A series of peer exchanges about ***practitioner-led third spaces*, with the practitioners who lead and sustain them.**

Practitioners doing sustained impact work rarely have space to reflect on it –– let alone find others navigating the same questions.

CNFC Circles is that space. Four peer-exchange sessions in Aug, Sep, Nov and Dec 2026, each going inside a different practitioner-led third space in Singapore to explore how it started, how it's sustained, and what it really takes to nurture civic life.

Come for one, or come for all!

EXPLORE THE PROGRAMME

What happens at the Circles?

Each Circle is co-designed and co-led with a practitioner from a different third space in Singapore, so that the spaces themselves become part of the conversation. The modality differs, but the conversation thread stays consistent.

First, we take you inside the chosen third space — how it started, how it's sustained, and what it looks like from three angles: the practitioner leading it, the community it serves, and the funders backing it.

Then, we open the conversation to explore the specific dynamic that gives each Circle its title. These are tensions common across the civic space and conversations that don't happen nearly enough.

Expect honest conversation, structured reflection, and a time to connect that's hard to find elsewhere.

Learn: Discover new perspectives on your own practice

Connect: Build relationships across the practitioner ecosystem

Reflect: Make sense of what you're experiencing in your own work

Who are the Circles for?

If you work in or alongside spaces that bring communities together, whether that's a socially-oriented organisation, a community programme, or a practitioner-led third space — CNFC Circles is for you.

We designed it with impact practitioners in mind, but the conversation is open to anyone with a stake in how Singapore's civic ecosystem grows — including the funders and institutions that resource it.

Come curious, come to connect, come to think out loud.

Programme Overview

What will we be exploring?

CNFC Circles runs across four sessions — in August, September, November and December 2026. Each one explores a different model of a third space and a different tension that every practitioner-led third space eventually has to navigate. Together, they build a richer picture of what it really takes to lead and sustain one.

FIND OUT MORE

CNFC CIRCLES #1

Third Spaces Need Me & We w/ Joo Chiat Social Club

SOLD OUT

THIRD SPACES NEED ME & WE W/ JOO CHIAT SOCIAL CLUB
- Date: 28 Aug 2026, Fri
- Time: 2:30PM – 5PM
- Price: $35 (incl. GST)
- Location: Joo Chiat Social Club, 254 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427508
JOO CHIAT SOCIAL CLUB (JCSC) started with a simple mission: to build a place where old and young — and everyone in between — could learn, play and grow together. From their heritage shophouse, they run an assisted living facility for seniors who want support without giving up their independence, alongside a social club that nurtures an intergenerational community through regular programmes.
Behind it all are two co-founders — partners in life and in work — who've kept this going by taking turns: one going "me first" so the other can go "we first." What started as a practice between two people has grown into something the whole organisation runs on.
In this Circle, JCSC shares how that practice has let them sustain both their care work and their social impact over time — and what it might mean for yours.
In this session, we will:
- Explore JCSC as a model of a third space, hearing how the co-founders have started and sustained their work — as practitioners, with their funders, and with their community.
- Unpack "me first, we first" as a polarity to navigate.
- Reflect on how the principles and practices that emerge may apply to our own work.
- Meet and connect with other practitioners through small and large group conversations.
JOO CHIAT SOCIAL CLUB is an intergenerational community space where the old and young — and everyone in between — can gather, connect, and genuinely enjoy each other's company. Their vision is simple: a vibrant community where people experience meaningful connection and the joy of being together. To get there, they craft gatherings and spaces that foster connections across generations and social groups — and create platforms for people to share their gifts with the community.
Find out more: Website | Instagram | Facebook
About the Co-Founders
BENNETT is an engineer who loves working with his hands. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Product Development) from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and worked as a Mechanical Engineer in Hope Technik before setting up his own company, MUT Engineering. He now runs Camino House and Joo Chiat Social Club with his wife, Mariel. He believes his calling is to make useful things. On the side, he enjoys kitesurfing.
MARIEL envisions, designs, and co-creates experiences with the community. She founded the social enterprise muein in 2022 to pilot unorthodox solutions to pertinent social problems in Singapore, with a focus on the ageing and special needs communities.
Together with her husband, she initiated and runs an assisted living facility, Camino House, as well as Joo Chiat Social Club, an intergenerational community space that brings together the old and young. Together with her friends, she initiated and leads Forest Fables, an inclusive storymaking adventure for children of varying abilities set in Singapore’s natural spaces.
Come for this session if you:
- Lead, work in, or are thinking about starting a practitioner-led third space.
- Are curious about different third space models in Singapore, and what it takes to start and sustain these spaces.
- Want to hear from and connect with other practitioners in the space.
Early bird pricing
From 30 Jul – 10 Aug, this Circle is $22 (incl. GST), instead of the usual $35 (incl. GST). A small thank you for registering early.
A note on pricing
We've priced each Circle at $35 (incl. GST). This helps to cover the costs to keep the session running smoothly — the materials, refreshments, and a small token of appreciation for the practitioners who open up their spaces and their work for this conversation.
We think that's worth it, and we hope you do too. But we also believe in accessibility. If the price is a barrier, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg to explore other options.
Group purchases and organisation invoices
For group purchases (>3 pax) or if you need an invoice to claim this from your organisation, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg.

This session will be led by:

MARIEL CHEE & BENNETT LEE
JOO CHIAT SOCIAL CLUB

SHIAO-YIN KUIK
COMMON GROUND

CNFC CIRCLES #2

Third Spaces Need Money & Mission w/ City Sprouts + Ground-Up Initiative (GUI)

SOLD OUT

THIRD SPACES NEED MONEY & MISSION W/ CITY SPROUTS + GROUND-UP INITIATIVE (GUI)
- Date: 18 Sept 2026, Fri
- Time: 7PM – 9:30PM
- Price: $35 (incl. GST)
- Location: Common Ground Civic Centre, 21 Bedok North Street 1 Singapore 469659
CITY SPROUTS and GROUND-UP INITIATIVE (GUI) both care deeply about sustainability – and they've built very different homes for it. City Sprouts turns underused urban spaces into green community hubs. GUI runs Kampung Kampus, a community-built space for people to reconnect with the Earth, each other, and themselves.
Both believe change happens when people come together and that starts with having the space to do so. But building that space is one thing. Resourcing it, year after year, without losing sight of why it started, is another.
In this Circle, we hear from the practitioners leading each space – Simone Lim, co-founder of City Sprouts, and Bingyu Cai, GUI's Kampung Architect – on what it's taken to start and sustain their work, and the different pressures each has faced along the way. We'll also sit with the tension behind this Circle's title, Money and Mission, and explore what it takes to resource a space without losing sight of why it started.
In this session, we will:
- Hear how City Sprouts and GUI have started and sustained their work, as practitioners, with their funders, and with their community.
- Unpack "Money and Mission" as a tension to navigate, not a problem to solve.
- Reflect on how the principles and practices that emerge may apply to our own work.
- Meet and connect with other practitioners through small and large group conversations.
Founded in 2019, CITY SPROUTS is a Singaporean social enterprise building communities through shared green spaces. We transform underutilised urban spaces into community hubs where people connect with nature and one another.
Through engaging programmes and events, we foster meaningful connections, environmental stewardship, and collective action. By empowering individuals to take an active role in their communities, we work towards a more resilient Singapore that can adapt and thrive amid social and environmental change.
Find out more: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
About the Speaker
SIMONE LIM is the co-founder of City Sprouts, an organization that aims to foster communities through shared discovery, founded on the belief that we are all enriched by spending time as active participants in nature.
Simone leads the Business Development team and has been a dedicated volunteer with City Sprouts since its inception.
With experience conducting eco-workshops, she is passionate about promoting sustainability awareness through creative community engagement and creating inclusive green spaces that inspire collective action.
GROUND-UP INITIATIVE (GUI) is a Singapore non-profit that believes the greatest threat to the climate crisis is not a lack of solutions, but apathy.
For 18 years, GUI has been creating opportunities for people to move from apathy to action through participation—growing food, building with their hands, restoring the land, reducing waste, learning practical skills, and, most importantly, doing these things together.
At the heart of GUI is Kampung Kampus, a community-built space where people can reconnect with the Earth, one another, and themselves. Rather than simply teaching sustainability, GUI believes people begin to care when they are given the opportunity to participate and contribute meaningfully.
Through farming, making, environmental education, volunteering and community programmes, GUI explores how everyday actions can rebuild our relationship with the natural world and with each other—nurturing a more grounded, caring and resilient society, one person and one relationship at a time.
Find out more: Website | Instagram
About the Speaker
CAI BINGYU is the Kampung Architect of Ground-Up Initiative (GUI), a Singapore non-profit reconnecting people with the Earth, one another, and themselves.
An architect by profession, Bingyu left practice in search of meaning, thinking his time at GUI would last only a few months. Fifteen years later, he is still there. What kept him was not sustainability or community-building—terms that can easily become buzzwords—but the people. Together, they built, struggled, celebrated, grieved, and discovered that caring for a place can also mean caring for one another.
Through his journey with GUI, Bingyu has become convinced that the greatest threat to the climate crisis is not a lack of solutions, but apathy.
Today, he is interested in understanding why people choose to care, what truly builds community, and how architecture can create the conditions for belonging, stewardship, and collective action—for people, communities, and the Earth.
Come for this session if you:
- Lead, work in, or are thinking about starting a practitioner-led third space.
- Are curious about different third space models in Singapore, and what it takes to start and sustain these spaces.
- Want to hear from and connect with other practitioners in the space.
Early bird pricing
From 21 Aug – 4 Sept, this Circle is $22 (incl. GST), instead of the usual $35 (incl. GST). A small thank you for registering early.
A note on pricing
We've priced each Circle at $35 (incl. GST). This helps to cover the costs to keep the session running smoothly — the materials, refreshments, and a small token of appreciation for the practitioners who open up their spaces and their work for this conversation.
We think that's worth it, and we hope you do too. But we also believe in accessibility. If the price is a barrier, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg to explore other options.
Group purchases and organisation invoices
For group purchases (>3 pax) or if you need an invoice to claim this from your organisation, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg.

This session will be led by:

SIMONE LIM
CITY SPROUTS

SHIAO-YIN KUIK
COMMON GROUND

CAI BINGYU
GROUND-UP INITIATIVE

CNFC CIRCLES #3

Third Spaces Need Hubs & Spokes w/ Temasek Shophouse + The Foundry

CNFC Circle #3: Third Spaces Need Hubs & Spokes

Sale

CNFC Circle #3: Third Spaces Need Hubs & Spokes

SGD 22.00 SGD 35.00

SESSION DETAILS

Date: 13 Nov 2026, Fri
Time: 4PM – 6:30PM
Price: $35 (incl. GST)
Collaborators: National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore, Temasek Shophouse‍, ‍The Foundry
Location: Living Room, Temasek Shophouse, 28 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238832

ABOUT THE SESSION

TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE, THE FOUNDRY, COMMON GROUND CIVIC CENTRE and NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL SINGAPORE are different kinds of impact hubs in Singapore. All of them bring people together to work on social concerns, whether that’s everyday citizens, impact practitioners or socially-oriented organisations. But the ways each of them started, operate and sustain themselves are fundamentally different.

And those differences shape how each one balances two roles: being a hub, and being a spoke. A hub brings people in: it convenes, connects, and shares its space and networks. A spoke reaches out: it draws on partners, funders, communities and other hubs for what it can’t do alone. Every hub needs to be both. Too much hub, and you stop learning from others. Too much spoke, and you lose what others count on you for.

In this Circle, we hear from Shawn Wong (Deputy Director, Partnership Lab) Marlene Rothschild (Director, The Foundry), Hazel See (Placemaking and Community, Temasek Shophouse), Shiao-yin Kuik (Executive Director, Common Ground) on how the hubs that they lead and manage came about and what it’s taken to sustain them, including finding the balance between being a hub and a spoke.

TICKETING INFO

Early bird pricing

From 23 Oct – 6 Nov, this Circle is $22 (incl. GST), instead of the usual $35 (incl. GST). A small thank you for registering early.

A note on pricing

We've priced each Circle at $35 (incl. GST). This helps to cover the costs to keep the session running smoothly — the materials, refreshments, and a small token of appreciation for the practitioners who open up their spaces and their work for this conversation.We think that's worth it, and we hope you do too. But we also believe in accessibility. If the price is a barrier, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg to explore other options.

Group purchases and organisation invoices

For group purchases (>3 pax) or if you need an invoice to claim this from your organisation, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg.

THIRD SPACES NEED HUBS & SPOKES W/ NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL SINGAPORE + TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE + THE FOUNDRY
- Date: 13 Nov 2026, Fri
- Time: 4PM – 6:30PM
- Price: $35 (incl. GST)
- Location: Living Room, Temasek Shophouse, 28 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238832
TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE, THE FOUNDRY, COMMON GROUND CIVIC CENTRE and NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL SINGAPORE are different kinds of impact hubs in Singapore. All of them bring people together to work on social concerns, whether that’s everyday citizens, impact practitioners or socially-oriented organisations. But the ways each of them started, operate and sustain themselves are fundamentally different.
And those differences shape how each one balances two roles: being a hub, and being a spoke. A hub brings people in: it convenes, connects, and shares its space and networks. A spoke reaches out: it draws on partners, funders, communities and other hubs for what it can’t do alone. Every hub needs to be both. Too much hub, and you stop learning from others. Too much spoke, and you lose what others count on you for.
In this Circle, we hear from Shawn Wong (Deputy Director, Partnership Lab) Marlene Rothschild (Director, The Foundry), Hazel See (Placemaking and Community, Temasek Shophouse), Shiao-yin Kuik (Executive Director, Common Ground) on how the hubs that they lead and manage came about and what it’s taken to sustain them, including finding the balance between being a hub and a spoke.
In this session, we will:
- Hear how NYC’s Partnership Lab, The Foundry, Temasek Shophouse and Common Ground started, operate and sustain their hubs, as practitioners, with their funders, and with their community.
- Unpack “Hubs and Spokes” as a tension to navigate, not a problem to solve.
- Reflect on how the principles and practices that emerge may apply to our own work.
- Meet and connect with other practitioners through small and large group conversations.
The NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL (NYC) SINGAPORE partners with young people to hear their views, empowers them to act on their passions and provides opportunities for youth to have a stake in Singapore’s future.
Together with our partners in the private and public sectors, we co-create opportunities and develop common enabling platforms for youth to engage with the Government on issues they care deeply for, contribute to the community and connect with peers within our region.
We are committed to developing future-ready youth by instilling in them a heart for service, resilience and an enterprising spirit.
Find out more:
About the speaker:
SHAWN WONG is a senior public service professional with over two decades shaping youth development in Singapore. His career at National Youth Council (NYC) spans every major dimension of youth work — programme design, leadership development, urban placemaking, and strategic partnerships. He shaped flagship initiatives including the Our Singapore Leadership Programme, Young ChangeMakers, and the SHINE Youth Festival, and previously served as Deputy Executive Director of *SCAPE, where he led the Somerset Belt transformation into Singapore's premier youth precinct. Today, as Deputy Director (Youth & Sector) at the NYC’s Partnership Lab, he leads cross-sector partnerships that translate the SG Youth Plan 2026–2030 from national strategy into lived experience for young Singaporeans.
TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE is a social impact hub in the heart of Singapore. Launched in 2019, it brings together partners across the Public, Private, People and Philanthropic sectors to build connected communities. Serving as a placemaker, it provides a platform for convening impact makers, forging new collaborations, and catalysing partnerships and change for the common good. Temasek Shophouse is home to Temasek Trust, Temasek Foundation, and a wider community of impact organisations and changemakers.
Find out more: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Facebook
About the speaker:
HAZEL SEE is part of the Placemaking and Community team at Temasek Shophouse, where she helps social impact organisations grow through space, networks and capability development opportunities that are co-created with the Temasek Shophouse Impact Makers. With over 20 years of experience spanning the public, social and philanthropic sectors, she has led initiatives in strategic partnerships, community development and cross-sector collaboration. Her previous roles include Temasek Foundation, Health Promotion Board and the Civil Service College. Hazel is passionate about building ecosystems that enable organisations to connect, collaborate and amplify their impact.
THE FOUNDRY is The Majurity Trust’s homebase for collective impact and one expression of this approach. It brings social impact organisations, funders, partners and practitioners into closer proximity — creating opportunities for resources, relationships and knowledge to move more easily across the ecosystem.
The Majurity Trust is a philanthropic organisation working towards a Singapore where everyone can thrive.
It works with donors, partners and social impact organisations to meet needs in the community and strengthen the wider social impact ecosystem. Beyond funding, The Majurity Trust supports organisations through capability building, research, partnerships and opportunities to connect and learn.
Across its work, The Majurity Trust seeks to go beyond the cheque — supporting those doing the work on the ground while strengthening the connections and infrastructure around them.
Find out more: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
About the speaker:
MARLENE ROTHSCHILD is Director of The Foundry, The Majurity Trust’s homebase for collective impact.
She leads the team behind the space and its community of social impact organisations, working on a simple question: what becomes possible when people working on complex social issues are brought into greater proximity with one another?
Her career has spanned the arts, hospitality, technology talent and social impact, across Singapore, New York and San Francisco. That mix has shaped how she thinks about hubs — not simply as places that bring people together, but as infrastructure that can make connections, knowledge and resources easier to access.
At The Foundry, she is particularly interested in the difference between a busy space and a meaningful one: whether the relationships, opportunities and exchanges created through a hub actually help organisations do their work better, and what it takes to design intentionally for that.
Come for this session if you:
- Lead, work in, or are thinking about starting a practitioner-led third space.
- Are curious about different third space models in Singapore, and what it takes to start and sustain these spaces.
- Want to hear from and connect with other practitioners in the space.
Early bird pricing
From 23 Oct – 6 Nov, this Circle is $22 (incl. GST), instead of the usual $35 (incl. GST). A small thank you for registering early.
A note on pricing
We've priced each Circle at $35 (incl. GST). This helps to cover the costs to keep the session running smoothly — the materials, refreshments, and a small token of appreciation for the practitioners who open up their spaces and their work for this conversation.
We think that's worth it, and we hope you do too. But we also believe in accessibility. If the price is a barrier, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg to explore other options.
Group purchases and organisation invoices
For group purchases (>3 pax) or if you need an invoice to claim this from your organisation, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg.

This session will be led by:

SHAWN WONG
NATIONAL YOUTH
COUNCIL

HAZEL SEE
TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE

SHIAO-YIN KUIK
COMMON GROUND

MARLENE ROTHSCHILD
THE FOUNDRY

CNFC CIRCLES #4

Third Spaces Need
Endings & Beginnings

EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST

In a space-scarce country like Singapore, physical third spaces are never guaranteed to last. But an ending doesn't mean a failure – and a closure doesn't have to be careless. This Circle sits with what it looks like to end well: to take care of the exit, honour what was built, and make space for what comes next.

We're still getting this Circle ready. But if the title already resonates, that's a pretty good sign it's for you! Let us know if you're keen, and we'll follow up once things are confirmed.

A note on pricing
We've priced each Circle at $35 (incl. GST). This helps to cover the costs to keep the session running smoothly — the materials, refreshments, and a small token of appreciation for the practitioners who open up their spaces and their work for this conversation.
We think that's worth it, and we hope you do too. But we also believe in accessibility. If the price is a barrier, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg to explore other options.
Group purchases and organisation invoices
For group purchases (>3 pax) or if you need an invoice to claim this from your organisation, email us at civiccentre@ourcommonground.com.sg.