Bare Housing Board void decks in Gek Poh, one of Singapore's oldest districts, were given a fresh coat of paint by students and about 100 volunteers from DBS Bank, including its chief executive Piyush Gupta, on Friday afternoon.

The DBS staff painted designs and murals with students from neighbouring secondary schools in Jurong on Wednesday and Friday, and will be painting with residents on Saturday. About 180 residents and students, and 300 DBS staff volunteers are expected to participate in the three-day initiative.

The project, titled Void Deck Art Gallery, is a partnership between DBS, Southwest Community Development Council and non-profit arts enterprise Social Creatives. It aims to make Singapore happier through the arts. The theme for the art in this project is to commemorate Singapore's 50th birthday in 2015.

Said Mr Gupta: "With the DBS Volunteer Programme, we are offering an opportunity for our employees to contribute and engage in every way they can, and for community organisations to benefit.

"Through this partnership with Social Creatives, we are delighted to add new colours to one of Singapore's oldest districts, and share art appreciation with the larger community."