PM Lee praises community clubs’ ‘special role’

At the official opening of the newly refurbished Teck Ghee Community Club on January 13, Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong talked about the ‘special role’ that Community Clubs (CCs) play in the nation.

He said that these clubs are valuable because they meet the needs of members of the community spanning different ages and backgrounds, and well as serve as spaces for residents to gather.

PM Lee said, “That’s why we have CCs in every HDB estate. The Government invests heavily in building and upgrading CCs so that residents will always have a place to call their second home.”

The Teck Ghee Community Club in Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 was first established in the early 1980s and was closed for the purpose of major renovations in 2016. Last August it was up and running again, with an additional 1,200 sqm more space. The CC originally had a 4,809.40 sqm gross floor area of 4,809.40.

PM Lee is an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The Prime Minister added, “(Teck Ghee CC) has been a very popular and well-used CC, but we had more and more activities and we needed more space. We didn’t have enough space and we couldn’t accommodate all the activities we wanted to start here. So when we had the opportunity to upgrade, we decided to do that.”

Ninety (90) percent of the funds for the renovation was provided by the government, with the balance supplied by the committee that oversaw the renovation, who raised funds for it, PM Lee explained.

He also talked about how the needs of Teck Ghee have changed over the years, in keeping with changing demographics within the community. More young families have been transferring to new Build-to-Order flats.

The Teck Ghee Community Club has been renovated twice before, once in 1999 and again in 2009. This latest refurbishment includes new a culinary studio, a function room with outdoor space, as well as a terrace on the rooftop for film showings or even wushu and tai chi classes.

The residents of the community suggested these improvements; Noelene De Foe, the chairman of the Teck Ghee CC Management Committee says that the upgrading was done so that the changing needs of the residents would be met.

De Foe said, “After the upgrading, we have also seen more interest groups forming.”

Read also: PM Lee Hsien Loong on economic upgrading and restructuring: “We have the resources, the plans and the resolve”, but S’poreans doubt

https://theindependent.sg.sg/pm-lee-hsien-loong-on-economic-upgrading-and-restructuring-we-have-the-resources-the-plans-and-the-resolve-but-sporeans-doubt/