New community hub at One Holland Village to support youth with special needs and seniors

Novel therapies to help youth with special needs calm down during a meltdown will be researched at a new hub operated by Presbyterian Community Social Services (PCS), formerly known as Presbyterian Community Services.

- Tang Yi Qing

These include the use of a room where the temperature is set at 15 deg C, as the concentration of oxygen is higher in a colder environment, which research suggests may enhance cognitive performance. In the cold room, trainers will create sounds using a specially designed crystal bowl to help calm the youth.

The research, conducted in partnership with universities both locally and overseas, will take place at A Good Place, PCS' newly established community hub at One Holland Village designed to support youth with special needs and seniors.

The two groups are among the organisation's key target clients, and it wanted to provide one place catering to both.

Mr Jonathan Kok, chairman of PCS, said: "A Good Place was conceived as a community hub where we can work with partners to better equip and empower those with special needs as well as seniors by offering them access to high-quality enrichment services at more affordable rates compared with commercial options."

The hub, which cost $2 million to build, spans over 1,000 sq m and is located on the first floor of the mall. It is PCS' largest facility to date. PCS also runs six active ageing centres and two senior care centres, as well as special needs programmes.