Another Week Beyond – 2033

August 14, 2020

Dear Friends,

Rose called us on the phone to inform that she was at the hospital with her mom who had a fall at home. She wanted to let us know that she may not be attending a training session we were holding the following day. She sounded frantic but calmed down after we told her that we would organise another session for her if necessary.

Thankfully, after treatment, her mother was well enough to remain alone at home and Rose showed up for the session. She told the others, “At the hospital, I felt so lost. On one hand I had my rice bowl and on the other I had my mother.” The others resonated with her statement and as they introduced themselves to each other, it was revealed that care-giving responsibilities hindered their ability to take on full-time employment.

With the help of Tech for She, a non-profit providing work-skills training for women from non-tech backgrounds, we familiarised 5 women with Excel Spreadsheets. Peering at their laptops, these women listened intently, posed questions, and asked for assistance until they understood and got the hang of the programme. They took the training seriously and it was a lively session that was mutually rewarding for all present.

These 5 women were chosen from 10 recommended by our colleagues to assist us with the administration of financial assistance and internet connectivity. They are part of a Digital and Family Competence Enabling Team and are paid an allowance for their efforts at identifying families in need, linking them to resources and processing applications to relevant schemes and programmes. It is the first time they are taking on white-collar work and they were delighted that their effort will be benefitting their neighbours.

As we consider the helping relationship a partnership, it is only correct that our “partners” also benefit from the resources that come to us in the service of their wellbeing. Training and supporting residents to take on paid work for the benefit of their neighbourhood is a small step toward a stronger partnership with those we support. This initiative to recruit residents as enablers is an arrangement that will last for only 3 months but in the longer run, we hope that we will be able to employ those who come to our programmes on a longer term basis.

Wishing you, health, and peace of mind.

Sincerely,

Gerard

Care in the community is a partnership. A partnership between skilled and caring professionals and a concerned and caring community. Working together, to find new ways of helping these people who have been excluded and connecting with neighbours who will understand and accept them. – Diana, Princess of Wales

PAST AWB POSTS

2610 – Oranges, Dates, and Party Plates

March 6, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Dira, Neighbourhood Leader Some evenings come together in unexpected ways. Our monthly community birthday celebration in Ang Mo Kio happened to fall at a time when Chinese New Year was still in the air and Ramadan was already underway. So the evening became a mix of all three – oranges for the New Year, dates for those breaking fast, and party plates laid out for the children celebrating their birthdays that month. Close to a hundred residents – seniors, adults and children – came downstairs to join the gathering. A few of us residents helped organise the

2609 – How We Spend Our Time

March 6, 2026 No Comments

Story contributed by Anne Marie, Resource Mobilisation It has been some years since we last stood behind a volunteer recruitment booth in a school setting, and so earlier this month, when we were invited to take part in Nanyang Technological University’s Social Impact Week, it felt like a return of sorts. For two afternoons, we found ourselves in the middle of student activity, surrounded by clubs, social enterprises and fellow agencies. We were there with a simple invitation: to talk about volunteering, particularly in support of the older youths in our academic programmes. At our booth, we asked visitors to

2608 – Holding The Middle

February 20, 2026 No Comments

Written by The Beyond Editorial Team She has always cared for others. Long before we knew her, Mdm Sng* was already checking in on elderly neighbours, helping them navigate services, passing along information, gathering what they needed. When we began working in the area, she reached out quickly. Not for herself. For others. Over time, though, something shifted. There was no single incident. Just the quiet accumulation of strain. Our team had become leaner. Priorities evolved. Expectations were not always spoken clearly. Along the way, misunderstandings surfaced. Community tensions are rarely linear. They sit in the middle of relationships –

2607 – Refreshing Our Purpose

February 20, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Shariffah, Community Worker In January, we gathered again in a familiar circle. Since then, three Capability Building sessions have brought together 26 Neighbourhood Leaders and Community Volunteers from three neighbourhoods. It was not a workshop in the traditional sense. It was a space to pause, reflect and ask ourselves what kind of community we are shaping together. The most recent session, Refreshing Our Purpose, did exactly that. It slowed the momentum of activity and returned us to the questions underneath the work: What are we building? For whom? And how do we know it is truly shared?

2606 – Still Here

February 9, 2026 No Comments

As shared by Daybet, Former Beyond Youth Twenty years had passed since Daybet last walked through the doors of Beyond’s office. The space felt smaller than he remembered, but not unfamiliar. Before he could fully take it in, he saw a face that pulled him straight back into memory. “Uncle George!” George paused. It took a second. Then recognition landed – fittingly, on the very day he marked 23 years of working at Beyond. What followed was the easy rhythm of reunion: updates exchanged, laughter over half-forgotten details, stories filling in the years that had slipped by. “You remember Daybet?”

2605 – It Takes Time

January 29, 2026 No Comments

Written by Wilson, Community Worker I first met Jamie* early last year. She sat close to her mother and said very little. When I asked her questions, her mother often answered first, then turned to Jamie to check if she wanted to add anything. Jamie listened carefully, nodding, offering short replies when she felt able to. Her mother had approached us for support because Jamie was no longer in education or employment. Since leaving school, Jamie spent most of her time at home. Apart from attending school previously, she rarely went out, and once that routine ended, her days became

2604 – When Learning is Small Enough to Notice

January 29, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Jie Ying, Community Worker Last Saturday, we gathered to mark the end of a small Early Learning Programme class at Lengkok Bahru. The class began in June last year with seven children. Over time, some families moved on as needs shifted and priorities changed. By January, three children remained. We did not see this as a shortcoming. Community work often teaches us that participation ebbs and flows, and that small numbers are not a sign of failure but an invitation to pay closer attention. With fewer people in the room, there is more to notice. Parents sat

2603 – When Youths Take the Field

January 20, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Yik, Resource Mobilisation In December last year, a small group of children gathered at Delta Sports Centre for a football session. There were six of them, between four and nine years old. One of the youngest arrived with his mother, staying close as the day unfolded. The session wasn’t run by adults or coaches brought in from outside. It was planned and led entirely by Learning Coaches – youths from the community who already spend their weeks supporting younger children with learning. Over time, these youths have become familiar faces to families, people children listen to and