Celebrating 10 years of ActiveSG: One of Our Longest-Serving Staff

First conceptualised as a national movement for sports in 2014, ActiveSG is coming to our 10^th year of helping Singaporeans live active and stay healthy! In celebration of this milestone, we want to bring the limelight to interesting and inspiring individuals who have been a pivotal part of our ActiveSG journey. 

In the fast-paced society today, it is not uncommon for an employee to change their job after a couple of years. However, Patrick Viswa Nathan S/O Vadivelu, our Guest Officer at St Wilfred Tennis & Squash Centre, has been serving for 48 years! Undoubtedly one of our longest-serving staff in ActiveSG, we take the chance to hear about his story and his unwavering dedication for his job. 

What has drawn you to the organisation and made you stay for such a long time?  

I have always enjoyed playing tennis, badminton and swimming. Joining the organisation was a dream come true! I used to pass by Farrer Park and see people play tennis, so one day I asked the staff on duty on how I could apply for the job. I applied and got the job after completing NS. I first started working at Tanglin Sports Club in 1976, then went to Delta when it opened, followed by Hougang, Delta, Farrer Park, Jalan Besar, and finally at St Wilfred. 

I just love being on the service front and meeting different types of people. And the family-friendly work culture and my supervisors make me feel very at home. I decided right from the start that this will be my first and last job, and I have never looked back since. In fact, I have no plans to retire! 

From your perspective, how has the organisation evolved over the years?

Many things have changed since my first day of joining the organisation. I think a major change would be technology. With more automated systems, it is much easier for the staff and members of the public. In the past, I could only help the public to book facilities at the specific sport centre. Now, they can easily book any facility islandwide online within a few clicks. 

It is heartening that sports is now a lot more accessible to everyone and people are happy with such progress. At times, I still come across some members of the public who are unsure of how to use the booking system, so I am glad that I can be of service to them.

On the other hand, being the longest-serving staff member, how has your role in the organisation changed over time?

It used to be much more manual and laborious. People had to queue in-person at the booking office to book facilities, and we would issue manual tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. We also had to account for cash manually, which was rather strenuous, it’s much easier now with technology. Facilities were much simpler back then, and there were no programmes available unlike today. The generation today is blessed to enjoy newer, bigger and more diverse facilities!

It must have been quite tough initally to adopt technology, how did you stay motivated and keep up with the constant learning?

I believe I can overcome anything as long as I am willing to learn and put in the effort! I have learnt so many things in my job, including how to use the electronic booking system, so I really enjoyed every bit of it. Besides that, family is my utmost priority so it helped a lot that my managers and supervisors were all very supportive and pro-family. 

Is there any memorable moment or milestone that stood out to you?

Yes, of course! I led the ActiveSG dance with my team at the community centre about 5 years ago. It was particularly memorable because that was my first time doing something out of the booking office in my job.

Could you share what the organisation means to you, and a piece of advice you like to share for the future generations?

ActiveSG is a place for me to keep learning and growing. I will like to encourage the young to stay humble, open-minded and serve the people with a sincere heart. 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” 

At ActiveSG, we are ready to go further with the people who made it possible.

We give our deepest appreciation to every former and current colleague who has journeyed with us for the past 10 years. Here’s to the next 10 years!