A new hub operated by Presbyterian Community Social Services (PCS) that serves both seniors and youth with special needs in the same space was officially opened on February 11, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as its guest of honour.

Named A Good PLACE, the over-1,000sqm area comprises activity rooms, an auditorium and a café area. PCS, previously known as Presbyterian Community Services, hopes that this new space will better support these two main groups it has been faithfully serving over the past 50 years.

Dr Andrew Lim (in red) sharing the history of Presbyterian Community Social Services (PCS) to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the official opening of A Good PLACE on February 11.

Catching those who fall through the cracks

On one side of the hub is a day activity centre, or what PCS prefers to call an “outcome-based centre” for youth with special needs aged 18 to 30 who have graduated from special schools and struggle to find employment.

From its experience operating Grace Orchard School, a special education school, as well as a training institute for people with special needs, PCS observed that there is a small percentage who have trouble moving on to vocational training or meaningful employment after they graduate from formal education at 18.

“So they either attend day activity centres or are kept at home,” explained PCS executive director Dr Andrew Lim, sharing that one of its current trainees used to watch YouTube videos at home all day.

President Tharman interacting with the trainees at A Good PLACE’s day activity centre during its official opening.

To better serve this group, he hopes that the day activity centre, which is run by Connexions, a social enterprise PCS partners, can do more to engage these youth more meaningfully and equip them for future employment.

Apart from running daily therapies and exploring new ways to do therapy, staff members at A Good PLACE also plan to teach the youth how to process and package cordeyceps, which is currently grown and harvested at Grace Orchard School in a process that trains its students for employment, said Dr Lim.

“Instead of just staying at home, this is place where they can grow and have hope.”

A lifestyle hub for the evolving senior

On the other side of the hub are activity rooms where yoga, dance and ukulele classes – among other activities that PCS hopes to pilot in time – are held for seniors, by seniors.

The vision is for A Good PLACE to be more of a lifestyle hub and “potential sandbox” where novel activities for seniors can be tried out, hopefully in partnership with other organisations including churches, said Dr Lim.

“The profile of seniors of yesteryears and tomorrow is very different. In a few years’ time, I’ll qualify to go to an active ageing centre, and I don’t think I’ll want to go there for bingo, Rummi-O or karaoke,” he explained with a laugh.

Daily activities for youth with special needs include exercising and stretching in a cold room where the temperature is set at 15 degree Celsius, which research suggests can improve oxygen concentration in the air, said Dr Lim.

At the six active ageing centres and two senior care centres PCS runs across Singapore, it already empowers seniors to start and run their own activities. Some groups that have formed include a band, a kung fu group and a “walkie-foodie” group (where members walk together to find good food).

Dr Lim believes more of such activities can be introduced and trialled at A Good PLACE, to better serve the changing profile and interests of seniors in Singapore today.

“Maybe the space here can target pre-frail seniors to help them develop their social connections, to help them develop their strength to prevent falls, to prolong their healthy and active life,” he said, adding that he is keen to explore developing a gym dedicated to seniors.

Fostering bonds in the community

One of the unique traits of A Good PLACE is that it serves two different groups in the same space.

Strategically located in the middle of the hub is a café and free sitting area, designed to allow the different groups to mingle. Dr Lim believes that forging bonds and friendships can be beneficial for both groups.

Seniors and pre-schoolers created an acrylic pour artwork together at an intergeneration programme during the official launch.

It is his hope that as the seniors spend time in the space, they will learn to be more accepting of the youth with special needs that they share the area with, and perhaps even volunteer to help out in some of their programmes.

On the other hand, being exposed to more people in a safe, community setting will allow the youth with special needs to become more adept in managing social situations and accepting help from volunteers.

Dr Lim hopes that more partners and collaborators, including churches, can come alongside PCS as they serve the community.

Dr Lim has already seen them behaving more comfortably with others, even strangers, compared to when they first joined last December.

“We’ve allowed them to assimilate into a community setting instead of keeping them at home. We want them to know that they are part of us, they are part of our community,” he said.

Demonstrating God’s love

There is still much room for A Good PLACE to develop, and this is why Dr Lim appealed to believers to pray that God will give them wisdom to do what is best for those it serves.

Acknowledging the power of partnerships, he also encouraged more people and organisations to collaborate with them for the wider good of the community.

“The role of PCS is just a steward, if not a host. The possibilities must come from the people that we work with, the community, the partners,” he said. “We truly believe God has His plan for this place.”

About 20,000 fifty-cent coins were collected and used to make this display to launch A Good PLACE. It broke the Singapore record of the largest fifty-cent display.

Ultimately, the desire of PCS is to use all that God has given to them, this new space included, to show God’s love to others. “We want to demonstrate the love that we have so freely received from God,” said Dr Lim.

Rev Christopher Chia, who is the Moderator of the Presbytery Synod, agreed: “Jesus is the model barrier breaker as he knocked down insurmountable racial, cultural, class and gender walls in his life. Simultaneously, he was a master builder of genuine bonds of inclusiveness between people groups.

“My hope for A Good PLACE is that it continues to be a shining light of God’s genuine inclusiveness.”

RELATED STORIES:

“The last one-third of life is the finest hour”: State of the Church 2024 panel

Reflecting our disability-inclusive God: How can the body of Christ love those with special needs?

Oldest 85, youngest 2: This upcycling project brings young and old together to raise funds for needy preschoolers