Community Circles Singapore

Community Circles Singapore, a community care model developed in the UK, is an initiative funded by Institute of Policy Studies and led by Soul Probe. A Community Circle involves the formation of a small group of people (volunteers, neighbours, friends etc) around caregivers of persons with special needs who need some help or who want to make a change in their lives. The caregiver articulates his/her needs and goals, and the group discusses how they can help and also distributes the tasks in monthly meetings – that is if the circle is action-oriented. This model has the potential to reduce caregiver burden and strengthen social capital,

Community Circles can be a model for society to organize informal support for people who fall through the cracks of our society. There are marginalized, minority, invisible or disenfranchised individuals who may be struggling, feeling left behind or suffering in silence. The lack of social support (family, friends, etc.) may make them feel even more alienated from the rest of society.