New $4.3 million grant to support about 22,000 families with essential items in the South West District

The South West Community Development Council (CDC), will launch a $4.3 million South West Community Resource Fund at the South West District Meeting & Partners Appreciation 2024 to support outreach programmes in the community. The fund will be launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Mayor of South West District Ms Low Yen Ling. Expected to benefit about 22,000 families in the South West District per year, the fund will be made available to the 18 divisions in the South West District. It can be used to implement programmes at the community level which covers a broad range of areas to address needs of the lower to middle class residents.

Under the programme, divisions in the South West District will have the flexibility to tailor their programmes to the diverse needs of their residents, fostering a sense of ownership in community outreach. Each division will receive $120,000 per year to design and organise their format of distribution for groceries, essentials, or healthcare items. These can include mobile groceries truck, mobile supermarkets at void decks, supermarket shopping, festive distributions, and more.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong said, “The $4.3 million South West Community Resource Fund will provide more support for our lower and middle-income families to alleviate their cost of living pressures. As a society, we must each do our part to look out for those around us, especially those who are more in need of help. This way, we can strengthen our social compact and build a resilient, inclusive and caring community.”

We understand the concerns residents have about the cost of living. The South West Community Resource Fund will offer all 18 divisions of the South West District the flexibility to tailor and develop programmes to meet the day-to-day living needs of vulnerable residents. We will work closely with our volunteers, councillors and partners to create an array of nimble and relevant solutions to lighten the loads of needy residents. For instance, the programmes could range from support to defray living expenses, to helping seniors obtain essential healthcare items. It’s our goal to support and uplift the lives of our residents, and foster a resilient South West community,” said Mayor Low.

In Financial Year (FY) 2023/2024, the South West CDC rolled out a total of 24 local assistance schemes and programmes, which benefitted about 60,000 residents. More than 470 corporate and community partners were engaged, with a contribution of more than $3.6 million in cash and kind, a 20% increase in contributions received than the previous FY. At the South West District Meeting & Partners Appreciation 2024, 11 corporate partners will receive the South West Caring Partner Awards for their efforts in 2023 to uplift the community. The South West CDC will continue to work with our partners and volunteers to implement programmes for residents, focusing on uplifting the less privileged, and helping residents defray living expenses. The list of recipients for the South West Caring Partner Awards can be found in Annex A.

Annex A - Recipients of South West Caring Partner Awards 2023