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The YMCA of Singapore celebrated 105 years of service to the nation in 2007. A large part of this journey encompasses our contributions to the larger good of the local social service sector through successively providing leadership to the Board of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) for decades, ever since its inception as the Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS).
YMCA of Singapore has contributed significantly to the leadership of the Council.
YMCA espouses the development of the Body, Mind & Spirit, and contributed in the promotion of sports by opening the first public swimming pool in Singapore as well as constructing tennis, basketball and volleyball courts in the early 1900's. The YMCA is also credited with involvement in the invention of Basketball and Volleyball, and was the first to introduce Rugby into Singapore. YMCA also founded the local Boy Scouts and the Boys’ Brigade movements respectively and pioneered the classes for commercial studies. By 1913, the scope of courses available had been expanded to include professional courses such as architecture, building construction and electrical engineering among others. Currently, YMCA has a YMCA School that offers ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels education and enrichment courses for local and foreign students and 12 YMCA Child Development and Student Care Centres.
In the late 1970’s, the government banned discos as they had become increasingly associated with drugs and undesirable activities. YMCA then worked with the Police and Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association to re-open the first disco in town and provided supervision through YMCA volunteers.
In the early 1980’s, the YMCA pioneered the setting up of the first Social Service Centre in Singapore, in response to government initiative to build a healthier community through supporting individuals and families by providing developmental, preventive and remedial services. By 1985, the centre became an autonomous entity but the YMCA continued to support the centre’s projects. In 1998, with support from the Ministry of Education, the YMCA took over the organizing of the annual Plain English Speaking Awards. YMCA PESA has played a very significant role in encouraging good spoken English among the young of our society. To date, it has seen 10 successive runs since 1998.
In 2007, YMCA took PESA to new heights when it was the first to introduce pre-school and lower primary categories into the competition.
In the 1990’s, the YMCA embarked on a pilot programme of the Inter-ministry Committee on Youth Crime, formed to galvanize efforts in rehabilating young offenders and keeping youth from crime. This led to the establishment of YMCA Project Bridge in 1999, as a three-year collaborative effort between YMCA, North West Community Development Council and the National Youth Council. Following the success of YMCA Project Bridge, many other similar centres have been set up today in Singapore.
During the Asian Tsunami Disaster in December 2004, the YMCA called for 19 Non-Profit Organizations in Singapore to give a helping hand to the victims of the disaster.
YMCA had also set up an operations centre at its headquarters in orchard road to provide support for the relief efforts. YMCA also had a hotline and had volunteers for relief missions dispatched to Sri Lanka. Two medical relief teams were sent to Sri Lanka for a week and more soon followed. Presently, YMCA is still involved in the building of a community centre in the tsunami-hit Batticaloa region on the east coast of Sri Lanka.
In 2007, YMCA-Lim Kim San Volunteers Programme aims to promote volunteerism within Singaporeans and improve the ability of volunteers to in order to better serve the beneficiaries. Also, YMCA colaborated with the National University of Singapore, to provide certification courses for the staff and volunteers of Non-Profit Organisations. The YMCANUS Business School Volunteer Service Management Programme aims to provide inspiration and impart volunteers and staff with the necessary knowledge to execute service projects.
In 30 June 2007, YMCA of Singapore and Tan Chin Tuan Foundation partnered with the goal of improving the lives of the less fortunate. There are many more new programmes to reach out to other categories of beneficiaries.
click here to go back to YMCA's navigation page.
The YMCA of Singapore celebrated 105 years of service to the nation in 2007. A large part of this journey encompasses our contributions to the larger good of the local social service sector through successively providing leadership to the Board of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) for decades, ever since its inception as the Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS).
YMCA of Singapore has contributed significantly to the leadership of the Council.
YMCA espouses the development of the Body, Mind & Spirit, and contributed in the promotion of sports by opening the first public swimming pool in Singapore as well as constructing tennis, basketball and volleyball courts in the early 1900's. The YMCA is also credited with involvement in the invention of Basketball and Volleyball, and was the first to introduce Rugby into Singapore. YMCA also founded the local Boy Scouts and the Boys’ Brigade movements respectively and pioneered the classes for commercial studies. By 1913, the scope of courses available had been expanded to include professional courses such as architecture, building construction and electrical engineering among others. Currently, YMCA has a YMCA School that offers ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels education and enrichment courses for local and foreign students and 12 YMCA Child Development and Student Care Centres.
In the late 1970’s, the government banned discos as they had become increasingly associated with drugs and undesirable activities. YMCA then worked with the Police and Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association to re-open the first disco in town and provided supervision through YMCA volunteers.
In the early 1980’s, the YMCA pioneered the setting up of the first Social Service Centre in Singapore, in response to government initiative to build a healthier community through supporting individuals and families by providing developmental, preventive and remedial services. By 1985, the centre became an autonomous entity but the YMCA continued to support the centre’s projects. In 1998, with support from the Ministry of Education, the YMCA took over the organizing of the annual Plain English Speaking Awards. YMCA PESA has played a very significant role in encouraging good spoken English among the young of our society. To date, it has seen 10 successive runs since 1998.
In 2007, YMCA took PESA to new heights when it was the first to introduce pre-school and lower primary categories into the competition.
In the 1990’s, the YMCA embarked on a pilot programme of the Inter-ministry Committee on Youth Crime, formed to galvanize efforts in rehabilating young offenders and keeping youth from crime. This led to the establishment of YMCA Project Bridge in 1999, as a three-year collaborative effort between YMCA, North West Community Development Council and the National Youth Council. Following the success of YMCA Project Bridge, many other similar centres have been set up today in Singapore.
During the Asian Tsunami Disaster in December 2004, the YMCA called for 19 Non-Profit Organizations in Singapore to give a helping hand to the victims of the disaster.
YMCA had also set up an operations centre at its headquarters in orchard road to provide support for the relief efforts. YMCA also had a hotline and had volunteers for relief missions dispatched to Sri Lanka. Two medical relief teams were sent to Sri Lanka for a week and more soon followed. Presently, YMCA is still involved in the building of a community centre in the tsunami-hit Batticaloa region on the east coast of Sri Lanka.
In 2007, YMCA-Lim Kim San Volunteers Programme aims to promote volunteerism within Singaporeans and improve the ability of volunteers to in order to better serve the beneficiaries. Also, YMCA colaborated with the National University of Singapore, to provide certification courses for the staff and volunteers of Non-Profit Organisations. The YMCANUS Business School Volunteer Service Management Programme aims to provide inspiration and impart volunteers and staff with the necessary knowledge to execute service projects.
In 30 June 2007, YMCA of Singapore and Tan Chin Tuan Foundation partnered with the goal of improving the lives of the less fortunate. There are many more new programmes to reach out to other categories of beneficiaries.
click here to go back to YMCA's navigation page.