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Sterling Seniors Walk the Talk on Active Ageing |
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Singapore, 27 September 2010 – Seven exemplary seniors – winners of this year's Active Ageing Awards (AAA) – have raised the bar on active ageing once again. This includes a 64-year-old who has demonstrated that financial acumen is far from the reserve of the young. Mr Jim Then Cai is the winner of the inaugural Active Agers - POSB ACTIVE Award 2010, which recognises the role he plays as an advocate of financial literacy and financial planning. Mr Then, who was a financial trader, understands the importance of planning early for retirement but feels that many of his peers may not. That was why, when he retired, he wanted to go into counselling peers on managing their money and planning for their future needs. Today, he is a training manager at the Centre for Seniors, where he conducts pre-retirement courses and counsels his peers on sound financial management. This is the first time the Council for Third Age and POSB, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote financial literacy among seniors in 2009, are presenting the award. It recognises the senior who walks the talk on sound money management, exercises financial prudence and is adept at using modern- day conveniences such as ATMs, Internet Banking and credit cards. Mr Then is among the seven winners, who also include Mr Harry Lo Kwok Kwong (69), Mdm Zaleha Bte Akbar Ali (62), Mr William Liu (62), Mdm Chua Bee Tin (62), Mdm Amy Chua Seok Keng (71) and Mdm Betty Wee (63). They will receive their awards from President S R Nathan in a ceremony to be on held on 2 October 2010, at Grand Copthorne Waterfront. The POSB Active Award is one of two industry-linked awards being given out this year. Mr Harry Lo, a self-taught techie, wins the Active Agers - Infocomm Champion Award 2010, presented by Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) for championing the adoption of IT by seniors. Other winners include a distinguished veteran of the IT industry, Mr William "Bill" Liu, who after retirement, started a company to invest in and mentor technology start-ups, and Mdm Zaleha, a big-hearted homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother of 11 and friend-in-need who still finds the time and energy to learn IT skills. The Active Agers Awards, given out by Council for Third Age – an independent body that promotes active ageing – recognises seniors above 60 who are dynamic and passionate about life, and do not let age get in the way of pursuing their interests and achieving their potential. The Awards, now into its fourth year, have consistently surfaced exemplary and inspiring role models among Singapore's seniors. Mr Gerard Ee, Chairman of Council for Third Age, said: "Each year, the seniors nominated have been nothing short of inspiring. They not only recognise the importance of IT and attend courses to pick up IT skills, they participate as cyber citizens through blogs, social networking sites and online forums. They don't just do qigong – they become instructors and set up classes to train others. They don't let their skills go to waste when they retire, but pro-actively share their knowledge and experiences through teaching, mentoring and volunteerism. "They show up stereotypes of the elderly for what they are – stereotypes. More importantly, through their actions, they encourage and inspire other seniors to get active and stay involved. This year's winners truly epitomise the spirit of active ageing." The winners of the Active Agers Awards 2010 will win prizes worth up to S$5,000. Nominees of winners will also receive S$500 in vouchers. The Active Agers Awards are part of the Active Ageing Festival, one of the key events in the annual calendar of Council for Third Age. The Festival, which runs from April to November this year, also includes the Active Ageing Carnival, which was held in April, as well as the upcoming Active Ageing Roadshows – which brings the message of active ageing into the heartlands – and the annual Grandparents' Day celebrations, to be held on 28 November 2010. The awards presentation ceremony is also being held in observance of the 20th anniversary of International Day of Older Persons. This Day, which falls annually on 1 October, was designated by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 14 December 1990 to promote the independence, participation and dignity of older persons. For more information on the Active Ageing Festival and its other activities, log on to www.activeageingfestival.com.sg Active Ager of the Year (5 winners)Chua Bee Tin, 62 When she suffered from a chronic cough in her forties, Bee Tin took up qigong to improve her health. She has taught more than a thousand qigong enthusiasts since she started 24 years ago. Highly driven and energetic, she brings the community to its feet every morning with qigong exercises and brisk walking, and continues to sign up for courses to advance her knowledge in qigong. Amy Chua Seok Keng, 71 Since Age Management N Enrichment (AME College) was launched in 2007, more than 300 seniors have Amy Chua to thank for improving their confidence and giving them opportunities to age gracefully. Driven by her belief in lifelong learning and desire to help people age with dignity, she started the centre to help other seniors enrich their lives through education. William Liu, 62 He achieved considerable success as a captain of the IT industry, helming large multinational corporations and sitting on numerous boards and committees. After retiring, he is passing on his experience by investing in technology start-ups and mentoring the next generation of technopreneurs. Betty Wee, 63 With a big heart and an even bigger personality, she is a champion for arts and culture, as well as nature, and volunteers her time as a tireless guide in ten of Singapore's parks and museums. She is constantly attending seminars and conferences to improve her knowledge in her area of interest. Zaleha Bte Akbar Ali, 62 Brimming with endless energy and enthusiasm, this lady is always up and about. Whether it is taking part in cooking competitions with her self-styled recipes or offering a listening ear to her peers, she is constantly looking to devote her time to helping others. Currently, she is working on a project to publish all the hand-written recipes passed down from the women in her family into a book. Active Agers – POSB ACTIVE Award 2010Then Cai Jim, 64 A retired financial trader and an advocate for financial literacy, he passionately guides seniors in their retirement planning by creating new course materials and lesson frameworks at the Centre for Seniors. He also keeps active with his interests in gardening, photography and art. Active Agers – Infocomm Champion Award 2010 Lo Kwok Kwong, 69 A devoted IT specialist who is up to speed with the latest IT software, hardware and online social networking tools; he helped set up Silver Infocomm Junction with his knowledge and technical expertise to share what he knew, while also managing and conducting weekly IT practice sessions for his peers. Please see attached Annex for full bios of winners. For interviews with Active Ageing Awards 2010 winners, please feel free to contact Alina Tan at alina.tan@ogilvy.com or T: 9693 5121 / 6213 7862 For more information about the Active Agers Awards, please contact: |
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About Council for Third Age (C3A)Set up in May 2007, Council for Third Age is an independent body that promotes 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. |
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