⁃ Funding set up first-of-its-kind mobile youth engagement outpost with an electric vehicle

⁃ Donation enabled full refurbishment of youth centres in Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio to expand service delivery and outreach programmes

⁃ This milestone comes as YGOS marks its 40th founding anniversary this year

Singapore, 29 May 2023 – SP Group (SP) has partnered Youth Guidance Outreach Services (YGOS) to expand preventive outreach services through a S$750,000 contribution. This is the largest single donation YGOS has received since it was established to support youths-at-risk and their families through caring relationships and developmental opportunities, enabling them to integrate with mainstream society and to make positive contributions to their schools and community.

The funding went towards setting up the first-of-its-kind Mobile Outreach Support Team (MOST) 青年社区移动站 with an electric vehicle (EV) and ramping up operations at a new youth centre in Jurong, which has one of the highest concentrations of youth in Singapore. SP is sponsoring charging credits for the MOST EV, enabling the team to scale up operations with Singapore’s largest EV fast-charging network. SP’s support has also enabled the refurbishment of YGOS youth centres at Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio, catering for more youth.

At the launch of the upgraded YGOS Woodlands centre, Guest-of-Honour, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development & Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Eric Chua said, “SP Group has demonstrated how corporates can lead the charge in building a culture of sustained giving, and working with social service agencies like YGOS, to meet needs in the community. With 2023 being the Year of Celebrating Social Service Partners, I hope more partners will come onboard to give generously, so that we can empower communities-in-need to achieve their fullest potential, despite the challenges they face.”

Group CEO of SP Group, Mr Stanley Huang said, “SP Group is pleased to partner YGOS to provide more youths with safe spaces, nurturing mentorship and professional guidance to build confidence and find practical pathways to realise their potential. We are also glad to help YGOS incorporate sustainability in its operations with the added dimension of the mobile outreach powered by an electric vehicle and having access to SP’s island-wide charging network.”

Mobile Outreach

YGOS is pioneering a new concept - Mobile Outreach Support Team (MOST) - in Singapore. Powered by an electric vehicle, MOST is envisioned as a mobile outpost to extend YGOS’s existing suite of services. Staff and volunteers onboard the MOST currently pan out to youth hotspots in Jurong, with plans to expand these services to the Geylang vicinity in the future.

By providing a space for youths to hang out, YGOS aims to deliver guidance and support on the move. The MOST vehicle is fully equipped with offerings to engage with youth, including mobile Wi-Fi, entertainment offerings and more. Trained staff and volunteers will be on-site to provide outreach services which covers career guidance, smoking and vaping cessation, mentoring, mental wellness, family relations and more.

New Youth Offerings

The revamped youth centres at Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio provide a safe environment for youth to enjoy meaningful engagements, form positive peer relationships and build character, to serve them well in their teen and young adult life stages. The new centres feature an open layout, modern concepts as well as multi-use spaces that cater to a wide range of activities including group-based mentoring, workshops, cooking, crafting, as well as music and dance.

YGOS’ services now cover all regions in Singapore, with its centres in Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Geylang and Jurong. These youth centres currently offer drop-in services twice weekly, and benefits close to 1,000 youths annually.

Mr Wilson Tan, Executive Director of YGOS, added, “We are greatly appreciative of SP Group’s support in enabling YGOS to expand our service delivery. With the refurbishment of our centres and the launch of the Mobile Outreach Services Team, we can now proactively reach out to youths in precincts in which our centres are based. Since the soft launch of MOST in March, we have seen keen interest from youths and a steady inflow of new participants to our programmes. We hope to continue building on this momentum, and to expand this service to more precincts in Singapore.”

SP Group staff volunteers, known as SP Heart Workers, have also been actively engaged with youth from YGOS. Engineers at the Marina Bay District Cooling Plant conducted a “below-thescenes” tour showcasing the world’s largest underground district cooling network and sustainability concepts to a group of 30 youths, aged 10-16, during the March school holidays. Building connections through the common language of sports, SP Heart Workers have also been building rapport with more than 80 youths through basketball sessions, befriending and inspiring them to pursue their life interests and a fulfilling education.

C Tharani, 16, who joined YGOS in 2021, shared, “I have gained a lot from YGOS, forging new friendships with the trusted staff and volunteers. They have helped me build a support system outside of school and that has given me the confidence to pursue both my personal and academic interests. I hope to pursue a career in the medical or biomedical sector in the future, as I gear up for my GCE ‘N’ Levels this year.”

Edmund Pang, 20, an ex-beneficiary who was part of YGOS’ programme in 2018, said, “The YGOS centre in Woodlands is like a second home to me, as I could look forward to a healthy and caring relationship with the staff, who listened and helped with my personal issues. I discovered newfound confidence in myself and in my abilities to pursue the things I have always wanted to do. I am also inspired to lead my best life and look forward to giving back to the community.”

SP’s donation is channelled through the SP Heartware Fund, which is managed by Community Chest, in support of YGOS’ programmes.

-Ends-

About SP Group

SP Group is a leading utilities group in the Asia Pacific, empowering the future of energy with low-carbon, smart energy solutions for its customers. It owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses in Singapore and Australia, as well as sustainable energy solutions in Singapore, China, Thailand and Vietnam.

As Singapore’s national grid operator, about 1.6 million industrial, commercial and residential customers benefit from its world-class transmission, distribution and market support services. These networks are amongst the most reliable and cost-effective worldwide.

Beyond traditional utilities services, SP Group provides a suite of sustainable and renewable energy solutions such as microgrids, cooling and heating systems for business districts and residential townships, solar energy solutions, electric vehicle fast-charging stations and digital energy solutions for customers in Singapore and the region.

For more information, please visit spgroup.com.sg or follow us on Facebook at spgrp.sg/Facebook, LinkedIn at spgrp.sg/Linkedin and Instagram at spgrp.sg/Instagram.

About Youth Guidance Outreach Services (YGOS)

Youth Guidance Outreach Services (YGOS) is a non-profit charitable organisation that has been serving troubled youths in the community since 1983. We aim to provide them and their families hope through caring relationships and developmental opportunities for the whole person.

Our core focus and programmes include preventive (Drop-in Centres), developmental (School Social Work), remedial (Guidance Programmes) and rehabilitative work. Developing people, diversifying partnerships and remembering our distinctive purpose in the work we do are key factors that drive us forward.

We have centres in Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Geylang, Jurong and also manage a Community Rehabilitation Centre, where we are able to share our vision and impact lives more effectively.

YGOS gained membership with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and since 1997, held the status of an institution of Public Character (IPC).

For more information, please visit www.ygos.sg or follow us on Instagram at @ygos_sg, Facebook at facebook.com/ygos.sg and LinkedIn at https://sg.linkedin.com/company/youthguidance-outreach-services.

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