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The annual President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA), conferred by the President of Singapore, celebrates individuals, leaders, organisations, and communities who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to giving.
The People of Good category honours Singapore’s everyday individuals who have positively impacted society by giving their time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimony. We introduce 2026’s seven People of Good Award winners who are making a powerful difference in our community.
Charlene Poh founded Project Haemoglobin to encourage more young people to donate blood through education and volunteer engagement, helping to raise awareness and encourage participation. Under her leadership, volunteer sign-ups doubled from 40 in 2025 to around 80 in 2026. Through RGSmile, a student chapter of Smile Asia, she also advocates for individuals with cleft conditions. She was also part of the organising team for Smile Fiesta, which engaged 800 runners and raised over S$12,000 for cleft surgeries and post-operative care across Asia. Charlene hopes to expand Project Haemoglobin to more schools while mentoring younger students to sustain and grow these efforts.
As President of Spectra Secondary School’s Student Council, Wong Sze Wai leads over 100 student leaders in giving back to the school and the wider community. Her efforts include supporting Food from the Heart ration distributions for families in need and a weekly programme engaging 40 students through sports. She also leads Speckles Swipes, which promotes leopard cat conservation through outreach and education, and contributed to the development of a Daily Living Space prototype to support students from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School. Through these initiatives, Sze Wai empowers her peers to recognise community needs and take meaningful action.
Believing that every student deserves the opportunity to realise their potential regardless of financial circumstances, Ashsufi Hussin founded the BrightGuides Programme, providing free mathematics tuition and mentorship to students from less-privileged backgrounds. What began as a small pilot has grown into a youth-led initiative with more than 40 volunteers supporting over 25 students across multiple locations, with more than half of participating students improving by at least one grade during the pilot phase. Beyond academic achievement, BrightGuides builds students’ confidence through personalised support and mentorship. Ashsufi hopes to expand educational support to younger students while building a strong community of volunteers and partners to broaden the programme’s impact.
Shoken Tsurumaru founded Giveinstead.sg, an initiative that transforms personal celebrations into opportunities for charitable giving by encouraging people to support meaningful causes in place of receiving gifts. Since its inception, the initiative has raised over S$236,000 across 78 campaigns, supporting over 8,000 and working with 21 registered Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs). Through its complimentary charity concierge service, Giveinstead.sg connects donors with causes and guides them through the giving journey, making it simple and accessible. Shoken hopes to grow celebratory giving into a national movement, making generosity a natural part of birthdays and other milestones in Singapore.
For more than 22 years, Laila Abu Hassan has volunteered as a counsellor in Changi Prison, supporting female inmates through incarceration and reintegration to society. Recognising that many women still needed support after release, she founded Nisa’ Hope Network, which supports over 50 former inmates through ongoing counselling and learning as they rebuild their lives. Laila hopes to strengthen this continuum of care and share the approach she has developed with other counsellors and organisations, extending its impact to more women beyond those she can personally reach.
Mohamed Basir Bin Mohamed Shariff transformed his own journey of rehabilitation into a commitment to helping former offenders rebuild their lives and steering youths away from negative influence. As Programme Director of Mawar Community Services, a volunteer-led organisation, he supports over 100 families of former offenders each month through rehabilitation and family programmes. His initiatives include the YSI Programme, a spiritual-based approach for mindset change and Climb for Good, which uses outdoor expeditions to strengthen resilience and build family bonds, with many participants returning as mentors. Basir hopes to expand preventive education efforts in schools and establish an Ex-Offenders Hub, where former offenders can rebuild, contribute, and support others.
At 80, Tay Joo Thong continues to volunteer actively despite health and mobility challenges, demonstrating that age is no barrier to giving back. His regular efforts include delivering food to autistic youths, cleaning Singapore’s waterways, and tending a community garden, while his writing promotes environmental awareness and preserves Singapore’s broadcasting heritage. Through his dedication, he has also inspired his grandchildren and friends to embrace volunteerism and community service. Looking ahead, Joo Thong hopes to encourage more sustainable practices among individuals and households, while inspiring more seniors to remain active and contribute meaningfully.
Congratulations once again to the People of Good winners for your remarkable contributions to society. We’re excited to see how your journey of giving continues to uplift the community.
We invite readers to explore the stories of our other PVPA 2026 award recipients — the Leaders of Good, Organisations of Good, Communities of Good, and City of Good Award winners — whose impact is equally inspiring.