New schemes to boost community participation under PA 2030 plan to empower residents

SINGAPORE – A range of measures to encourage residents to contribute more to their communities was unveiled on Sept 29 by the People’s Association (PA), amid growing challenges in engaging people in grassroots activities.

Under the PA Community 2030 plan, the association aims to boost volunteering, expand the network of community partners, and foster closer ties between neighbours.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong launched the initiative at PA’s annual community seminar held at Our Tampines Hub.

There were about 2,000 volunteers, grassroots leaders and community partners in attendance.

Mr Tong acknowledged that the PA has faced challenges in its community building efforts as society becomes more self-sufficient, with competing personal commitments and more people-to-people interactions shifting online.

“We have been conscious of all these shifts and the evolution, and we have strengthened our own approach, evolved to meet these new challenges,” said Mr Tong, who is also the PA’s deputy chairman.

As he launched the Community 2030 plan with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Mr Tong announced several moves to spark community involvement.

The PA will develop a Youth Charter in 2025 to inspire and rally the youth to come forward and take action on community issues they care about.

The association will draw lessons from the FutureYouth Campaign that it organised in 2023, where it engaged more than 100,000 young people nationwide on their concerns and aspirations, noted Mr Tong.

In addition, there will be community leadership development programmes, which Mr Tong had announced on Sept 28 at the National Community Leadership Institute’s 60th anniversary conference.

The PA will also continue to grow its Community Volunteer scheme, started in 2022 for people to contribute informally. There are now more than 15,000 community volunteers, of which over 40 per cent are youth. More than $300,000 in grants has been doled out to 247 community projects.

The PA will also continue to nurture more micro-communities, added Mr Tong.

Since efforts to do this were ramped up in 2023, 19 residents’ networks (RNs) have held 80 small-group sessions, involving over 600 residents and community partners.

From these sessions, projects such as weekly fresh vegetable distribution for residents in need in Jurong Central and a community fridge to reduce food waste and support vulnerable neighbours in Ghim Moh came to life.

Another way to encourage community engagement is to harness technology, said Mr Tong.

Some of the RNs have been upgraded with new features, such as digital door access and smart switches. This allows residents to access the facilities at the centres without having to wait for a PA staff member to help.

As a result, at the Punggol Damai RN, for example, residents created their own “board games cafe”, using the space freely to share their game sets and invite neighbours to play together.

This digital upgrade across the 750 RN centres nationwide is expected to be completed by 2026.

The PA is also working with the Government Technology Agency to develop a community portal to reach out to residents with personalised communications, said Mr Tong.

The portal will have the latest community news, information on local community resources, as well as a platform to sign up for activities, volunteering and micro-job opportunities.

In addition, grassroots leaders will benefit from a new GRL@PA mobile app to make volunteering easier for them, said Mr Tong.

He also unveiled the PA’s refreshed mission statement – “Spark and nurture community participation for a caring and united Singapore” – and vision – “A nation that cares for our community”.

“Our goal is to build a community that cares, where people feel connected to and responsible for one another. This sense of unity will help us stand strong as a nation during both peacetime and in times of crisis,” said Mr Tong.

Ms Ng Bao Yi, 20, who graduated in May from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in optometry, began her own community project in January.

The East Coast resident noticed during her school internships that many in her community lacked awareness about common eye issues and wanted to do something about it.

At a community festival in 2023, she learnt from a PA staff member about the funding available for projects like hers, and how to go about organising it.

After a few months of planning, Ms Ng kicked off her eye care sharing sessions and free vision screenings for over 200 residents.

“It brings me a sense of fulfilment... that these people do not have to go through the stage of losing their sight in the future, if they can pick up the signs early,” said Ms Ng.