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Turning Possibilities into Opportunities
– Council for Third Age (C3A) unveils Active Ageing Festival 2008

Active Ageing Festival 2008 to provide a platform to showcase increasing opportunities and choices for seniors to stay actively engaged

22nd July 2008 - Building upon the success of the inaugural Active Ageing Festival (AAF) in November 2007, Council for Third Age (C3A) has created a bigger Festival for 2008 that aims to provide more seniors – especially heartlanders – with the choices and opportunities to adopt an active ageing lifestyle.

The AAF not only aims to teach seniors about active ageing and its importance in improving quality of life; more importantly, the 4-month long Festival is set to encourage Singaporeans of all educational levels and socio-economic strata to put the “active ageing, active living” mindset into action. In this regard, C3A has been enlisting the support of various interest groups to take part in the Festival, so that the AAF becomes a common platform where a multitude of interest groups converge and proliferate so that seniors are presented with an array of opportunities for engagement, interaction, learning and development.

“For the active ageing message to gain traction among seniors, they need to get excited about the possibilities and choices open to them and take the first step towards active ageing; for example, by signing up for a course or activity. The AAF is a platform where interest groups and seniors can converge and connect. It's a win-win situation – seniors find the activities that interest them, while interest groups get the new members they need to grow,” said Mr Henry Quake, CEO of C3A.

Seniors living in HDB heartlands are a key audience for the AAF 2008. C3A has intensified its efforts to spread the active ageing message to this group and to deliver to them the opportunities to practise active ageing. Hence, for the first time, the Council has enlisted the help of the Community Development Councils to organise Active Ageing Roadshows in each of the five districts to target heartlanders.

“This year's Active Ageing Festival continues to emphasise the importance of an active ageing lifestyle, while encouraging seniors to take the first step now,” said Mr Gerard Ee, Chairman of C3A. “By bringing our Active Ageing Festival to the heartlands, we want to show that active ageing cuts across all social levels, and that everyone can adopt an active ageing lifestyle, regardless of their age, socio-economic status and educational level.”

Likewise, encouraging seniors to be active agers is also no longer the work of just VWOs. This year, for the first time, C3A will be partnering a private organisation, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Limited, who is the Collaborating Organisation (diamond sponsor) of the AAF. Prudential Singapore is taking the lead by creating the Active Agers - Prudential Prime Award 2008, under the auspices of the Active Agers Awards. This award will be given to the person who best exemplifies a positive attitude towards ageing through the passionate pursuit of sports, activities and hobbies, not typically associated with his or her age.

Mr Philip Seah, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Singapore, said, “There is very good synergy between C3A and Prudential Singapore. Our corporate mission is to provide solutions for Singaporeans to achieve financial freedom upon retirement. Our aim in partnering C3A through the Active Aging Festival 2008 is to endorse C3A's quest in helping Singaporeans to realise that retirement can be active, fulfilling, and exciting. Thus we are presenting the Active Agers – Prudential Prime Award, to be given to the person who embodies a positive, gung-ho spirit and attitude and who actively engages in sports and hobbies that are generally associated with younger people.”

Likewise, for NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Ltd – the Collaborating Organisation (platinum sponsor) for AAF 2008 – supporting active ageing through the Festival is an excellent way to fulfil its social mission of serving the needs of its members and the community.

The AAF kicks off on 23 August with a two-day Active Ageing Carnival that enables seniors to sample new sports, learn new skills, indulge in leisure and entertainment and interact with their peers.

Active Ageing Carnival (AAC)
The carnival is designed to encourage seniors to challenge self-limiting beliefs and expand their horizons in a safe, fun and friendly atmosphere.

For example, Go-Karting and the Flying Fox will bring out the gung-ho, adventurous side of seniors. For others, C3A has lined up exhibitors from interest groups, community development organisations, government agencies and the commercial sector, providing a range of activities, programmes, products and services that cater to the different tastes and aspirations of seniors. The AAC also provides a platform for them to network with their peers, form new social networks and expand their social circle.

Active Ageing Roadshows
The introduction of roadshows is a first for the AAF. With the support of the Community Development Councils (CDCs), C3A hopes to widen the outreach and spread the “active ageing, active living” message to the heartlands.

While each event is different and tailored to the needs of the CDCs, the underlying theme is to educate senior heartlanders on active ageing and bring to them the platform to take the first step towards being an active ager.

Active Agers Awards
The Active Agers Awards recognise seniors with a passion for life and who are enthusiastic about motivating other seniors to live an active life. Five winners will be selected as Active Agers of the Year to act as role models for their peers. Award winners are picked based on their ability to live their lives fully along the six dimensions of wellness – social, intellectual, physical, vocational, emotional and spiritual.

In addition, for 2008, the Council is also collaborating with Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Limited and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) to present two special awards to seniors who embrace active ageing in their own unique ways. The Active Agers - Prudential Prime Award 2008 will be given to the individual who best exemplifies a positive attitude towards ageing through the passionate pursuit of sports, activities and hobbies that are generally associated with younger people. The other, by IDA, named Active Agers - Infocomm Champion Award 2008 will be presented to an outstanding senior whose zest in fully exploiting infocomm to experience the digital life makes him or her an inspiration to other seniors.

RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, IDA said, “Infocomm has become an integral part of our lives, enabling the way we work, learn or play. For senior citizens, staying in touch with families and friends near or far, sharing experiences through blogs, and enjoying online services from home, are just some of benefits that infocomm brings. Through the Infocomm Champion Award, we want to encourage more of our senior citizens to use infocomm to stay connected and plug into an increasingly digital world. This is part of our efforts to develop Singapore into an Intelligent Nation, Global City powered by infocomm, under the iN2015 masterplan.”

Grandparents' Day
Grandparents' Day is a special day for grandchildren to show their appreciation to their grandparents and honour them for their contribution to family and society. And what better way to do this than by spending quality time with one's grandparents.

The highlight of C3A's Grandparents' Day celebration this year is a parade march from the Esplanade Park to the Singapore Flyer. Participants can look forward to fun-filled activities at the end of the walk such as concession rides on the Singapore Flyer.

About Council for Third Age (C3A)
Set up in May 2007, Council for Third Age is an independent body set up to promote active ageing, so that seniors can achieve a better quality of life in all the six dimensions of wellness – social, intellectual, physical, vocational, emotional and spiritual. The Council plays a leadership role in driving the thrust towards creating an active ageing culture in Singapore, and partners businesses and community organisations to develop products and services that fulfill the aspirations and interests of seniors.

About Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd
Prudential Singapore is the top life insurance company in Singapore and is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK-based Prudential plc. As a market leader in investment-linked plans, Prudential Singapore has over S$8.1 billion funds under management (as at 31 Dec 2007). Prudential Singapore is the first life insurer in Singapore to be named Asia's Life Insurance Company of the Year. Most recently, Prudential won the Gold Award in the Reader's Digest Trusted Brands 2008.

About NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Ltd
NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd was founded by the labour movement in 1973, with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in Singapore. From one supermarket, it has grown to become Singapore's largest retailer, with a network of more than 200 outlets comprising FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, FairPrice Homemart, FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores. NTUC FairPrice also owns a Fresh Food Distribution Centre and centralised warehousing and distribution company.

Today, with its multiple retail formats serving the varied needs and interests of people from all walks of life, the social mission of NTUC FairPrice has evolved to make the dream of living well accessible to everyone by moderating the costs of the good life.

About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing Singapore into a dynamic global infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to developing info-communications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.

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