The SG2015 movement in summary: 50 birthday projects for Singapore’s 50th birthday – 50/50 – a perfect vision to create an avenue for Singaporeans to collaborate and contribute for the betterment of others!

Curious to find out more or get involved in the SG2015 movement? Register for their upcoming meeting on Thursday, 24th October here on Peatix! Or read on below as we go behind the scenes with the SG2015 team and find out which project The Flying Dutchman’s involved in (yes, that’s him in the picture above).

Emanating with pride for Singapore’s progress in the last 48 years with a passion to give back to society, Winnie Cheng, Assistant Manager of the SG2015 team, gives us the inside scoop to the SG2015 movement.

Fun Fact about the Organiser

Who would you regard as having left a legacy in Singapore’s history of 48 years of independence? Why?

It has got to be those who played a part to bring about the successes we enjoy today. The policy makers that made housing possible, the ones who planned the city that brought about comfort for Singaporeans or the ones who planned for the economic growth that built Singapore into a country that is the envy of many today.

However, it is not all about what the policy makers have done, but essentially anyone who has done something that made Singapore a better place to be in. What about the ones who built the roads? The ones who clear the chutes daily or the ones who keep eating places clean?  All this little acts add up to building a gracious and comfortable nation that many call home. We are all about ground-up initiatives so we strongly believe that everyone has the ability to leave a legacy.

Sneak Pea-k!
Planning

Who was the brainchild behind the SG2015 movement? What was its inspiration?

The brainchild behind the SG2015 movement is Philip Wu, CEO of Grid Synergy.

His inspiration came from witnessing a fight between youths of different races, which flashed daunting reminders of the racial riots we all learnt in history, that happened even before Singapore gained independence.
He thought to himself, what exactly was in the minds of Singapore’s leaders back then when they sat down to write the pledge? What were they hoping Singapore could be after incidents of racial riots between people existing on the same land?

He then realized that the 38 words of the pledge give us a common purpose and its the only thing that binds Singaporeans on a common ground. It should then be re-interpreted by this generation of Singaporeans to make it relevant and come alive in new and exciting ways.

What typically happens at a monthly volunteer meeting? And why would you recommend people to attend?

We exchange ideas and provide updates on the progress of existing projects, recruit volunteers, and of course share the heartbeat of SG2015.

If you share our heartbeat and want to leave a legacy in Singapore, please join us at our monthly volunteer meetings and who knows, you might just be the next person embarking on a project or volunteering with one of our existing projects. More importantly, you might see yourself as a creator of a legacy that matters 50 years from now.

What are some of the existing projects being run under the SG2015 movement?

First we have Project One More Thing (POMT) run by 2 SMU students, Kenneth and Joseph, where they and their team visit the elderly to collect their wishes and aims to then fulfill them by using social media to source for in-kind donations from netizens.

We also have Deaf Dragons Singapore, a dragon boat team for the Deaf initiated by Ryan and Debra to change the mindsets of society towards people with disabilities by demonstrating their abilities through dragon boating.

Philip Wu and his team comprising of Chris Henson, The Flying Dutchman and Evelyn Lau have started Project Singaporean Talent. They see the potential in young musicians these days and thus want to create a music-entertainment industry that can nurture, protect and develop our next generation of music related talents. Additionally, they also reckon that the social aspect of music could be further developed.

Lastly, we have Entrepreneurs With Disabilities founded by Philip and Evelyn. The pair aims to empower people with disabilities by equipping them with the skills of setting up their own business and make a living.

How can the general public learn more and participate in current projects?

They can visit our SG2015 website and explore the various projects posted there. To participate, they can either register as a volunteer for projects listed on the website or attend our monthly meetings and inform us of the project(s) they would like to be part of.

Overall, what do you find most challenging in organising these volunteer meetings? How do you resolve them?

That would be attracting the right kind of people. SG2015 is a movement that has very big dreams. Though the idea is well received by many, the readiness of our participants to commit and participate cannot be assessed with just one meeting. So we are refining the vision and trying to make it as simple as possible for one to see him/her as part of the equation.

Are there any pointers you’d like to offer to organisers of meet-ups similar to SG2015’s volunteer meetings?

We are more than happy to connect with anyone doing similar meet-ups to see how we can work together. But in the meantime, what we learnt is that Singaporeans might catch you by surprise! Along the way we were pleasantly surprised by different individuals who stepped up and inspired the rest with a dream for the country which many call home. Don’t ever underestimate the potential of your idea to unlock the dreams of another.

Event details

Where?

Central Singapore Community Development Council HDB Hub Bizthree 690 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #04-10 Heritage Gallery S310490

When?

24th October, 7pm – 9:30pm

What can we expect at the 24th October SG2015 meeting?

For our third meeting, we’ll be revisiting the heartbeat of SG2015, and project leaders would be sharing about their projects moving forward.  Attendees can connect to projects they are interested to be a part of, or gather with like-minded volunteers to start new projects.

Audience
Anyone who’s intrigued (Why bother?), interested (So what do you guys do?) or inspired (How can I play a part?) are welcomed!

To keep up to date with future SG2015 meetings, remember to follow Grid_Synergy as organisers on the Peatix mobile app! If you’ve yet to download our awesome app, there’s an iOS and Android version available here and here respectively.

Image Credits: SG2015