New youth space at *Scape to give over 3,000 disadvantaged young people a leg-up in life

SINGAPORE – A new youth space in the heart of town is aiming to support more than 3,000 disadvantaged young people over the next three years, and give them a leg-up in their career.

Located in the revamped *Scape in Orchard Road, The Trampoline will be home to mentoring programmes for young people, and act as a place for them to network, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo on July 4.

The space is a partnership between *Scape and local social mobility charity Access Singapore, and is part of broader efforts to develop the Somerset Belt as a vibrant youth precinct, he said during a launch event of the space.

“Going forward, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) wants to create more spaces and empower youth... to take the lead and make a difference,” Mr Neo said.

In line with this, *Scape will introduce a new grant to give funding support of up to $1,000 to young people who run projects around the Somerset Belt that do good for the community, he added.

The fund, called Grant for Good, will be launched on Aug 1, and will support 60 projects over the next year. More information will be shared closer to the launch date.

Like the young people of the past, those today will have to overcome challenges and take Singapore forward, said Mr Neo.

“A key priority for me as acting minister, therefore, is enabling our youth to have the conviction and confidence to pursue their diverse aspirations,” he said, adding that MCCY and the National Youth Council (NYC), together with partners, are working to develop a five-year action plan.

This is “to empower youth to develop to the fullest of their potential and to achieve their aspirations”, Mr Neo said, adding that more than 6,300 young people have been engaged on this plan.

“I think this generation of youth inspires us in their own ways,” he said. “Not least, in terms of challenging us to redefine success to be broader.”

Speaking to The Straits Times, Access founder Clarence Ching said that what Mr Neo said aligns with his goal of empowering young people who come from disadvantaged families by providing mentorship, industry fellowships and career programmes with businesses and government partners.

Access will run four programmes at The Trampoline, he said. Pathways is a half-day career exposure session with industry professionals, while Access Career Exploration is a case challenge, where young people solve real-world problems with mentor support. Mentorships is a modular programme where mentors will guide young people in exploring different academic and career routes, and support their individual development.

The fourth is the Access Fellowship Programme, a two-month initiative for financially disadvantaged students that offers skills training, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Access also hopes to use its new space to get young people and alumni from these programmes to make friends and support one another, as well as come up with plans and work with the authorities to help redesign the Somerset Belt, he said.

It is also envisioned as a shared space for charities, social enterprises and other ground-up initiatives that struggle with finding low-cost venues to host their programmes for youth.

Mr Ching said: “I hope youth will use this space to pursue their passions and interests, whether through the workshops held at The Trampoline or even through initiatives they run on their own at our space.

“The Trampoline is a for-youth, by-youth initiative, and there’s nothing I want more than to see them making it their own and using it to chase their aspirations.”

Mr Muhammed Ariff, 21, who was part of Access’ very first programme in 2019, said that he hopes this new space can be a comfort zone for young people, where they can come and make friends and relax.

He added that through Access’ programmes, and the growth of *Scape as a youth hub, he hopes that the young people of Singapore will use it to give back to the community.

Mr Ariff attended a mentorship programme with Access when he was just 15 and in “bad company”. He said that the programme helped him discover his interests in content creation and video editing, and led him on a journey of change.

He will be graduating with a work-study diploma in land transport engineering from ITE in 2025, and hopes to pursue a degree in engineering in the future.

He plans to network with others in the programmes at The Trampoline.

“I want to inspire people with my journey,” he said. “That it is not about the past, but how you want to end your journey well.”