COMMUNITY CENTRES/CLUBS OF SINGAPORE: SPATIAL PATTERNS AND FUNCTIONS

Abstract

Community centres/clubs have a very long history in Singapore. They were first formed in the post-World War II years, but were not centrally co¬ ordinated until 1960. Their basic task is to promote grassroots participation and community development. However, through time, their roles have expanded with political and social developments. Moreover, since the formation of the Community Centre/Club Management Committees, structural control has been reduced, and replaced by a more interactive process between the Government and the people. This has brought about an increase in the role played by the people in the development of the facilities and programmes of the centres/clubs. Their general orientation has also become more focused on the satisfaction of the recreational and social needs of the people. Certain centres/clubs have even specialised in particular activities so as to raise the standard of their services. An important point to note is that the centres/clubs have always been available whenever the people wanted to access them. They have also been able to remain completely non¬ discriminatory, thereby fostering an integrated and harmonious society. The spatial distribution of the centres/clubs has developed from a very sparse pattern to a highly-dispersed one by 1972. To maximise the use of resources, centres affected by urban renewal and other developments were closed down. In the recent years, their numbers have stabilised, with each electoral constituency having at least one centre/club. The architectural designs and facilities have also progressed from standardised models to individualised and unique ones. This is part of the efforts to encourage centres/clubs to cultivate their individual identity, in a bid to instil a sense of belonging in the residents and to compete against the private clubs as our society becomes more affluent. Community centres/clubs are not the sole agency that performs the above-mentioned roles. They interact and work in tandem with other civic and social organisations so as to serve the community effectively. As such, it is very difficult to assess their success, except by the extent of the people's participation and involvements at the grassroots level. Moving into the next century, if the centres/clubs keep up their efforts in meeting the changing needs of the people and continue to work closely with other social organisations, it is likely that they will remain viable and continue to make enduring contributions to the country.