- Growing trend of strong collaborative efforts give rise to two winners for City of Good Award category
- 11-year-old Chng Rui Jie is youngest PVPA winner ever to be recognised for giving efforts
Singapore, 11 October 2022 – Celebrating more than a decade of excellence in giving, the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) today announced the 11 winners of the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards 2022 (PVPA 2022).
The 10th edition of the pinnacle award and platform to recognise individuals, organisations and leaders that have achieved excellence in giving marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the long and illustrious history of giving in Singapore. This attests to Singaporeans’ commitment to support communities in need, through good times and bad.
While the PVPA winners in the past two years mainly focused on pandemic-related causes – an affirmation of our nation’s generosity and propensity to uplift those in need in times of crises, this year saw fewer pandemic-related initiatives. Instead, there were more winners working with underserved communities, protecting animals and the environment, promoting inclusivity, and supporting those affected by mental health issues.
Mr Seah Chin Siong, Chairman of NVPC, said, “It is heartening to see individuals, organisations, and leaders continue to collaborate across sectors and engage communities as we emerge stronger, and better, from the pandemic. I am hopeful that more will join us in co-creating the City of Good as we forge ahead in encouraging more Singaporeans to be other-centred.”
Another year of outstanding cross-sector partnerships
Owing to the high calibre of nominations received, the judging panel were hard-pressed to decide on a single winner for the City of Good Award, resulting in a second year of having two awardees for the category.
One of the winners is the Agape-Barclays partnership, which focuses on helping underserved local communities gain valuable life skills and rebuild their lives. Barclays research and funding enabled Agape to launch its training and job placement centre in 2021. The centre provided work- ready skills and employment opportunities to those looking to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society, empowering more than 100 ex-offenders through the programme.
Pro Bono School is the other meaningful cross-sector partnership involving Empact, P&G, and Credit Suisse. Developed by Empact, the programme allows social sector leaders to learn and enhance their skills and knowledge via training modules run by P&G and Credit Suisse. Empact scopes out specific challenges faced by these non-profit organisations, ensures that the training and consultation meets their needs, and matches relevant corporate volunteers with the right expertise to the social organisations for 1-1 consultations.
For these outstanding partnerships, Agape and Barclays, as well as Empact, P&G and Credit Suisse conferred the City of Good Award — the highest honour of NVPC’s PVPA. As winners of the City of Good Award, they are celebrated for their collaborative efforts across different sectors to multiply good and amplify lasting positive social impact for society.
Age is but a number when it comes to giving
At 11 years old, Chng Rui Jie is the youngest ever PVPA winner. A striking example of how today’s youth can contribute to society, the People of Good – Student awardee has spearheaded multiple fund-raising efforts for a range of charities and raised more than $845,000 in over 3 years. In addition to fundraising and volunteering, Rui Jie is also an active advocate and has been the youngest guest speaker to be invited to charity conferences.
As much as Rui Jie has managed to create significant impact in a few years, 73-year-old Grant Pereira has spent more than 30 years on environmental conservation and advocacy. He has helped to reforest natural habitats, rehabilitate wildlife, and create more green spaces to nurture biodiversity. Grant’s efforts have also extended beyond the shores of Singapore and several overseas communities have benefited from his support in leading thousands of volunteers in planting more than 300,000 trees in the ASEAN region.
In addition to the cross-sector partnership awardees, various individuals, organisations, and leaders were also recognised for their exceptional giving.
Award categories and winners
The 11 winners were selected by a panel of judges, comprising former PVPA winners, as well as business and community leaders from various sectors. The four award pillars consist of People of Good, Organisations of Good, Leaders of Good and the pinnacle award, The City of Good Award.
| PEOPLE OF GOOD AWARD | ORGANISATIONS OF GOOD AWARD | LEADERS OF GOOD AWARD | CITY OF GOOD AWARD |
| The People of Good Award serves to recognise individuals who are exceptional givers and have voluntarily devoted their time, talent, treasure, and/or voice to create a positive impact in society. | The Organisations of Good Award serves to recognise organisations that are active contributors to the community for the last 3 years, with emphasis given to contributions in the last fiscal year. | The Leaders of Good Award serves to recognise individuals who are exceptional multiplier leaders, who have devoted their time, talent, treasure, and/or voice to create a positive impact in society and galvanised others to do good, thereby multiplying the impact on society. | The City of Good Award serves to recognise cross-sector partnerships that have achieved significant and sustainable impact and effectiveness, resulting in lasting contributions to society. |
The evolution of giving in Singapore
In celebration of PVPA’s 10th edition, a special video was launched at the award ceremony, featuring inspiring stories of past winners and how they have been inspired and empowered by the awards to continue giving and creating impact in the community and working towards becoming a City of Good.
Mr Tony Soh, CEO, NVPC said “At each year’s PVPA we are reminded of the strong desire and huge potential of Singaporeans to uplift one another. This spirit of generosity and other-centeredness has taken on many forms over the past decade and will continue evolving in tandem with changing needs in the world around us. What has not changed is the importance of giving in helping to strengthen our social compact. It is by caring for and uplifting one another that we will build a brighter future and become the City of Good.”
For the full list of winners, please refer to www.cityofgood.sg/pvpa
