More than 800 needy seniors spent the day with some 1200 volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank at its first 'Silver Lining' carnival held on Saturday at the Singapore Expo. The elderly took part in a broad range of activities, from IT training to physical and mental health screenings. Non-profit organisations and healthcare organisations also came in to raise awareness of age-related issues such as enhancing the mobility of the elderly.

The event, graced by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development, is part of the bank's community programme aimed at addressing issues facing Singapore's rapidly ageing population. Said its chief executive Ray Ferguson: "Singapore's population is ageing rapidly and we are facing issues associated with an ageing population including healthcare, mobility and loneliness."

"We believe that the public and private sectors can collaborate to address the socio-economic concerns arising from this trend.

The bank, which has been active in the reaching out to the community, was awarded the President's Award for Volunteerism (Corporate) earlier this week.