It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Since its founding in 1999, the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has been tirelessly fostering the giving spirit in Singapore, encouraging individuals and organisations to donate their time, money or in kind to the less fortunate.
    This time around, it was the NVPC’s turn to receive. At a time when it needed a place from which to operate, Far East Organization responded to the call for assistance by gifting a prime, 27,000 sq ft space for the NVPC’s use. The Organization also donated $1 million to retrofit the premises, one-third of which was allocated by the NVPC for its operations, with the rest comprising meeting rooms, auditoriums and galleries for use mainly by non-profit organisations.
    Housed within the excellently located Central above Clarke Quay MRT station, The Giving Place — as the NVPC premises are called — was officially opened this July by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasised the need for “more Singaporeans to donate, according to their means and from their heart.”
    Central is the first development in Singapore to integrate the diverse functions of real estate — habitation, lifestyle, business, community and transportation connectivity — within one complex.
    At the launch ceremony, NVPC expressed its appreciation for the generous gift by Far East Organization, stating that it is “hugely symbolic of the work we do in promoting the centrality of giving in everyone’s life, that we are strategically located in the Central, thanks to FEO.”
    Since January this year, more than 7,000 people from 40 non-profit organisations have used the premises.
    With the space at their disposal, the NVPC hopes to “bring the value of giving to more people and provide networking opportunities to bring givers and beneficiary groups together.” LM