Can the public transport network help charities reach more people?

SMRT’s Journeys For Good initiative aims to rally support for charitable causes across its network, with ads in MRT trains, stations and bus stops

Lee Eng How, 98, has made exercising part of her weekly routine. She visits an active ageing centre in Canberra run by senior care non-profit Blossom Seeds three to four times a week.

PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

Jan Lee, Brand Newsroom

Published Oct 11, 2026, 04:00 AM

Lee Eng How straps a stretch band around her foot and pulls it while gently lifting her knee.

It is 9am on Monday, and the 98-year-old is just getting started on her first exercise class at charity organisation Blossom Seeds’ active ageing centre in Canberra. Chair zumba is up next, followed by a communal lunch.

“I came here and made many friends,” says Lee in Cantonese. She lives with her domestic helper in a two-room flexi Housing Board flat nearby, and visits the centre three to four times a week. Her five children, who are in their 60s and 70s, live with their families.

Blossom Seeds is a fixture to Lee and the 5,000 seniors it serves around Sembawang. Since September, the charity has been on display to millions more – in two charity-themed MRT trains, and across a network of train stations and bus stops operated by SMRT in Singapore.

SMRT’s Journeys For Good charity-themed trains features the advertising campaigns of 12 selected charities, including senior care organisation Blossom Seeds. PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

SMRT’s Journeys For Good charity-themed trains features the advertising campaigns of 12 selected charities, including senior care organisation Blossom Seeds.

The advertisements are part of Journeys for Good – a three-year collaboration between SMRT and the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) to give charity organisations free advertising spaces. Blossom Seeds is one of the institutions of a public character (IPCs) selected in the first year.

SMRT made an initial pledge of $1 million to the initiative over three years.

More meaningful journeys

That visibility matters to Blossom Seeds. All its activities are free – funded by government grants and public donations, says its deputy director Christina Lim.

The charity has 42 full-time and part-time staff. It relies mainly on its network of over 400 volunteers, many of whom are seniors themselves.

Besides active ageing programmes that can host up to 50 seniors each, Blossom Seeds also offers vulnerable seniors befriending, medical transport and home-based palliative care.

The goal is not simply to provide care, says Lim, but to ensure seniors “stay active, connected, independent, and purposeful”.

Lee Eng How (left), 98, enjoying catered lunch with Christina Lim (right), the deputy director of senior care charity Blossom Seeds at an active ageing centre in Canberra. PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

Lee Eng How (left), 98, enjoying catered lunch with Christina Lim (right), the deputy director of senior care charity Blossom Seeds at an active ageing centre in Canberra.

The Journeys For Good campaign aims to showcase a range of charities and the causes they serve, says Tony Heng, president of Stellar Ace, the advertising arm of SMRT.

“There are a lot of IPCs that people may not be aware of, that otherwise might resonate and connect with them,” he says. “We provide an opportunity through our assets and capabilities to let people know that there are such (organisations) they can participate in, either through volunteer work or donations.”

The initiative, launched in September, originally only planned to highlight six IPCs in the first phase, but expanded to 12 when it drew 179 applications from IPCs in Singapore. These IPCs were selected by a committee formed by SMRT and MCCY, based on campaign readiness and for a mix of causes.

Other IPCs featured include Ambulance Wish Singapore, which supports terminally ill patients by granting wishes, and Caring for Life, a suicide-prevention charity.

“We did not expect the response to be so overwhelming,” says Heng. He adds that the remaining 167 IPCs will receive advertisement support in the form of bus bulletins at bus shelters. The team will also explore how to cater to more IPCs for next year’s campaign.

Moving the community

(From left) SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, senior care charity Blossom Seeds’ deputy director Christina Lim and Stellar Ace president Tony Heng onboard the charity-themed MRT train for Journeys For Good, an SMRT initiative giving free advertising spaces to charitable organisations. PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

(From left) SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, senior care charity Blossom Seeds’ deputy director Christina Lim and Stellar Ace president Tony Heng onboard the charity-themed MRT train for Journeys For Good, an SMRT initiative giving free advertising spaces to charitable organisations.

So why does a public transport operator want to lend its network to charities?

SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming sees it as an extension of the organisation’s core job of getting commuters to where they want to go safely, reliably and comfortably.

“That is a public service,” he says, and it carries a duty to give back. “When you help the community, you help families,” says Seah, who also set up a foundation in his own name in 2021. It contributes to bursaries, scholarships and to charities.

SMRT has been supporting social causes through donations from its savings (see other story), and collaborations with charity organisations, he says.

But he wants to do more. “What we want is public participation, to move away from direct or indirect contribution from SMRT alone.”

Heng agrees. “We have been doing our best, but our best alone may not be able to help enough,” says Heng, who hopes the campaign will help to multiply impact.

According to Land Transport Authority data, Singapore’s public transport network sees over 3.49 million train journeys daily. PHOTO: ST FILE

According to Land Transport Authority data, Singapore’s public transport network sees over 3.49 million train journeys daily.

SMRT has reach, which it can use to raise awareness and, he says, inspire a more giving society.

The MRT network sees some 3.49 million journeys daily , according to Land Transport Authority data. Stellar Ace has advertising spaces across MRT trains and stations, and bus stops.

“Where else can you find a location (in Singapore) with three million in footfall?” Seah quips. “The question is what to do with it.”

He hopes Journeys for Good will nudge commuters to give back to the community. “I hope (they) will pause, learn more and offer support in whatever way they can. If our network helps make that connection, it has served a wider purpose.”

Among those who have chanced upon the campaign on their daily commute is Blossom Seeds’ Lim. “When I passed by it at the bus stop near (Canberra), I was so excited and I quickly stopped to take a picture,” she recalls.

It is early days, but she says the signs have been encouraging. Blossom Seeds has seen increased engagement on social media and received four enquiries from people interested in volunteering after spotting their advertisements at bus stops.

Befrienders are what Blossom Seeds needs the most, says Lim. These volunteers reach out to vulnerable seniors like Lee and become a regular presence in their lives.

Senior care charity Blossom Seeds is now a fixture in Lee Eng How’s life, who visits an active ageing centre the organisation runs for exercise and lunch several times a week. PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

Senior care charity Blossom Seeds is now a fixture in Lee Eng How’s life, who visits an active ageing centre the organisation runs for exercise and lunch several times a week.

Before she was referred to Blossom Seeds in 2024, she mostly watched television alone at home, Lee says. Befrienders visited her consistently for a year to coax her out of her shell.

Now, she stays active at the centre and sometimes volunteers herself. She helped pack mandarin oranges into Blossom Seeds’ Chinese New Year goodie bags this year.

Lee’s story inspires Lim. Ageing should not be seen as an affliction, she says, but an achievement.

Beyond fundraising or recruiting volunteers, Lim hopes more people can understand Blossom Seeds’ message: “You don’t have to fade away just because you are older. You can contribute and you have value, because you have lived experience.”

Journeys for Good is the latest project funded by SMRT’s Kaizen savings. SMRT made an initial pledge of $1 million to the initiative over three years.

Kaizen, the Japanese concept of “continuous improvement”, encourages employees to make incremental improvements to workflows. SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming introduced it in 2018.

Over 10,000 Kaizen projects, based on 19,000 staff suggestions, have been implemented since 2018, according to SMRT. This translates to more than $867 million in savings.

The company’s latest annual report shows close to $165 million in Kaizen savings in the financial year of 2025 to 2026.

The savings are channelled towards its people, processes, and the public.

Ten per cent of Kaizen savings is set aside for employees, with each of SMRT’s 10,000 full-time employees receiving a $1,600 Kaizen bonus in 2026. “We need to make sure workers feel taken care of,” says Seah.

Next comes reinvestment in engineering capabilities and projects like Depot 4.0 – the $7 million upgrade of Bishan Depot’s overhaul workshop, unveiled in October 2025 – and Bus 4.0 – a $6 million digital transformation initiative at Gali Batu Bus Depot .

“Now we need to focus on doing good, more than anything else,” says Seah.

SMRT has put a portion of its Kaizen savings into giving back to the community annually since 2023, providing polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students and nurses with pre-loaded EZ-Link cards. In 2025, it gave out 18,000 NETS FlashPay cards with $38 pre-loaded to people with disabilities and their caregivers.

SMRT Trains and Buses were recognised as Companies of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) this year. The movement celebrates companies that contribute meaningfully to society.

This year, SMRT says it plans to use its Kaizen savings to support mental wellness programmes for youth.

This article was produced in partnership with SMRT.

SMRT的“行善之旅”（Journeys For Good）计划旨在通过在地铁列车、车站和巴士站投放广告，在其整个交通网络中动员民众支持慈善事业。

98岁的李英豪（Lee Eng How）已将锻炼纳入每周的日常安排。她每周三到四次前往堪培拉一家由老年护理非营利机构“花种”（Blossom Seeds）运营的活跃老龄化中心。

照片：卡罗琳·基亚

Jan Lee，品牌新闻编辑室

发布于 2026 年 10 月 11 日 上午 4:00

李英豪将弹力带绑在脚上，一边拉动弹力带一边轻轻抬起膝盖。

周一早上9点，这位98岁的老人在堪培拉的慈善组织“花种”（Blossom Seeds）的活力老龄化中心开始了她的第一节健身课。接下来是椅子尊巴舞，之后是集体午餐。

“我来到这里交了很多朋友，”李女士用粤语说道。她和她的家庭佣工住在附近一套两房式灵活组屋里，每周来中心三到四次。她的五个孩子都已年过六旬或七旬，和各自的家人住在一起。

“花之种子”慈善机构对李先生及其在三巴旺地区服务的5000名长者来说意义非凡。自9月以来，该慈善机构的形象已向更多人展示——在两列以慈善为主题的地铁列车上，以及新加坡地铁公司（SMRT）运营的地铁站和巴士站网络中。

SMRT的“行善之旅”（Journeys For Good）慈善主题列车展示了12家精选慈善机构的广告宣传活动，其中包括老年护理机构Blossom Seeds。照片：CAROLINE CHIA

SMRT 的“行善之旅”慈善主题列车展示了 12 家精选慈善机构的广告宣传活动，其中包括老年人护理机构 Blossom Seeds。

这些广告是“善行之旅”（Journeys for Good）项目的一部分，该项目是SMRT与文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）为期三年的合作项目，旨在为慈善机构提供免费广告位。“花之种子”（Blossom Seeds）是第一年入选的公共机构之一。

SMRT最初承诺在三年内向该计划投入100万美元。

更有意义的旅程

这种知名度对“花之种子”组织来说至关重要。该组织副主任克里斯蒂娜·林表示，其所有活动都是免费的，资金来自政府拨款和公众捐款。

该慈善机构共有42名全职和兼职员工。它主要依靠其由400多名志愿者组成的网络，其中许多志愿者本身就是老年人。

除了每个项目最多可容纳 50 位老年人的积极老龄化项目外，“花之种子”还为弱势老年人提供陪伴、医疗运输和居家临终关怀服务。

林表示，目标不仅仅是提供护理，而是要确保老年人“保持活跃、与人交往、独立自主和有目标的生活”。

98岁的李英豪（左）与老年护理慈善机构“花种基金会”（Blossom Seeds）副主任克里斯蒂娜·林（右）在堪培拉一家活跃老龄化中心享用午餐。照片：卡罗琳·奇亚

98 岁的 Lee Eng How（左）与老年护理慈善机构 Blossom Seeds 的副主任 Christina Lim（右）在堪培拉的一家活跃老龄化中心享用午餐。

SMRT旗下广告公司Stellar Ace总裁Tony Heng表示，“Journeys For Good”活动旨在展示一系列慈善机构及其所服务的事业。

他说：“有很多公益组织可能不为人知，但它们或许能引起人们的共鸣并与他们建立联系。我们利用自身的资源和能力，让人们知道有这样的组织，他们可以通过志愿服务或捐款参与其中。”

这项于9月启动的计划最初只计划在第一阶段重点推介六个公益机构，但由于收到了来自新加坡179家公益机构的申请，最终扩大到12家。这些公益机构由SMRT和MCCY（文化、社区及青年部）联合成立的委员会根据其宣传准备情况和所关注的公益事业类型进行遴选。

其他入选的IPC包括为绝症患者实现愿望的Ambulance Wish Singapore，以及预防自杀的慈善机构Caring for Life。

“我们没想到反响会如此热烈，”Heng说道。他补充说，其余167个独立广告中心将获得广告支持，包括在公交候车亭张贴广告单。团队还将探讨如何为明年的宣传活动覆盖更多独立广告中心。

推动社区发展

（从左至右）SMRT主席谢文明、乐龄关怀慈善机构Blossom Seeds副主任林慧玲和Stellar Ace总裁王东尼在SMRT发起的“Journeys For Good”慈善主题地铁列车上合影。“Journeys For Good”是SMRT为慈善机构提供免费广告位的公益项目。照片：CAROLINE CHIA

（从左至右）SMRT 主席谢文明、老年护理慈善机构 Blossom Seeds 副主任 Christina Lim 和 Stellar Ace 总裁 Tony Heng 登上了以慈善为主题的地铁列车，这是 SMRT 的一项名为“Journeys For Good”的倡议，旨在为慈善组织提供免费广告位。

那么，公共交通运营商为什么要把自己的网络借给慈善机构呢？

SMRT主席谢文明认为，这是该机构核心工作的延伸，即安全、可靠、舒适地将通勤者送到他们想去的地方。

“这是一项公共服务，”他说，并肩负着回馈社会的责任。“帮助社区就是帮助家庭，”谢先生说道。他于2021年以自己的名字成立了一个基金会，该基金会为助学金、奖学金和慈善机构提供资助。

他说，SMRT一直通过从其储蓄中捐款（见另一篇报道）以及与慈善组织的合作来支持社会事业。

但他希望做得更多。“我们希望的是公众参与，而不是仅仅依靠SMRT的直接或间接贡献。”

亨对此表示赞同。“我们一直在尽最大努力，但仅凭我们尽力可能还不够，”亨说道，他希望这项活动能够扩大影响。

根据陆路交通管理局的数据，新加坡公共交通网络每天的列车客流量超过349万人次。图片：海峡时报档案

根据陆路交通管理局的数据，新加坡公共交通网络每天的火车客流量超过 349 万人次。

SMRT拥有广泛的影响力，可以利用这种影响力来提高公众意识，并激励社会变得更加慷慨。

根据陆路交通管理局的数据，地铁网络每天的客流量约为349万人次。Stellar Ace在地铁列车、车站和巴士站都设有广告位。

“在新加坡，你还能找到哪里人流量达到三百万呢？” Seah 打趣道，“问题在于如何利用这个机会。”

他希望“行善之旅”能促使通勤者回馈社区。“我希望他们能停下来，了解更多信息，并尽其所能地提供帮助。如果我们的网络能够促成这种联系，那就发挥了更广泛的作用。”

在每天通勤途中偶然看到这项活动的其中一人是Blossom Seeds公司的Lim。“当我在（堪培拉）附近的公交车站经过时，我非常兴奋，赶紧停下来拍照，”她回忆道。

虽然现在还处于初期阶段，但她表示目前的迹象令人鼓舞。“花之种子”在社交媒体上的互动量有所增加，而且在公交车站看到他们的广告后，还有四人咨询了志愿服务事宜。

林女士表示，“花种基金会”最需要的就是像李女士这样的陪伴志愿者。这些志愿者会主动关心像李女士这样需要帮助的老年人，并成为他们生活中不可或缺的一部分。

如今，关爱老年人的慈善机构“花之种子”（Blossom Seeds）已成为李英豪生活中不可或缺的一部分。他每周都会多次前往该机构运营的活跃老龄化中心进行锻炼并享用午餐。照片：卡罗琳·奇亚

老年护理慈善机构 Blossom Seeds 现在是 Lee Eng How 生活中不可或缺的一部分，他每周都会去该机构运营的活跃老龄化中心锻炼身体和享用午餐。

李说，在2024年被转介到“花种基金会”（Blossom Seeds）之前，她大部分时间都独自在家看电视。志愿者们坚持探访了她一年，帮助她走出封闭的内心世界。

现在，她仍然活跃在中心，有时还会亲自做义工。今年，她帮忙把橘子装进“花种基金会”的春节礼包里。

李的故事激励了林。她说，衰老不应该被视为一种不幸，而应该被视为一种成就。

除了筹款或招募志愿者之外，林希望更多的人能够理解“花种基金会”的理念：“你不必因为年纪大了就黯然失色。你仍然可以做出贡献，你仍然有价值，因为你拥有生活经验。”

“美好旅程”是SMRT利用其改善计划（Kaizen）节省下来的资金资助的最新项目。SMRT最初承诺在三年内向该计划投入100万美元。

“改善”（Kaizen）是源自日本的“持续改进”理念，鼓励员工对工作流程进行渐进式改进。SMRT董事长谢文明于2018年引入了这一理念。

据SMRT称，自2018年以来，已根据员工提出的19000条建议实施了超过10000个改善项目，节省了超过8.67亿美元。

该公司最新年度报告显示，在 2025 至 2026 财年，通过改善措施节省了近 1.65 亿美元。

节省下来的资金将用于员工、流程和公共服务。

SMRT将改善计划节省的10%用于奖励员工，其1万名全职员工每人将于2026年获得1600新元的改善奖金。“我们需要确保员工感受到被关怀，”Seah说道。

接下来是对工程能力和项目的再投资，例如 Depot 4.0（碧山车厂大修车间的 700 万美元升级改造项目，将于 2025 年 10 月揭幕）和 Bus 4.0（Gali Batu 巴士车厂的 600 万美元数字化转型计划）。

“现在我们最需要关注的是做好事，”Seah说道。

自2023年起，SMRT每年都会将部分改善计划（Kaizen）的节约资金用于回馈社区，为理工学院、工艺教育学院的学生和护士提供预充值的EZ-Link卡。2025年，SMRT向残障人士及其护理人员发放了18,000张预充值38新元的NETS FlashPay卡。

今年，SMRT地铁和巴士公司被国家志愿服务与慈善中心（NVPC）评为“社会公益企业”。该奖项旨在表彰对社会做出有意义贡献的企业。

SMRT表示，今年计划利用其改善计划（Kaizen）节省下来的资金来支持青少年心理健康计划。

本文由SMRT合作撰写。