The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) presents its first-ever social enterprise carnival on 18 May 2013. Titled “Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta”, the event is organised in partnership with DBS Bank, and held in conjunction with the DBS Marina Regatta 2013 at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade.
The Carnival not only celebrates social enterprises and their meaningful contributions to the community, but also seeks to raise the visibility and awareness of the social enterprise sector. It is also an innovative platform to catalyse greater collaborations among social enterprises.
Dr Benjamin Koh, Director from MSF, said, “I am very happy to have DBS Bank come on board as a key partner for the Carnival. The Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta is an excellent opportunity for social enterprises to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and best practices, and explore possible collaborations. I hope that even more private corporations will take the lead in helping social enterprises develop to their fullest potential.”
“Championing social entrepreneurship across the region is at the heart of our social responsibility efforts. At DBS, we believe the best way to drive such efforts is to collaborate with various members of the ecosystem – people, public and private sector – to promote inclusive and sustainable growth. We are delighted to partner with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to support the development of the sector in Singapore,” said Karen Ngui, Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications, DBS Bank.
Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta will see over 20 social enterprises coming together to provide an afternoon of fun to the public. Participants of the Carnival can look forward to a myriad of performances, retail merchandise and tantalising snacks offered by the social enterprises, while catching the dragon boat teams in action on the waters. Specifically, three social enterprises will be offering unique activities representative of their businesses and social missions to the participants of the Carnival:
Circus in Motion
Circus in Motion seeks to impart valuable life skills, such as confidence and perseverance through circus workshops. Its target beneficiaries include youths-at risk from mainstream secondary schools, as well as special needs pupils from special needs schools. The social enterprise creates employment for the youths as well, as they have the opportunity to work as trainers in the organisation after completing their circus training. Since inception, Circus in Motion has employed 12 youths as its trainers, and has reached out to over 3,000 participants for their circus workshops.
At the Carnival, members of the public will be treated to a visual feast as Circus on Motion puts on a repertoire of roving circus performances including acts by stilt-walkers, jugglers and balloonists. Participants who are keen to try their hand at plate spinning, diabolo and other circus acts can visit their booth at specific timings.
Bakery Hearts
Bakery Hearts is a social enterprise project of The Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centres which aims to empower low-income women who are unable to commit to full-time careers. Since its inception in 2010, it has assisted a total of 30 low-income women. Bakery Hearts offers hand-made decorated cookies and cupcakes for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and New Year.
Carnival participants who visit their booth will be able to exercise their creative juices and have fun partaking in cookie decorating activities. In addition, they will also be able to purchase various sweet treats for themselves and their loved ones.
Bamboobee
Bamboobee specialises in bicycles and related products made using bamboo. It trains and employs ex-offenders, youths-at-risk, single mothers and persons with disabilities in bicycle assembly, maintenance and repair, as well as retail management. Bamboobee aims to train and hire 5 beneficiary employees in its first year of operations.
During the Carnival, participants will not only get the chance to find out more about these one-of-a-kind bicycles, they will also be able to try them out for fun.
The Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta will be held on 18-19 May 2013 at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade. For more information on the Carnival, please visit www.socialenterprise.sg.
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About Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta
The Social Enterprise Carnival @ DBS Marina Regatta is the first-ever social enterprise carnival organised by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) in partnership with DBS. Designed to celebrate and create public awareness of social enterprises and their contributions to the community, the Carnival also serves as a platform to promote business collaborations within the diverse social enterprise sector.
