- PVPA returns for its 12th edition this year, celebrating 13 winners, including three award categories with two winners each
- For the first time, the PVPA collaborates with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Volunteer and Partner Awards (MVPA)
Singapore, 13 November 2024 – The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) today unveiled 13 winners of the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) 2024 at Raffles Hotel Singapore in a ceremony graced by Guest of Honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and accompanied by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law.
Now in its 12th edition since its inception in 2012, the PVPA continues to celebrate individuals and groups that have achieved excellence in giving. Conferred by the President of Singapore, these awards represent the highest honour for giving in Singapore.
This year, a total of 294 nominations were received across 10 award categories, higher than the past two years. There are two award winners in each of the three award categories: People of Good (Open), Leaders of Good (Adult), and Organisations of Good (Small & Medium Enterprise).
This year also marks the first time that the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Volunteer and Partner Awards (MVPA) has collaborated with the PVPA. The MVPA recognises and honours the commitment and dedication of MSF’s volunteers and partners, who have served in various areas of the Ministry. As part of the collaboration, quality nominations from the MVPA process were surfaced for consideration alongside nominations received for PVPA 2024 by an esteemed panel of judges (Annex A) comprising leaders and representatives from the 3P – People, Private and Public sectors.
“As the needs of the community evolve, it is heartening to see how individuals and corporates respond in their contributions. Even as we recognise the new wave of changemakers, we continue to celebrate the collective efforts across our society in volunteerism and philanthropy, which strengthen community bonds. The award remains true to its purpose – to highlight the remarkable acts of giving we see today, and also inspire more Singaporeans to make a positive difference for others,” said Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law.
Leadership and Legacy
PVPA 2024 shines a spotlight on leaders who have laid strong foundations for social change in Singapore and inspired others to follow suit. In the Leaders of Good (Adult) category, Dr Sushilan Vasoo was honoured for his extensive contributions to Singapore’s Social Service Landscape over five decades. His early work in piloting innovative, community-based projects to reach out to those in need has evolved into mainstream services like the Family Service Centres we have today. Over the years, he has also volunteered in various community organisations such as Allkin, Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) and ACE Seniors, and remains active to this day. As an educator and an author of various monographs and articles, he has inspired several generations of social workers and members of the public to contribute in their own way. He was also awarded the Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Volunteer and Partner Awards earlier this year.
In the Leaders of Good (Adult) category, alongside Dr Vasoo, Mr Koh Juay Meng was awarded for his outstanding achievements over 40 years as a changemaker in the grassroots and social service sector. He takes a hands-on approach as the Chairman of RSVP Singapore, The Organisation of Senior Volunteers, actively advocating for senior volunteerism and galvanising many to contribute meaningfully to society. Besides his work with RSVP Singapore, he also serves on various advisory committees in charities and the public service.
Similarly, the winner of the Leaders of Good (Youth) category, Mr Clarence Ching, founded Access Singapore in 2019 while he was still in university, with a desire to improve social mobility. Aiming to provide opportunities to and empower disadvantaged students to achieve their fullest potential, the initiative has since worked with over 1,300 students.
A Community for Social Inclusion and Empowerment
Across the various categories, this year’s PVPA also brings to the forefront a growing movement to build a more caring, inclusive and compassionate community. The winner of the People of Good (Student) category, Ms Pan Xi, is one such example leading the way from a young age. She spearheaded Project Oasis to help immigrant children better integrate into our society through English lessons and positive attributes development. Beyond Project Oasis, she is also involved in other initiatives that focus on helping underprivileged children and people with special needs.
Foreword Coffee, one of the two winners of the Organisations of Good (Small and Medium Enterprise) category, embodies this inclusivity movement. A social enterprise that is a pioneer in championing inclusive hiring in Singapore, the social enterprise not only creates meaningful interactions over coffee, but also drives inclusion by providing training and employment opportunities. They also conduct community engagements aimed at reducing the social stigma of hiring people with disabilities or mental health needs.
A corporate organisation that further demonstrates this ethos is Organisations of Good (Large Enterprise) category winner, Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel). Their flagship corporate philanthropy programme, the Singtel Touching Lives Fund, has raised more than S$58 million since 2002, supporting the critical education needs of approximately 1,800 children and youth with special needs annually.
In the public sector, winner of the Organisations of Good (Public Institution) category, Sentosa Development Corporation, has committed to becoming an inclusive destination for all. To achieve this, they have actively worked with businesses on Sentosa to make this island a more inclusive workplace. This includes supporting inclusive hiring and conducting training to create a supportive workplace for teammates with different needs. Other initiatives include accessible infrastructure such as the first accessible beach track in Singapore, an accessible tour led by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) for PWDs and an accessible Sentosa website for people of all abilities.
Winner of the City of Good category, Camp Cacti, aptly captures the spirit of inclusion, empowerment and collaboration. Camp Cacti is a 3P partnership between CapitaLand Hope Foundation and Yellow Ribbon Singapore’s network partners: Life Community Services Society, NeuGen Fund, and New Life Stories. It aims to build social and emotional resilience among vulnerable children. The programme engages the children in activities that help them manage emotions, navigate challenges, and build character. In 2023 and 2024, 75% of participants showed an increase in socio-emotional competence. Camp Cacti has since benefitted over 200 children.
Selfless Giving, Dedication and Resilience
This year’s honourees also include individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of personal challenges. People of Good (Open) category winner, Mr Herman Sing, is a long-standing community volunteer of over 20 years who continued to organise charity events despite undergoing major surgery to donate 67% of his liver to a stranger. His story is one of selflessness and unwavering dedication to his community.
Ms Kong Huay Siew, also awarded in the People of Good (Open) category, is a deeply committed end-of-life care volunteer. Even though she only began volunteering at HCA Hospice in 2017, she has since dedicated over 1,500 hours as a Medi-Minder and Vigil Angel, providing essential care and comfort, while upholding the dignity of patients in their last moments.
Meanwhile, People of Good (Senior) category winner, Mr Ellil Mathiyan Lakshmanan, is a cancer survivor who uses his experience to advocate for cancer awareness. He dedicates his time to inspiring the younger generation by sharing his cancer journey, supporting others through initiatives like Relay for Life and the Cancer Can Give movement, encouraging them to give back and raising awareness about cancer survivorship.
The PVPA also celebrated other winners, including another winner honoured in the Organisations of Good (Small and Medium Enterprise) category, Techlyon and in the Organisations of Good (Non-Profit Organisation) category, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). AKIN by Techylon, a human-centric marketing agency, multiplies the impact of non-profits through the active adoption of pro-bono projects and leveraging their networks across industries for collaboration and to co-create solutions. NKF, a well-established name in the non-profit space, supports patients through its core extensive dialysis programme across the 42 centres they operate. They have also contributed to increasing public awareness of kidney failure which has increased public support for the renal community.
Mr Tony Soh, CEO of NVPC, said, “As we celebrate the achievements of this year’s PVPA winners, we look forward to seeing how their impactful work will inspire others to take action and drive positive social change. In recognising what it means for individuals and organisations from all segments of society to contribute to building a City of Good, we seek to re-energise our collective efforts to nurture a stronger culture of giving, where everyone is motivated to support one another by contributing their time, talent, treasure, ties and testimony.”
PVPA 2024 Award Categories and Winners
Kindly refer to the judging panel and full list of winners at www.nvpc.org.sg/pvpa, or in Annex A and B respectively. The PVPA 2024 conferred awards across four pillars: People of Good, Organisations of Good, Leaders of Good, and the prestigious City of Good Award.
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About National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)
NVPC is the national agency dedicated to driving a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy in Singapore. By engaging individuals, organisations, communities and leaders across the people, private and public sectors, we seek to create a more caring, inclusive, and compassionate society. Together, we envision Singapore as a City of Good, where everyone is able to give every day and everywhere (3Es), contributing their time, talent, treasure, ties and testimony (5Ts). Learn more at nvpc.org.sg.
About the Presidents’ Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards
The President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) is the pinnacle award and platform to recognise individuals, organisations, leaders and cross-sector partnerships that have achieved excellence in giving. These awards represent the highest honour for giving to the community and are conferred by the President of the Republic of Singapore. It is organised annually by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Annex A: PVPA 2024 Judging Panel
People of Good Award Category
• Ms Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times
• Dr William Wan, General Secretary, Singapore Kindness Movement
• Mdm Zulaiha Yusuf, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, MENDAKI Singapore
• Mr Cho Ming Xiu, Founder and Executive Director, Campus PSY (Singapore)
Leaders of Good Award Category
• Dr Ming Tan, Advisor, COMO Group and Founding Executive Director, Tech for Good Institute
• Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim, CEO, Make-A-Wish Singapore & President, PPIS
• Dr Goh Wei Leong, Co-Founder & Advisor, HealthServe
• Mr Lim Tanguy, CEO, Law Society Pro Bono Services
• Mr Tan Lin Teck, Deputy CEO, National Youth Council
Organisations of Good Award Category
• Mr Tony Soh, CEO, NVPC
• Mr Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Business Federation
• Ms Esther Chang, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Singapore
• Ms Ang Guat Ling, Client Partner, Public Sector, Cognizant
• Mr Terence Quek, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Institute of Directors
Organisations of Good Award Category (Non-Profit Organisation)
• Mr Abdul Hamid Abdullah, Member, Charity Council, Former Audit Director, Auditor-General’s Office
• Mr Ng Boon Heong, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Foundation
• Mr Benny Lee, Executive Vice President, Royal Golden Eagle (RGE)
• Ms Dipa Swaminathan, Founder, ItsRainingRaincoats
• Mr Neil Yong, Chair, TalentTrust, Executive Director, Woh Hup
City of Good Award Category
• Mr Seah Chin Siong, Chairman, NVPC
• Mr Julius Lim, Principal Private Secretary, President’s Office (Istana’s Representative)
• Mrs Koh-Teh Yi Wen, Chief Commissioner, Girl Guides Singapore
• Prof Tan Tai Yong, President & Professor, Singapore University of Social Sciences
Annex B: Overview of PVPA Winners 2024
- People of Good (POG)
| Category | Name of Winner | Description |
| Student 16 years old and below | Pan Xi (16 years old) | Since 2023, Pan Xi, together with her friends, spearheaded Project Oasis to teach English to immigrant children, primarily from Vietnam and Thailand, helping them better integrate into the Singapore society. She is also part of Project Unwind, which promotes healthy living among students. From 2022 to 2024, as an executive member of the North West Youth Assembly, Pan Xi served the North West district community, focusing on underprivileged children and the elderly. She has also embarked on a project with MINDS to engage persons with intellectual disabilities, helping to improve their social skills, fine motor skills, and overall well-being. |
| Open 17 years old – 64 years old | Herman Sing Mern Cher (46 years old) | Herman has volunteered for over 20 years, founding “Fulfilling Hope; Realising Dreams”, a group dedicated to organising volunteer events. He actively organises volunteer activities that benefit needy families, patients and children. Herman has played a crucial role on the COVID-19 frontline, earning both the PBM and COVID-19 Resilience Medal. In 2023, he donated 67% of his liver while continuing to organise volunteer activities despite the surgery and continuing his monthly blood platelets and plasma donation. He is currently serving on the National Kidney Foundation Volunteer Committee as the incoming Vice Chairperson, Singapore Silent Heroes Student Award organising committee, and volunteer mentor for graduating students at a polytechnic. |
| Kong Huay Siew (55 years old) | Ms. Kong is deeply committed to her volunteer roles with HCA Hospice as a Medi Minder and Vigil Angel, providing essential care and comfort to patients in their last stage of life. As a Medi Minder, she delivers nursing care independently to young Star PALS patients, including tasks like suctioning and feeding. Ms. Kong has contributed 1,500 hours of service to HCA over the last eight years. Her dedication extends to learning new skills and mentoring others, inspired by her father’s end-of-life care. She aims to expand the Vigil Angel programme, sharing her expertise with future volunteers. | |
| Senior 65 years old and above | Ellil Mathiyan Lakshmanan (65 years old) | Ellil, a cancer survivor, dedicates his time to sharing his cancer journey and his resilience he developed in his fight against cancer. He imparts this knowledge to younger generations through scheduled school talks and to various organisations. Since 2017, Ellil has been actively involved in Relay for Life, a global movement that raises funds and awareness for cancer. He also serves as the coordinator for the Cancer Can Give movement, which aids cancer survivors in giving back to society. He is also a mentor with the SingHealth Patient Advocacy Network. |
- Leaders of Good (LOG)
| Category | Name of Winner | Description |
| Youth 35 years old and below | Clarence Ching (30 years old) | Inspired by the extensive social mobility work in the UK, Clarence founded Access in 2019 as a social mobility non-profit to provide career exposure opportunities for disadvantaged students. Under his leadership, Access is now a registered charity with a robust team of 150 full-time staff, volunteers and facilitators. Access has also impacted over 1,300 academically, financially, or socially disadvantaged students across more than 20 schools, observing improvements in confidence levels and career preparedness. Beyond programmes, the team has also spearheaded advocacy initiatives, including its inaugural Access Social Mobility Summit 2024 and its Social Mobility Surveys in 2022 and 2023. |
| Adult 36 years old and above | Koh Juay Meng (66 years old) | For over 40 years, Mr Koh has been an exceptional changemaker and leader in the grassroots and social service sector. Under his visionary leadership as Chairman, RSVP Singapore is distinguished as the National Centre of Excellence for Senior Volunteerism, profoundly shaping Singapore’s senior volunteerism landscape. He is honoured with the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM) for his commendable public service achievements that included appointments with the ElderShield Review Committee, LTA Active Mobility Advisory Panel, Merdeka Generation Communications and Engagement Taskforce, and the SG Cares Steering Committee. |
| Adult 36 years old and above | Dr S Vasoo (83 years old) | Dr Vasoo has made invaluable contributions to Singapore’s social service landscape over the last five decades. His early work in piloting innovative, community-based projects to reach out to those in need has evolved into mainstream services, such as the Family Service Centres and Aces Care HelpLife we have today. Over the years, he has volunteered in various community organisations and remains active to this day. As an educator and author of various monographs and articles, he has inspired several generations of social workers and members of the public to contribute in their own way. |
- Organisations of Good (OOG)
| Category | Name of Winner | Description |
| Large Enterprise | Singapore Tele-communications Limited | Singtel is Asia’s leading communications technology group, guided by their Corporate Purpose, Empower Every Generation. Singtel has digitally enabled close to one million people and SMEs since 2015, through initiatives such as digital literacy and scam awareness workshops for seniors and migrant workers. The Singtel Touching Lives Fund has raised over $58 million to support the education of children and youth with special needs. Singtel achieved an A score for the CDP Climate Change 2023 assessment, which recognised their climate action strategy, sustained emissions reduction and improved environmental disclosures. |
| Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) | Foreword Coffee Pte. Ltd. | Founded in 2017, Foreword Coffee is a social enterprise with the mission to mainstream disability and normalise inclusion. They operate cafes and mobile coffee carts, and provide training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and mental health needs, striving to reduce social stigma through meaningful interactions over coffee. They also collaborate with large enterprises to set up in-house coffee kiosks and actively engage the public to share about their disability-inclusive practices. In 2023, they have reached out to more than 900 people across 26 events. |
| Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) | Techlyon Pte. Ltd. | AKIN by Techlyon designs strategies informed by data and technologies, sustained through their focus on talent and capability development. AKIN collaborates with tertiary institutions to develop digital marketing curricula to prepare future marketers. They also provide low-cost and pro bono digital marketing services to NPOs. AKIN’s senior management is a part of the pioneer Volunteer Career Advisor cohort and actively coaches startups and social enterprises in the Singapore ecosystem. |
| Public Institution | Sentosa Development Corporation | Beyond supporting inclusive hiring and training staff to better serve Persons with Disabilities, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) works with Island Partners to host the annual SentosaCares, which feature inclusive activities in Sentosa for beneficiaries. Sentosa also aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. In addition to their initiatives on decarbonisation, SDC has established the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, comprising 30 members which account for 95% of the island’s carbon profile. |
| Non-Profit Organisation | The National Kidney Foundation | The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has significantly transformed kidney health in Singapore, saving more than 15,000 lives since its inception in 1969. NKF currently supports more than 5,800 patients and operates 42 centres. In 2023 alone, 650,000 life-saving dialysis treatments were delivered, with 86% of patients reporting improved quality of life, based on the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Survey results. NKF also engaged nearly 5,000 volunteers from 170 organisations, contributing 41,000 hours of service towards 5,000 patients. Additionally, NKF rallied 544 organisations and 148,331 individuals, raising nearly $30 million to provide critical care and hope to patients. |
- City of Good (COG)
| Name of Winner | Description |
| Camp Cacti | Camp Cacti is a collaborative initiative between CapitaLand Hope Foundation and Yellow Ribbon Singapore’s network partners: Life Community Services Society, NeuGen Fund, and New Life Stories. The collaboration brings together partners from the people, public and private (3P) sectors to empower vulnerable children in their personal growth by fostering social and emotional resilience and promoting character development. By drawing on each partner’s unique strengths, the collaboration amplifies efforts and deepens the impact of initiatives aimed at helping vulnerable children thrive. In 2023 and 2024, 75% of participants showed an increase in socio-emotional competence. Camp Cacti has since benefitted over 200 children. |
