PVPA 2018 recognise individuals, organisations and groups inspiring others to embrace social inclusion, diversity and everyday giving
Singapore
Ms Trina Liang-Lin, Managing Director, Templebridge Investments (Co-Chair)Mr Eugene Seow, CEO, TOUCH International & Board Member, TOUCH Community Services (Co-Chair)Mr Azmoon Ahmad, NVPC Board Member; Managing Director, Desay SV Automotive Singapore Pte LtdDr Ming Tan, Director, The COMO FoundationMs Yvonne Tham, CEO, The Esplanade Co LtdMs Debra Soon, Head, Chief Marketing Officer, MediaCorp Pte LtdMr Ronny Tan, President, Sentosa Golf ClubMr Robert Chew, Vice President, NCSS; Vice Chairman, Dover Park Hospice
24 October 2018 – The National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) today announced the eight distinguished winners of the 2018 President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (PVPA).
President Halimah Yacob presented the PVPA to this year’s winners at an awards ceremony this evening, honouring individuals, companies, ground-up movements, non-profit organisations and educational institutions that have achieved excellence in giving. Several of this year’s awardees have embraced issues pertinent to society today, such as the fostering of social inclusion and religious harmony in Singapore. Their stories and contributions act as a platform to connect communities and serve causes that are often overlooked.
President Halimah Yacob, said, “I’m heartened that this year’s winners include firms that made giving an integral part of their corporate culture, as well as individuals who are passionate in helping those around them. Through their selfless acts, they have shown that volun
Ms Trina Liang-Lin, Managing Director, Templebridge Investments (Co-Chair)Mr Eugene Seow, CEO, TOUCH International & Board Member, TOUCH Community Services (Co-Chair)Mr Azmoon Ahmad, NVPC Board Member; Managing Director, Desay SV Automotive Singapore Pte LtdDr Ming Tan, Director, The COMO FoundationMs Yvonne Tham, CEO, The Esplanade Co LtdMs Debra Soon, Head, Chief Marketing Officer, MediaCorp Pte LtdMr Ronny Tan, President, Sentosa Golf ClubMr Robert Chew, Vice President, NCSS; Vice Chairman, Dover Park Hospice
teerism can be a part of all our lives. When all of us pitch in to help those around us, we can make a greater and longer lasting impact on society.”
PVPA 2018 winner highlights
Representing this year’s winners in the “Non-Profit Organisation” category, are the Assisi Hospice and volunteers from their No One Dies Alone (NODA) programme. Since the group’s formation in 2014, the team’s pioneering efforts have helped 53 patients and provided 735 hours of care. This includes 33 end-of-life vigils, making Assisi Hospice the first in Singapore to be able to support this programme on a sustained basis, powered by volunteers from all walks of life.
Other PVPA 2018 winners, such as Abbas Ali Mohamed Irshad (representing Individual: Youth category), and Blessings in a Bag (representing Kampong Spirit category) have been inspired by their own personal experiences that became starting points for their giving journeys.
Mr. Abbas Ali Mohamed Irshad set up Roses of Peace (ROP), a youth-led ground-up interfaith initiative, created in response to the Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris. To date, the organisation has engaged more than 2,000 volunteers, and distributed over 40,000 roses as a means of spreading messages of peace, building bridges, and fostering interfaith harmony since 2012.
Blessings in a Bag founder, Emily Teng, turned the challenges she faced growing up into a force for good, providing disadvantaged youth in Singapore with opportunities to discover their passions and interests through mentorship programmes, after-school care, field trips, and classroom activities.
Through their efforts, these PVPA 2018 winners have the potential to create a multiplier effect for doing good, and their contributions encourage others to bridge divides and build communities. Their actions exemplify how giving can take many forms, from philanthropy, skills-based volunteering to advocacy, each moving Singapore towards a City of Good in their own unique way.
“As we come together as a community to celebrate Singapore’s Giving Heroes, we reaffirm the values that hold us together as a society in the midst of many forces that always threaten to divide us. Giving unites people and reminds us that we share a great deal in our common humanity,” said Melissa Kwee, CEO, NVPC.
“The winners remind us that each of us can choose to use our power and influence in private and public arenas to uplift, comfort, create and expand our imagination of what it means to do good and do well. Together they represent a microcosm of what is best and beautiful about our society. May we start to put our hands to the plough to give towards the future we collectively envision.”
The winners of PVPA 2018 are:
| Award Categories | 2018 Winner | Causes |
| Corporate: Large Enterprise | Citi Singapore | Youth, Financial Literacy |
| Corporate: SME | TSMP Law Corporation | Children, Youth at Risk, Elderly, and Migrant Workers |
| Non-Profit Organisation | Assisi Hospice | Health |
| Kampong Spirit | Blessings in a Bag | Children, Youth |
| Educational Institution | National University of Singapore | Multi |
| Individual: Youth | Abbas Ali Mohamed Irshad | Interfaith harmony |
| Individual: Adult | Rupesh Agrawal | Health, Humanitarian |
| Individual: Senior | Anna Tham | Youth (Girl Guides Singapore) |
This year’s PVPA winners were selected from close to 100 nominations, undergoing a stringent selection process based on volunteerism and/or philanthropy best practices; innovativeness of ideas; inspirational value; and the impact their efforts have created.
PVPA 2018 awards ceremony celebrates social inclusion
The awards ceremony, which took place at Capella Singapore, was hosted by Special Olympics athlete leader, Florence Hui and Mediacorp personality, Yasminne Cheng. PVPA 2018 winners received hand-crafted trophies that were co-designed by Tru-Marine and students from Yio Chu Kang Secondary School. Singaporean artist, Aaron Gan, mentored the students on the design of the trophy. (Please view the full speech of the Welcome Address by NVPC Chairman, Mrs Mildred Tan here)
The evening’s performances showcased a diverse and socially inclusive range of artists including OnWheels Dance Group, Cactus Rose Band and rapper Danial Bawthan, known as “Wheel Smith”. Guests were also invited to participate in a sign language pledge, led by Hush TeaBar.
A full description of the winners can be found in the PVPA 2018 Citation Booklet, while the PVPA 2018 judging panel and examples of past winners can be found in Appendix A.
Winners’ videos are accessible at our NVPC’s Youtube channel here.
For media interviews and queries, please contact:
Jessica Chai Pei Shan
NVPC, Lead, Comms and PR
HP: 9823 8554
Email: [email protected]
APPENDIX A
Acknowledgements of sponsors:
MediaCorp; Tru-marine, Aaron Gan and Yio Chu Kang Secondary School for our beautiful trophies; Keppel Care Foundation, NTUC Income Insurance Co-Operative Ltd, Harvard Singapore Foundation – Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, The Teeth and Make the Change for sponsoring scholarships for the winners of the non-profit organisation and Kampong Spirit categories; Bettr Barista, Samsui Supplies, Metta Cafe and Bynd Artisan for sponsoring the gifts, and NPE Print Communications.
The PVPA 2018 Judging Panel comprises:
- Ms Trina Liang-Lin, Managing Director, Templebridge Investments (Co-Chair)
- Mr Eugene Seow, CEO, TOUCH International & Board Member, TOUCH Community Services (Co-Chair)
- Mr Azmoon Ahmad, NVPC Board Member; Managing Director, Desay SV Automotive Singapore Pte Ltd
- Dr Ming Tan, Director, The COMO Foundation
- Ms Yvonne Tham, CEO, The Esplanade Co Ltd
- Ms Debra Soon, Head, Chief Marketing Officer, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
- Mr Ronny Tan, President, Sentosa Golf Club
- Mr Robert Chew, Vice President, NCSS; Vice Chairman, Dover Park Hospice
Notable past winners Now in its seventh edition, notable past PVPA winners include corporate organisations such as DBS Bank (2017), Greenpac (2017), Singapore Power (2016), CapitaLand Limited (2015) and Samsui Supplies & Services Pte Ltd (2016); non-profit organisations (NPOs) such as SPD (2016), HealthServe (2015) and Asian Women’s Welfare Association (2012); educational institutions such as Singapore Management University (2016); and informal groups, The Intans (2016) and It’s Raining Raincoats (2017).
