago, I visited a Senior Activity Centre run by the Thye Hua Kwan at Bukit Merah View.  As part of the President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive, the centre organised courses for its regular volunteers so that they can better interact with the elderly.  Among other things, the volunteers learnt how to communicate better with the elderly, help them use a walking aid, and help them transfer from wheelchairs and vehicles. These are things that are essential to serving as effective volunteers for the elderly. 

        I am pleased that close to 900 dedicated volunteers attended training courses and workshops organised as part of this year’s President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive.  I hope VWOs can do more to support the work of their volunteers and to promote skilled volunteerism.

Nurturing Social Enterprises

        Social Enterprises provide an avenue for entrepreneurs and their stakeholders to serve social needs in a financially viable way that does not rely on charity.   Last year, I introduced the President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award to provide better recognition for social enterprises and to increase public awareness of social entrepreneurship. 

        This year, the Award winners and nominees will be receiving pro-bono advisory services from several established corporations, which will include Keppel Group, DBS Bank and Bain & Co, to help them grow their businesses.   This is a wonderful example of like-minded people from various sectors coming together to collaborate and share resources to create sustained social impact.

        I am also delighted to share that the President’s Challenge engaged a social enterprise called Start Now to manage this year’s President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive.  Founded in 2011 and staffed by a group of energetic youths, Start Now develops technology platforms and tools to help businesses, VWOs and government agencies manage and coordinate their volunteers more efficiently and effectively.  Start Now can help grow volunteerism by enhancing the value of volunteerism for both volunteers and the organisations involved.

Conclusion

        Over the year, people from all walks of life have contributed in many ways to the President’s Challenge.  Many of them are amongst us this evening.  On behalf of the beneficiaries of the President’s Challenge, I thank all of you for your support.

        In particular, my appreciation goes out to the Singapore Tote Board and Singapore Pools for continuing to sponsor the administrative costs of the President’s Challenge.  With your sponsorship this year, we have raised close to $11m for the beneficiaries in 55 Voluntary Welfare Organisations.

        Your participation in the President’s Challenge has not only made a difference to the lives of the beneficiaries, but also to making Singapore a more inclusive and cohesive nation.   I hope that the President's Challenge will continue to have your support for many more years to come.

        Thank you again and I wish all of you an enjoyable evening.