Singapore's first inclusive Red Cross Youth Club for youth with and without intellectual disabilities was launched yesterday at the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) Delta Senior School.
The club will comprise 15 students from the APSN Delta Senior School. These students are between 16 and 21 years old and have mild intellectual disability with intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of between 50 and 70.
The club will allow the students from APSN Delta Senior School to work with other Red Cross Youth members to learn basic first aid skills, as well as participate in recreational activities such as bowling.
Health Minister and MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Gan Kim Yong officiated at the launch along with Singapore Red Cross secretary-general and chief executive Benjamin William.
In his speech to students of APSN Delta Senior School yesterday, Mr William said: "The club will create many opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to be developed together, as volunteers and volunteer leaders."
ITE College East student Nurul Natasha Rosslan, a member of the Red Cross Youth, said she was initially worried about whether she could communicate with the APSN Delta Senior School students successfully.
"But at the end of the day, they were really friendly and they made me realise that we are just the same people," said the 19-year-old.
"They share their feelings with me, and they give us lots of good ideas, which I really appreciate."
Andy Wee, 18, a student of APSN Delta Senior School and member of the newly launched Red Cross Youth Club, said he had picked up basic first aid and found the interaction with other young people exciting. "At first when we didn't know each other it was a bit hard, but we became more friendly with each other and it got easier."
The Red Cross Youth at APSN Delta Senior School will work with other Red Cross Youth members to organise activities such as first aid demonstrations, as well as sports and outreach programmes.
These programmes will be funded by Special Olympics Asia Pacific with a $10,000 grant aimed at bringing together people with and without intellectual disabilities.
