Month-long festival to celebrate silver generation to roll out range of activities

SINGAPORE - A series of activities to encourage senior citizens to age gracefully was introduced by the Council for Third Age and the National Library Board on Wednesday morning.

From a series of free talks and workshops to a roving exhibition at various libraries across the island, the programme, 'Time of Your Life - Learning Journeys for the 50plus', hopes to encourage lifelong learning and an active lifestyle among seniors aged 50 and above.

Some of the workshops include managing healthcare costs and modern grandparenting.

It is a good platform for our seniors to pick up new skills and discover new interests, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony of the month-long festival that begins on Wednesday.

He added that the government will embark on an action plan to prepare Singapore for an ageing population. By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be above the age of 65.

"As part of our effort to develop the action plan, we have also launched a series of public consultations to seek feedback on policies and initiatives related to ageing," said Mr Gan. "To date, we have consulted more than 500 people, and held 27 focus group discussions."

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