On a hazy Saturday morning at Jurong Lake Gardens in February, the inclusive sports co-operative (co-op) Runninghour hosted its annual ‘Burn Off the Bak Kwa’ run, a light-hearted event encouraging members to shake off the excesses from the Chinese New Year festivities. Among the participants was Darren Poh, 48, a special needs educator at Pathlight School and a volunteer guide for the co-operative’s buddies, who are persons with special needs.

There, he paced alongside his running partner, calling out shifts in terrain, turns ahead, and uneven patches of ground. “Pre-empting is key,” Mr Poh explained. “I need to be constantly aware of our surroundings; when to slow down, when to speed up, when to call out an obstacle. Every visually impaired runner is different, so it’s about learning how to work with their strengths.”

Runninghour Co-operative: Run for Inclusion

A regular runner at the National Stadium, Mr Poh often saw Runninghour members on their evening runs. Curious, he struck up a conversation, and their mission of inclusion through sports resonated with him. Not long after, he signed up as a volunteer. It’s been more than a year since he joined the co-operative.

As a volunteer with Runninghour Co-operative, he is a running guide for its beneficiary, which comprises people who are visually impaired and with special needs, as well as a “Fun & Fitness” instructor for ad hoc sports activities.  

For Mr Poh, the fatigue of a long workday rarely deters him from partaking in the co-op’s activities. Selflessness is perhaps an apt word that describes the work of volunteers, like Mr Poh. Those who volunteer know it is never just about giving; rather, it is about showing up, week after week, and somehow finding a quiet kind of fulfilment in the process. “If I don’t show up, my buddy might not get to run. And that keeps me going,” he said.  

Beyond the sense of duty, volunteering is also about the connection between people communities and causes, Mr Poh said. The act of carving out time in already packed schedules to ensure that someone else can participate and thrive is perhaps what drives the educator.

One of Mr Poh’s most memorable moments was preparing for a relay race with his running partners at Play Inclusive 2024. “There were eight of us, four guides and four beneficiaries. We had to train for months,” he said. “We had to train for running as well as learn how to pass the baton or stay in our lanes.”  The team from Runninghour Co-operative won second place in the relay.

A More Inclusive Singapore

Singapore has taken active steps towards inclusivity in recent years. Some MRT stations have piloted dementia-friendly visual guides, while new estate developments incorporate ramps and sheltered walkways to accommodate wheelchair users and the elderly. The Enabling Village in Redhill, an integrated community space for people with disabilities, is one such example of how urban planning is evolving to be more accessible.

Beyond infrastructure, there has been a shift in the way organisations integrate differently abled individuals into the workforce too. Another co-op, the Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (E4PID), like Runninghour Co-operative, is also playing a part in shaping an equitable society, offering employment and activities that foster independence and social inclusion.

E4PID: Growing More Than Mushrooms

Inside repurposed shipping containers in Henderson, clusters of Pearl Oyster and Lion’s Mane mushrooms push through the peripherals of mushroom logs, tended by workers who take pride in their craft.

Managed by volunteers, Mushroom Buddies, an initiative by E4PID, offers employment to persons with special needs, giving them a stable source of income and a sense of purpose.

Tay Kuan Ming, 61, a retired director of corporate services at the Singapore Cancer Society, never expected to spend his retirement sorting and packing mushrooms. “It’s about giving differently abled individuals a sense of self-worth, purpose, and independence,” he said.

When he first started, Mr Tay assumed the workers would need constant supervision. “I used to think they needed a lot of guidance,” Mr Tay, who now volunteers once a week, said. “They were the ones correcting me, showing me the right way to clean the containers, pointing out which mushrooms were ready to harvest.”

Another dedicated volunteer Teng Siew Chin, 70, echoed the same sentiments. Ms Teng, who stumbled upon the initiative by chance, said: “You think you’re here to help, but you end up learning so much in return. It’s about respect, patience, and understanding.”

What sets volunteering at E4PID’s Mushroom Buddies initiative apart is the how there is no sense of hierarchy and everyone — from volunteers to staff — is treated fairly, she said. “Beyond that, it’s about giving back. And it’s also a lot of fun!” she mused.

Finding Purpose in a New Country

 Jayne Paulson, an expat from Wales, moved to Singapore in mid-2023, following her husband’s job posting on the sunny island. A former solicitor, she spent months looking for a meaningful way to engage with the community. “I didn’t want to just sit around in an expat bubble,” she said. “I wanted to contribute, to be part of something real.”

She found that at Mushroom Buddies. “I love the teamwork, the sense of family here,” she said. “I’ve learned so much. Not just about mushrooms, but about Singaporean culture and the capabilities of people with special needs.”

Like Mr Tay, Ms Paulson dedicates a weekday morning to Mushroom Buddies.  It didn’t take long for her to realised that the workers take their jobs seriously. “People underestimate them. But they do their jobs with precision, with care. I would sometimes get pointed out for doing something wrong. And they were right!”

A Resurgence of Giving Back

According to the National Giving Study 2023 by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, volunteerism rate has seen a rise over the past few years. 

The report, which tracked the trends in Singapore’s giving culture in 2023, compared volunteerism rates between 2023 and 2021. The study further segmented the target audience to several age groups, including Youths, Adults, Pre-Seniors and Seniors above 65 years old.  

It found that the proportion of people volunteering has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels (30 per cent). With the exception of Seniors above 65 years old, this means all other age group saw an increase in volunteerism rates. Volunteerism rate for Seniors above 65 years old remained unchanged (15 per cent) across 2021 and 2023.

More Singaporeans are looking for opportunities to engage beyond donations, opting for hands-on experiences where they can directly see their impact. In fact, more youths stepped up to volunteer in 2023 (31 per cent) compared to 2021 (23 per cent).

Structured volunteering programmes like those offered by co-operatives may be a welcoming addition to boot.

Ms Paulson said: “There’s this idea that volunteering means donating money or doing one-off activities. But real impact comes from consistency, from showing up.”

Mr Tay agreed. “It’s seeing someone gain confidence, take pride in their work. That’s when you know you’re making a difference,” he added.

From running tracks to mushroom farms, the volunteers of the Singapore Co-operative Movement are shaping a more inclusive society, whether it be one step, one harvest, or one gesture at a time.

By Sng Ler Jun