PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION

9, King George’s Avenue 208581 Tel: (65) 6340 5329 Fax: (65) 6348 1476 Website: www.pa.gov.sg

30 March 2017

DESIGNING FOR A CAUSE: YOUTH VOLUNTEERS AND UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN GET CREATIVE WITH ATTIRES PA Youth Executive Committee volunteers help boost the confidence of participants at the closing event for Community YOUthCare Festival

The People’s Association Youth Movement (PAYM) will mark the closing of its inaugural Community YOUthCare Festival (CYF) with a fashion showcase titled “Fashion Rehash!” by YOUthCare @ GRC on Saturday, 1 April 2017. The showcase will feature 12 young “models”, aged 5 to 11, from underprivileged families, strut down the runway in the creative attires co-created with 18 budding designers from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design. Grassroots Adviser for Tampines GRC Grassroots Organisations and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, will also join the volunteers at the event to show his support for the beneficiaries and designers.

2 The inspiration behind having a fashion showcase came from the youth volunteers from Tampines GRC CC Youth Executive Committees (YECs). “The idea for Fashion Rehash! came about because we wanted to gift a new outfit to our beneficiaries, as they may find new clothes a luxury that they can ill afford. Besides, we wanted to offer platforms for our future young designers and leaders to interact with different people and learn skills that are not taught in the classroom. We hope to let the youths know that they can make a difference to someone’s lives, even in the smallest possible ways within their means. With combined effort, we can all create a better society together,” said Apple Kor, 31, Chairperson of Tampines Changkat CC YEC.

3 As the YECs interact regularly with children from low income families, the volunteers can see that many of the children lack confidence and opportunity because of their family circumstances. A Fashion Catwalk would be an ideal platform to help the children boost their confidence as they strut down the runway. It would also provide the student designers with a chance to showcase their creative aspirations whilst helping the children.

4 “It is heartwarming to know that I was able to help a younger child by putting my skills to good use and customising a new outfit together with him/her. It is also very satisfying and fulfilling to see my work being showcased at the runway,” Pang Jiawei, 19, Year 2 student from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design.

5 “Qusyairie has always been quite shy but I see that he has gradually opened and even warmed up to Jia Wei. Although they have only known each other for a short period of time, Jia Wei always makes the effort to engage him in conversations as well as lend him a listening ear. This activity has also helped him become more confident as he learns to speak in front of the cameras and walk down the runway. He has never done this before and he finds this learning more fun than going for an academic class,” parent of Qusyairie, Mdm Noorhayati Bin Jahi, 39.

6 The youth volunteers also decided to encourage the spirit of friendly competition and to mimic fashion reality shows by having 18 students from Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design, come up with recyclable dresses from ‘rehashed’ materials as they vie for the Best Design Award. Their designs will be judged by a panel of eight judges from different industries, including Riyan Haffys, Owner /Creative Director of The Design Atelier, who also provided mentorship and guidance to these aspiring designers.

7 YOUthCare @ Tampines GRC is a project under the Community YOUthCare Festival helmed by Tampines GRC YECs in partnership with four Residents’ Committees from Tampines Changkat and Tampines West, as well as youth partners such as Temasek Polytechnic, ITE College Central, ITE College East and Young Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP). The event also marks the closing of the five-week long festival, which reached out to 21,500 beneficiaries from Singapore and saw the record involvement of more than 9,600 YEC volunteers and partners.

INVITATION

8 Your journalist and photographer are cordially invited to YOUthCare @ Tampines GRC on Saturday, 1 April 2017, 6.00pm, Our Tampines Hub (Address: Our Tampines Hub Plaza, 51 Tampines Ave 4, Singapore 529684). Interviews with the beneficiaries, organisers and youth partners can be arranged upon request. The programme and factsheet are attached at Annexes A and B respectively for your reference. Please RSVP by 31 March 2017, 5.00pm, to the media contact persons below.

Contact person/s : Miss Kherray Yeo Account Executive Ninemer Public Relations Pte Ltd Tel: 9049 9129 Email: [email protected]

Ms Kris Ye Assistant Director (Youth) People’s Association Tel: 9239 6277 Email: [email protected]

Issued by : Corporate Communications Division People’s Association Tel: 6340 5430, 6340 5432, 6238 2032

About People’s Association

The People’s Association (PA) is a statutory board established on 1 July 1960 to promote racial harmony and social cohesion, and to act as a bridge between the Government and the people. We offer a wide range of community programmes and volunteering opportunities for Singaporeans from all walks of life. Our network includes more than 1,800 grassroots organisations (GROs), over 100 Community Clubs, five Community Development Councils, National Community Leadership Institute and Water- Venture. More information at www.pa.gov.sg.

About People's Association Youth Movement (PAYM)

The PAYM was set up in 1971 as a core youth movement in Singapore to engage youth in meaningful pursuits and support the Government in nation building. Through our strategy of ‘Youth for Youth, Youth for Community’, PAYM provides diverse and holistic activities for our youths to develop into responsible and active citizens. Involving 102 Youth Clubs based at the Community Clubs/Centres (CCs), PAYM’s various programs and activities create a common space for youth to bond and contribute to their local communities regardless of race, religion and educational backgrounds. Over at PAYM, we proactively create opportunities for our youth to unleash their potentials and fulfil their aspirations.

Find out more about PAYM at www.paymyouths.sg and www.facebook.com/PAYMyouths.

ANNEX A

PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION YOUTH MOVEMENT (PAYM) YOUTHCARE @ TAMPINES GRC SATURDAY, 1 APRIL 2017, 6.00PM TO 8.00PM OUR TAMPINES HUB (51 TAMPINES AVE 4, SINGAPORE 529684)

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PROGRAMME

Time Programme

6.15pm - Arrival of Media

6.50pm - Arrival of Guest-of-Honour (GOH)

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Grassroots Adviser to Tampines GRC GROs and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources

7.00pm - YOUthCare Through Fashion

- Fashion Showcase of the works by 18 students from Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design, remaking dresses from recyclable materials

- Fashion Showcase of brand new outfits by students from Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design, for 12 young beneficiaries

7.40pm - Finale Walk

- GOH and Grassroots Advisers to Tampines GRC GROs, Mr Desmond Choo, Ms Cheng Li Hui, Mr Baey Yam Keng, and Panel of Advisers for PAYM Central Youth Council (CYC), Mr Henry Kwek, Mr , will join youth models and young beneficiaries in finale showcase and walk

7.45pm - Awards Presentation

-GOH invited on stage to present the awards, Winning Design and Top Dance Group, for the Design Competition and Dance Competition

8.00pm - Reception

8.30pm - End of Programme

ANNEX B

PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION YOUTH MOVEMENT (PAYM) YOUTHCARE @ TAMPINES GRC SATURDAY, 1 APRIL 2017, 6.00PM TO 8.00PM OUR TAMPINES HUB (51 TAMPINES AVE 4, SINGAPORE 529684)

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FACTSHEET FOR “COMMUNITY YOUTHCARE FESTIVAL 2017”

Festival Name Community YOUthCare Festival

This is the first time a Community YOUthCare Festival is organised.

Aimed at helping the needy and vulnerable segments in the About “Community community, the Community YOUthCare Festival aims to YOUthCare instil compassion and empathy in youths to create a vibrant Festival” and caring community in Singapore.

(Its Purpose) With “Caring Community” as its theme, the Festival will

span across five weeks from 4 March to 2 April 2017. The month-long community initiative will see over 80 youth- driven projects rolled out island-wide spearheaded by PA’s Youth Executive Committees (YECs).

Directions of the ’Community YOUthCare Festival 2017’ are:

(a) YECs to organise meaningful programmes and activities to reach out to needy and vulnerable segments in the community; and

Festival Direction (b) YECs to engage other grassroots organisations (GROs), especially Residents’ Committees (RCs) and/or Neighbourhood Committees (NCs), schools and other youth partners (for example ethnic/clan groups, professional and other civic groups) through meaningful ground-up initiatives as participants/ volunteers and/or co-organisers.

The 92 Community YOUthCare Festival projects include: No and Type. Of

YOUthCare projects a) Educational Trips b) Adventure & Sports c) Arts & Culture d) Environmental Care e) Family Events f) Visits to Welfare Homes g) Others

Total target About 30,000 volunteers and participants participation

ANNEX C

PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION YOUTH MOVEMENT (PAYM) YOUTHCARE @ TAMPINES GRC SATURDAY, 1 APRIL 2017, 6.00PM TO 8.00PM OUR TAMPINES HUB (51 TAMPINES AVE 4, SINGAPORE 529684)

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FACTSHEET FOR “YOUTHCARE @ TAMPINES GRC”

Event Name YOUthCare @ Tampines GRC

YouthCare@ Tampine GRC will present a fashion showcase on the 1st April 2017 at Our Tampines Hub based on Green and eco-friendly theme. It will showcase how we can save environment by going Green in the field of fashion by recycling clothes. While we showcase how we can use discarded clothes and recycled them into other clothes, we added a layer of excitement by getting the About “Fashion designers to pit their skills in a design competition. They will Rehash!” be able to showcase what they have done on stage.

One of the main highlights of the project is where the Temasek Polytechnic Design students have come together to put their designing skills to produce clothes for the beneficiaries identified from Comcare living in Tampines GRC. These children will walk the runway parading the outfits designed by the TP designers.

Over 100 youths will be joining in to organise this event. They are from ITE Central, ITE East, Temasek Polytechnic, Creative Muslim Young Kaki and Young AMP. Through this Partners Involved out-of-the-box event, the YEC gets to work with two new partners and they are Creative Muslim Young Kaki and Young Association of Muslims Professionals (AMP).

Total target About 650 volunteers and participants participation