Objectives of the Community Legal Clinics (CLCs)

The Office of the Mayors and the Law Society of Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 12 September 2014 to launch the Community Legal Pro Bono Services Network to assist needy Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who are seeking legal advice and information.

To-date, 15 CLCs have been set up at the CDCs and the CCs/RC.

An appointment is required before the consultation, which is typically a 20 minutes one-to-one consultation with a qualified lawyer. Registered residents are required to bring along their identity card and related documents. Consultation is free.

*Do note that the pro bono lawyers cannot represent you in court.

To make an appointment at the CLCs situated at Central Singapore, North West, South East and South West district, you may contact +65 6536 0650 or email to ProBonoServices@lawsoc.org.sg.

For appointments at North East district, please call the respective Community Clubs/Centres.  Download the Community Legal Clinics Directory.

NOTE: You may change your appointment time by informing the service officer 3 working days before the date of appointment. If you miss the appointment, re-registration for another appointment is at the discretion of the Pro Bono Services Office.

About Common Senses for Common Spaces (CSCS)

Common Senses for Common Spaces (CSCS) was launch in February 2018 as a series of nationwide inter-faith dialogues to enhance social cohesion and strengthen the resilience of the community. 

Through the CSCS series, the CDCs aim to provide a safe space for residents to understand, appreciate and seek clarification about the beliefs of different faiths and cultures in Singapore through discussions and sharing with religious leaders. 

About the Law Awareness Weeks @ CDC (LAW@CDC)

Click here to find out more about LAW@CDC and Register for the LAW@CDC 2020 Webinars!

About Maybank Family Fund @ CDC

Launch in November 2018, the $1.55 million Maybank Family Fund @ CDC aims to uplift low income and vulnerable families through three broad areas of financial empowerment, livelihood and employability.

The fund includes a five-year insurance coverage scheme by Maybank to provide medical and mobility expenses reimbursement for up to 1,000 needy families.  

About the National Integration Council (NIC) - CDC Corporate Social Integration (CSI) Fund

The Corporate Social Integration (CSI) Fund was introduced in June 2017 by the National Integration Council (NIC) and the CDCs to encourage companies to organise community projects with the aim of promoting corporate social responsibility and integration in the community and at the workplace.

Corporate organisations may apply for seed funding to organise sustainable social responsibility and volunteerism projections with the CDC. 

Download the Guide and Application Form here.

About the SkillsFuture Advice (SFA) and SkillsFuture@CDC 

Please click here to find out more about SkillsFuture@CDC.

Objective of the SME Centres @ CDC

The SME Centres @ CDC were established in 2013 to provide heartland Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) with greater convenience and access to business resources and advice. Leveraging on existing grassroots networks to identify business needs, SME Centres work with the CDCs and Trade Associations and Chambers to address issues faced by SMEs in specific trades or locations.

As the first point of help for SMEs, the SME Centres @ CDC provide local businesses with integrated services including business and productivity diagnosis, guidance on the government assistance schemes and capability workshops.

To make an appointment, please contact the SME Centre @ CDC in your respective district.

Download the SME Centre Location and Contact list.

About the WeCare Arts Fund @ CDC

The WeCare Arts Fund @ CDC is a grant scheme in partnership between the CDCs and the National Arts Council (NAC). The fund aims to support Social Service Agencies (SSAs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by engaging their beneficiaries through the arts. The CDCs and the NAC renewed their partnership on 4 September 2017 by setting aside $1 million for the WeCare Arts Fund over the next two year for programmes that make arts inclusive and promote self-confidence among the led advantages and underserved communities.

WeCare Arts Exhibition 2021, in conjunction with PA’s 60 Years of Community Building (Theme: Resilience and Unity in Times of COVID-19)

The WeCare Arts Exhibition 2021 will showcase artworks from beneficiaries of Social Service Agencies (SSAs) and some Self-help Groups (SHGs) across Singapore. The beneficiaries include seniors, families, youth, and special needs.   

Please click here to visit the Virtual WeCare Arts Gallery @ CDC Now!

Activities supported by the Fund

The fund supports project costs that involve artists working directly with SSAs/SHGs and their beneficiaries through the Performing, Visual, Literary and Multi-Disciplinary arts.

Who is the Fund for?

The fund is open to all SSAs/SHGs that are keen to work with artists / arts groups to bring arts to their beneficiaries. SSAs must be a member of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Artists may approach SSAs directly in order to submit an application for the Fund.

Download the Guide and Application Form here.

*With effect from January 2020, interested SSAs can submit their application online via the OurSG Grant Portal (https://oursggrants.gov.sg) for a more seamless grant application process using CorpPass. 

For further enquiries, you may contact the CDCs officer in your district to find out more about the fund:

About the CapitaLand Hope Foundation - CDC Collaboration

Since 2011, the CDCs have been collaborating with CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) through initiatives that caters to the physical well-being of underpriviledged such as the Kids Food Fund (KFF) and providing school-going essentials through the My Schoolbag programme.  which caters to the physical well-being of underpriviledged children. 

In 2017, CDCs and CHF partnered the National University of Singapore (NUS) Department of Architecture to pilot the CapitaLand Young Architect Programme @ CDC which introduces children to architecture theories and design knowledge, and to better understand community needs through design thinking. 

About the CASE Consumer Awareness Talks @ CDC

In support of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) amendment of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act in 2016, the CDCs partnered with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) to raise awareness and educate consumers on their rights through educational talks. 

CDCs have since organised 12 talks covering a variety of topics such as renovation, direct selling and door-to-door sales, and CASE Trust Accreditation and Mediation. 

CDC Student Meals Scheme

This new scheme initiated by the CDCs hopes to help families with children studying in Primary and/or Secondary Schools and living in rental blocks defray the cost of buying meals while the children are on home-based learning (HBL) during circuit breaker period. A total of $660,000 will support up to 12,000 students. Each child will receive $55.00 worth of CDC e-vouchers via the Grab app, in $5 denomination to be used during the circuit breaker period, up to 31 May 2020.  Click here for more details.

Read more:

• The Straits Times, Coronavirus: 12,000 students from low-income households to receive GrabFood vouchers during circuit breaker period
• Lianhe Zaobao, 1万2000名低收入家庭学生 将获55元GrabFood电子餐券
• Berita Harian, Koronavirus: Sekitar 12,000 pelajar yang tinggal di flat sewa terima baucar makanan Grab
• The NewPaper, 12,000 needy students will get Grab meal vouchers
• 8World Online, 阻断措施期间 逾万贫困学生获电子餐券购买餐食
• Berita Mediacorp, 5 CDC kumpul S$660,000 bantu 12,000 pelajar kurang mampu; Grab S'pore hulur baucar makanan semasa 'circuit breaker'
• Yahoo! News, COVID-19: Students from low-income families to get GrabFood vouchers
• Mothership, Around 12,000 students from low-income families to get GrabFood vouchers during circuit breaker period
• Grab, 12,000 Students to Benefit from CDC Student Meals Scheme

Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme

At the recent Budget 2020, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat announced that Community Development Councils (CDCs) will be given $20 million to better meet the needs of the residents through local initiatives. The CDC Vouchers Scheme aims to help Singaporean households defray the cost of living and at the same time, support participating local merchants and hawkers at HDB estates / heartlands during the COVID-19 situation.  

With the success of the launch in 2020, Tranche 2 of the scheme was launched by DPM Heng Swee Keat and the five Mayors on 25 Jan 2021.

Learn more about the initiative from:

• Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (English | Chinese)
• Ms Low Yen Ling, Chairman of Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West District (English | Chinese)

Learn more about Tranche 2 from:

• Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
• Ms Low Yen Ling, Chairman of Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West District

List of Merchants and Merchants Sign-Up Form

• Central Singapore CDC (Merchants List | Merchants Sign-up Form)
• North East CDC ( Merchants List | Merchants Sign-up Form)
• North West CDC (Merchants List | Merchants Sign-up Form)
• South East CDC ( Merchants List | Merchants Sign-up Form)
• South West CDC (Merchants List | Merchants Sign-up Form)

Read more:

• The Straits Times, 400,000 households to get $50 vouchers to spend at local businesses
• Lianhe Zaobao, 40万户低收入家庭本月25日起至年底 各获50元社理会生活补助券
• Berita Harian, Lima CDC lancar dana $20 juta untuk penduduk
• CNA Online, $20 million in vouchers to be distributed to 400,000 households
• Today Online, S$20 million in vouchers to be distributed to 400,000 households
• The Business Times, 400,000 lower-income households to receive vouchers under the $20m CDC Scheme
• BERITA MediaCorp Online, 400,000 keluarga berpendapatan rendah akan terima baucar bernilai S$20 juta keseluruhan
• 8World Online, 约40万低收入家庭 将获价值50元生活补助券
• AsiaOne Online, $20m in vouchers to be given to 400,000 Singaporean households

• Mothership, 400,000 lower-income households can collect $50 vouchers for food & essentials from 25 June

About the Ngee Ann Kongsi (NAK) – CDC COVID-19 Relief Fund (COVID Relief Fund)

The COVID Relief Fund (CRF) is targeted at Singaporeans aged 21 years old and above, who are currently unemployed and /or loss of job due to non-voluntary no pay leave, retrenchment or termination for at least three months. The CRF will be rolled out on 15 November 2020, and the CDCs will work with partners to identify eligible applicants.

This initiative is part of the CDCs’ continued efforts to complement the national assistance schemes by the Government, and it serves to further strengthen the social safety net through the 3P partnership (3P: People / Public / Private) during this difficult period. Each successful applicant (and his/ her household) will receive a one-time relief fund of $500.

Learn more about the initiative from :

• Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
• Ms Low Yen Ling, Chairman of Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West CDC
• Mr Jamie Teo, President of The Ngee Ann Kongsi

About the Kong Meng San - CDC COVID-19 Relief Fund (KMS-CDC COVID-19 Relief Fund)

The CDCs are pleased to partner Kong Meng San Phor Kark See (KMSPKS) Monastery to set up a new $4 million Kong Meng San-CDC COVID-19 Relief Fund (KMS-CDC COVID-19 Relief Fund) to help more Singaporeans households, regardless of religions, affected by the COVID pandemic through loss of jobs, retrenchment or total loss of income.

The fund is open to Singaporeans aged 21 years old and above who are currently unemployed due to retrenchment / contract termination at the point of application; OR and have experienced salary loss of at least 30% from all jobs as a part-time or full-time employee prior to application. Each successful applicant (and his/ her household) will receive a one-time relief of $500.

*Loss of income must have taken place after 23 Jan 2020 when COVID-19 first occurred in Singapore

Learn more about the initiative from:

• Ms Low Yen Ling, Chairman of Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West District