"U Live The Good Life"- Labour Movement's largest "One-Stop Shop" Carnival for 5,000 active agers and their families
08 November 2009
Media Release
Held in conjunction with the first Active Ageing Celebrations, carnival highlights include “Largest Number of People doing Chair Calisthenics Together” where 150 active agers and their families come together to set this new Singapore Book of Records
1 Singapore, 8 November 2009 – As part of the Council for Third Age (C3A) Active Ageing Celebrations 2009, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) introduced “U Live The Good Life” - an all-inclusive "one-stop shop" carnival targeted at active agers 55 years and above. This is the first time the Active Ageing Celebrations is being organised under the Active Ageing Festival umbrella. It is specially created for interest groups, like U Live, to organise activities that promote the active ageing lifestyle.
2 For the first time, the Labour Movement collaborated with more than 25 partners under one roof to help seniors conveniently gain access to relevant activities and information that will greatly support their active ageing lifestyle. One of the major highlights at the carnival also included 150 participants creating a new Singapore record with the largest number of people doing chair fitness together at the “Sit and Be Fit” workout.
3 The heart of the Labour Movement is made up of the small U (working people of all collars, ages and nationalities), big U (the Labour Movement as a united family) and the invisible U – the unwavering support given to all members at work, live and play to help them earn a better living and live a better life. Organised by U Live and NTUC Club, this invisible U springs into action by offering a holistic suite of activities, talks and services targeted at 5,000 active agers and their families in the areas of Work, Live and Play at the carnival.
“U Live the Good Life” Carnival
4 Held on 8 November 2009 from 10am to 5pm, the ‘all-inclusive’ event covered all aspects of the active agers' lives such as health and wellness, re-employment and retirement, sports and fitness, wealth and finances, as well as inter-generational games and challenges for family bonding. To also include participation from under-privileged active agers, 160 active agers were also invited from five homes. Please see Annex A for details.
5. NTUC Secretary General Lim Swee Say, who is an active ager himself, said, “We will all grow older by the year. However, it does not mean that we cannot remain happy and healthy, productivity and purposeful. This is a carnival for active agers to celebrate who we are as one community, and look forward to what is to come knowing that the Labour Movement is always there to support us. This is the invisible U at its best, supporting our active agers in our quest to live a full and healthy life, while contributing purposefully to the economy and society.”
6. Mr Man Siu Thong, aged 63, an engineering supervisor who is also an Active Ager said, “With Singaporeans living longer, I believe that our age should not hinder in our ability to contribute back to the society. We can lead fulfilling lives if we have the relevant resources to help us through a new era of ageing actively and healthily. This should be an exciting time where we can truly say that we are at ease with who we are and know how best to apply our experiences to help the society we built.”
Carnival Highlights for Work, Live and Play
7. Close to the hearts of active agers are mainly health and re-employment issues, and how they can stay relevant and continue to contribute meaningfully to the society. The U Live Symposium, held at the Begonia Pavilion housed a wide range of workshops and seminars to address key concerns and raise awareness on these issues.
8. During the U Live Symposium, NTUC Healthcare shared on topics like menopause and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), while Parkway Cancer Centre touched on cancer awareness. Financially, Tsao Foundation held a workshop on fiscal empowerment for mature women to help them remain independent and financially-savvy while ageing actively. CPF Life also presented in two languages, for the convenience of Chinese-speaking seniors, the benefits of CPF Life and how to choose a suitable annuity scheme. Those who needed a basic understanding on will writing also got to hear from the Law Society of Singapore.
9. In the area of worklife, forums held by NTUC's Industrial Relations Department provided updates on the employment legislation and shared good re-employment practices. The forum also allowed seniors to air their concerns and seek advice on their re-employment rights and options. To help seniors maximise job opportunities, P-Serv Pte Ltd gave career talks and resume-writing tips that benefited seniors intending to continue a fulfilling work life. On the same note, the Centre for Seniors touched on areas such as positive mindset changes, the social aspects upon retirement and presented suggestions for meaningful ageing. For those who were keen on lifelong learning, there was also an information booth by NTUC LearningHub on their training programmes.
10. At the D’ Marquee in Downtown East, a Living & Wellness Exhibition was set up. The main highlight was the “Sit and Be Fit” workout at 12pm, where active agers and their families created a new Singapore record of the largest number of people collectively doing chair calisthenics. Specially designed for active agers, this workout involves performing simple aerobic exercises using a chair.
11. In D’ Marquee, there were also stage performances and education skits by CPF Life. Various information booths were set up by partners like National Council of Problem Gambling (NCPG), National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Most popular were the free health screenings by health organisations such as Parkway Cancer Centre, NTUC Healthcare, Borsch Med and Bay Audiology. They offered health screenings such as Hepatitis B Test, Stool Blood Test, Spirometry Test, Hearing Test, Bone Mass Test and Cholesterol Test.
12. At D’ Tent in Downtown East, there were also introduction clinics for active agers to try out interesting sports such as gateball, woodball and darts, which are enjoyable and suitable for active agers. Through the participation of such activities, they were given the opportunity to join and form interest groups.
13. To promote inter-generational bonding, there were stalls with stimulating games such as Memory Match, Win Lose or Draw and Wii Challenge for active agers to participate with their family members. The highlight of the games segment was a U Live Golden Bowl Challenge where active agers competed for prizes worth $1,800.
14. All active agers also enjoyed special discounts during the one-day event. Free Ferris Wheel Ride* and free admission* to Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Park, were available for active agers aged 55 and above and one of their guests. Other exclusive discounts on 8 November 2009 included $3* movie ticket at Cathay Cineplex in E!hub from 11am to 3pm, drink deals* at Platinum Lounge from 2pm to 5pm, and 10% discount* at participating tenants in Downtown East. Free old-school snacks such as malt candy and kacang puteh were also available for everyone.
15. To date, U Live has a base of 81,000 active agers, including those currently working and retirees. Moving forward, the Labour Movement will continue to engage our active agers with more of such age-relevant activities.
*Eligible for seniors aged 55 years old & above. NRIC/NTUC Card required for verification.
Annex B: Carnival Highlights
- Free goodie bag for the First 1,000 U Live members from 1pm @ D’ Marquee
U Live Symposium @ Begonia Pavilionˆ
FREE Health, Finance and Re-employment Talks*- Understanding Cancer, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Will Writing, Finding the Right Job, CPF Life
Living & Wellness Exhibition @ D’ Marqueeˆ
FREE Health Screenings**- Hepatitis B Test, Stool Blood Test, Spirometry Test, Hearing Test, Cholesterol Test, Bone Mass Test
U Live In Fun @ D’ Tent
Sports Try-outs- Woodball, Gateball, Darts
Interest Groups- Eco Club, Golden Eye, Just Travel, Green Swingers Team (GST)
Inter-Gen Game Stalls- Memory Match, Win Lose or Draw, Jenga, Wii Challenge
FREE Fun Snacks- Kacang Puteh, Dragon Bread Candy, Malt Candy, Ice Tubes, Turkish Ice Cream (10am – 3pm, whilst stocks last)
Inter-Gen Game Challenges with Attractive Prizes
Wii Game Challenge*- At D’ Tent (11am-1pm), Event Square (2pm)
Water Telematch*- At Wild Wild Wet (10.30am-11.30am)
U Live Golden Bowl Challenge*- At Orchid Bowl (ONLY for 55 yrs & above)
FREE admission to Downtown East Attractions**
Special Deals @ Downtown East**
Many more exciting activities & performances @ D’ Marquee and Event Square!!!
*Pre-registration is required, visit events@ulive.com.sg or call our hotlines at 6582 3602. Closing date: 5 November 2009.
**Eligible for seniors aged 55 years old & above. Bring your NRIC/NTUC Card for verification.
ˆPriority given to participants aged 55 and above
Terms & Conditions apply
Annex B1: U Live Symposium @ Begonia Pavilion
