Citibank-YMCA programme wins
Singapore Youth Award 2008

A Youth For Causes team raising funds for the beneficiaries of CARE Singapore by selling sculpture balloons. – YMCA picture.

THE Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes has been conferred the Singapore Youth Award (Team) 2008 (Community and Youth Services category) for its excellence in youth development and for nurturing youths to support social causes through social entrepreneurship projects.

Since its inception, the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes programme has seen 380 teams raise $2.1 million for 150 voluntary welfare organisations.

It has reached out to 2.7 million members of the public and mobilised 45,400 volunteers.

A YMCA staff member said “this is a good programme that reflects the Biblical principles of loving our neighbour as ourself and helping those in need”. 

Professor S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security, presented the award to Mr Steven Chia and Mr Samuel Chan at the Istana on July 6. Both are members of the 2008 Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes Committee.

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and Ministry of Transport who was present at the event, descrbied the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes as “a very good programme”.

The Chairman of the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes 2008 Committee, Dr Tan Sze Wee, said: “It is a rewarding experience to have been selected for the Singapore Youth Awards. I hope that it inspires more youth to contribute to the community."

Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes – a joint community initiative by Citibank and the YMCA of Singapore and sponsored by the Citi Foundation – aims to cultivate a culture of social responsibility and build community leadership.

The programme also functions as a “social venture capital fund” to provide youth, aged 15 to 35 years of age, with seed funds and resources to execute creative entrepreneurial ideas which will benefit and support non-profit organisations of their choice.

The programme is part of the continuing efforts of Citibank and YMCA of Singapore to build up volunteer resources for the community, encourage volunteer work among youths in Singapore and help to develop in our youths the entrepreneurial spirit needed to become the country’s next generation of community leaders.

Ms Cheong May Anne, an alumnus of the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes programme, said: “I think the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes programme gives youths the freedom to follow their passion. Youths who want to make a difference in society will be drawn to it because it enables them to utilise their talents to serve the community.”

The YMCA of Singapore is a Christian organisation, affiliated worldwide, which seeks to serve and enrich all members of the community, regardless of race, language or religion, through wholesome programmes, to develop body, mind and spirit, which are based on Christian principles.