A digital concierge will empower citizens to seamlessly manage their own volunteering journeys – from discovery to action – by housing volunteering opportunities, keeping track of existing commitments and allowing for co-creation of projects for causes they are passionate about. This digital solution also automates manual tasks and allows for more efficient use of volunteer managers’ time.

Based on two pilots in Bedok and Jurong that studied how to achieve greater impact with the help of volunteers, it was found that a dedicated effort was required to grow the number of volunteers, train them and better coordinate the demand and supply of volunteers to make a sustained impact within towns. Together with community groups, MCCY will establish Volunteer Centres (VCs) across Singapore to better address the needs of various towns.

To inspire youths to sustain and grow their volunteering journey even after they enter IHLs and the workforce, the Youth Corps will train youth leaders and connect them to resources, opportunities and other community and sector partners to make volunteerism their way of life.

To make it easier for companies to begin or strengthen their giving journey, NVPC will work with its network of partners to consolidate resources, toolkits and best practices in Corporate Social Responsibility to encourage more companies to give back in meaningful ways.

MCCY will work with community partners such as RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers and the Centre for Seniors to engage older employees at the workplace and encourage them to volunteer.

MCCY will also scale up the “Retire with a Purpose” programme to encourage companies to champion active aging and introduce older employees to a structured volunteering journey based on their interests, time and goals.

Increased digitalisation will transform how audiences engage with the arts and culture. Apart from working with technology partners to enhance experiences at cultural institutions, a Cultural Concierge will deliver arts and culture content via a dedicated portal, and a Cultural Resource Ontology powered by Artificial Intelligence will also be developed, allowing citizens to discover and research our rich cultural and heritage content.

MCCY will engage and partner Singapore youths to move from conversation to action, with the development of an SG Youth Action Plan. Youths will get the opportunity to crystallise their vision for Singapore and identify areas to co-develop and co-deliver solutions amongst themselves with society and government to achieve this vision through the Plan.

In June 2019, thought-leaders, practitioners and policy-makers from around the world will gather in Singapore to share experiences, exchange ideas and develop collaborations for building cohesive societies. The Conference also serves to rally all communities to commit to fostering social cohesion. In conjunction, a Young Leaders’ Programme will be held to connect youth leaders and equip them to play a more active role in community building.

Sport Singapore engaged over 1,500 people through over 60 engagement sessions as part of the review of Vision 2030, the national blueprint for sport. A report of the recommendations and upcoming initiatives will be published later this year.

One recommendation that is being developed is the SportCares’ Communities of Care initiative – which aims to establish a network of partners to catalyse more ground-up initiatives that use sport for social good.

A national social movement introduced in 2017 to spur Singaporeans to take ownership of their health and wellbeing, Active Health has made great strides since its initiation. By the end of this year, there will be six Active Health Labs in operation across Singapore, two more Sport-in-Precinct (SIP) programmes and an additional space housed at a partner facility to be launched at Admiralty Medical Centre.

Sports facilities in towns across Singapore are being rejuvenated with new and innovative features; and designed to align with each town’s identity, heritage and overall liveability plans, to create common spaces where citizens can get together to play sport, socialise and forge meaningful relationships. Residents of Jurong Town, Yan Kit, Bukit Batok and Taman Jurong can also look forward to new facilities.

Persons with disabilities will have more opportunities to take part in shared sporting experiences with the expansion of Singapore’s largest unified sport competition Play Inclusive. The Play-Ability recreational sports programme will also reach out to more homes and day activity centres that serve people with disabilities. SportSG will also develop capabilities in disability sports among teachers and staff.

The ActiveSG Academies and Clubs provide structured programmes for both young and old to learn and develop skills in the sport, and acquire values such as teamwork, discipline and resilience. This year, Canoeing and Gymnastics will be introduced, bringing the total number of Academies and Clubs across Singapore to 18.

More opportunities will be introduced for Team Nila volunteers to promote active living, through platforms such as SportCares, ActiveSG Academies & Clubs, ActiveSG Centres, Active Health and sporting events. Special focus will be placed on seniors to encourage them to lead active lives and continue contributing to the community.

MCCY will progressively implement the Computer Vision Drowning Detection System (CVDDS) across public swimming complexes in Singapore to ensure that more Singaporeans can have a safer swimming experience. The system’s unique software enhances and complements lifeguards’ distress detection and lifesaving efforts. By 2020, 11 pools will have this system installed.

The SGSecure Community Network Crisis Preparedness Accreditation Scheme for Religious Organisations (ROs) will be launched in late 2019 to help ROs build capabilities for emergencies. The scheme will cover the need for ROs to assess their emergency preparedness, provide members with training for emergency response and for ROs to conduct regular exercises to ensure readiness in the event of crisis.

There will be greater support for arts freelancers through an online portal offering shared services and resources, which will be ready later this year. MCCY will also strengthen research in the arts by conducting studies, organising a research symposium and sharing information through monthly newsletters so artists can better understand their audiences and the effect of their work.

Our arts and culture practitioners and institutions benefit from access to new markets and opportunities to exchange knowledge with other arts practitioners globally. MCCY will continue to support our artists as they chart new waters and work on more cross-border collaborations to facilitate developmental opportunities and art making with our neighbours.

There was widespread support from Singaporeans for our nomination of Hawker Culture to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The nomination dossier will be submitted by end-March 2019 – a community effort that would not have been achievable without various ground-up efforts to promote and document our Hawker Culture.

$3 million has been set aside for in 2019 for SportSG to provide extended support for Team Singapore athletes preparing for major games. This, together with our existing support for High Performance Sports, maximise our athletes’ potential and propel them to greater heights as they fly the Singapore flag high in the global arena.

The Commissioner of Charities (COC) will be streamlining and simplifying reporting requirements for smaller charities, to help them channel their efforts into serving the public more effectively. In addition, the COC will support charities in regulatory compliance and governance efforts via learning programmes, grants and shared services.