Within your own circle of people, you can make a difference, said Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin on Thursday.

"If everyone does it, society will change..It starts with families, neighbours and friends," he said.

He was speaking to a 560-strong audience at the launch of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes 2013 on Thursday. At the event, Citibank donated $1.600 to 100 teams of 4 students with funding to embark on fundraising projects for 38 voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs).

The students were from secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics, and the ITE and were selected by a panel of judges from YMCA and Citibank. The programme, which started in 2003, has raised more than $5.2 million in funds for some 150 VWOs.