SINGAPORE - Non-profit organisations and social enterprises will have a common space to work together and encourage civic participation in Singapore by the end of 2024.
The collective impact hub, which will be named The Foundry, was set up in partnership with registered charity The Majurity Trust (TMT), Tote Board and the Singapore Government Partnerships Office.
Speaking in Parliament on March 1, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Rahayu Mahzam said the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) plays a key role in helping to optimise land resources, and not just for economic development.
She said: “We also recognise that spaces play an important role in forging social cohesion and promoting social good in our community.”
Ms Rahayu was responding to questions raised during the debate on the Ministry of Law’s budget.
SLA manages around 11,000ha of state land and 2,600 properties.
Located at 11 Prinsep Link, The Foundry will be housed in the three-storey building that served as the Elections Department office building for nearly 25 years, until 2019.
The Prinsep Street site was where the Returning Officer, whose duties included overseeing the conduct of polls and directing election officials, announced the results of each election since 1994.
The last result announced at the site was the 2017 presidential election, where Madam Halimah Yacob ran unopposed.
The building, which spans over 17,000 sq ft, is currently being used to host an immersive exhibition on the life of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Ms Rahayu said the building will be repurposed to become the base for social organisations, which can help facilitate the gathering of non-profit start-ups and social sector partners.
She said: “Bringing these partners together in a common space will create strong synergies to encourage civic participation.”
She added that SLA has launched a tender at the former Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre for the creation of a new space for social activities and interaction among communities.
TMT chief executive Martin Tan told The Straits Times that non-profit organisations and social enterprises often face complex and multifaceted community issues.
He said: “Yet, many struggle on their own. They are often siloed, under-resourced and lack proximity access to critical support needed to succeed.”
Mr Tan added that being housed in a common space will help organisations be more collaborative. Conversations between different organisations can help them become more aware of their own organisational blind spots.
Youth mental health charity Impart will also be moving in. Its co-founder Narasimman Tivasiha Mani said The Foundry could act as a support for young charities innovating to serve unmet needs.
He said: “Innovation always implies risk, and risk is tempered only by two-way trust. The Foundry fosters this trust through proximity.”
Mr Tan said he expects renovations to finish by November 2024, in time for the social hub to become operational. He added that crowdfunding charity Ray of Hope and community radio Vintage Radio SG will also be tenants there.
Mr Tan En, Ray of Hope’s general manager, said: “Being in the same physical space allows us to have these unplanned interactions and this is where ideas and conversations flow, relationships are built and trust is formed.”
Mr Martin Tan said: “Ultimately, the way forward in navigating complex societal challenges is a thriving ecosystem that breeds conversations and collaboration.”
