The Online Citizen A Community of Singaporeans By Terry Xu
The Lions Befrienders’ Service Assocation of Singapore has officially opened their 5th Senior Acitivity Centre (SAC) on 6th April 2013 at Block 420A Clementi Ave 1. Providing a place where elderly folks could gather and participate in activities organized by the centre.
Speaking at the opening ceremony as the guest of honor is MP for West Coast GRC, Mr Arthur Fong, he spoke in both English and Mandarin that he has been excited about the opening of the senior activity centre and emphasized on how important it is to have the centre in reaching out to the seniors in the area. The centre would ensure that the seniors would be cared for and provided with activities to promote active aging.
The centre targets mainly on the elders who have no or limited support from their family, residing in the rental flats where it is situated near. The staff and volunteers of the centre goes around knocking on the doors of the rental rooms, asking the elderly residents to register with the centre and to take part in the daily activities the centre organize.
Opening from 9am to 6pm daily in weekdays and half day during saturdays, the centre offers various activities within the premises such as karaoke, Wii platform gaming, Bingo, Qigong exercise and many more.
During weekends, various organisations such as Jurong Town Council, People’s Association as well as schools near the vicinity would ask to bring the elderly residents registered with the centre for outings.
So far, 175 elders from the rental flats have already registered with the clementi activity centre. But there are still over a hundred of elders whom are not registered, out of the 300 over elders who resides in the rental flats there.
Funded partially by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Senior activity centres such as the Clementi Lions Befriender SAC is one of the avenues that the government is replying on in the promotion of active aging in the community as the number of elders steadily increase in Singapore.
The centre is currently supported by three full time staffs and a few senior volunteers living in the vicinity. Given the number of elders that the centre is seeking to provide care for, the centre is actively looking for recruitment of more volunteers to help out in their outreach program towards the elderly residents.
Interested members of public who want to know more about their activities with the elders and volunteering at the centre or the other centres, please write in to [email protected].