Singapore Pools makes digital learning fun for seniors
Ilyas Salim
AT A recent carnival at Gardens by the Bay, Kok Poh Yoke from Chinatown Active Ageing Centre showed off a pink balloon bracelet that she got from one of the booths there.
The 77-year-old was one of 300 beneficiaries from 14 social service agencies who took part in the Singapore Pools’ Community Day 2023 on Tuesday (May 9).
The event, which kicked off the organisation’s 55th anniversary celebrations, was an extension of its giving efforts and commitment to uplifting disadvantaged communities.
“I very much enjoy events like this,” Kok said, adding that they encourage her to be active outdoors. She was eager to visit the other activity stations at the carnival, where Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo was present as the event’s guest of honour.
Themed game booths and food kiosks peppered the Gardens’ Supertree Grove area for the day. Attendees could test their aim in archery, at the shooting gallery, and in flinging hilariously turd-shaped projectiles in a game called “Potty Toss”.
But the beneficiaries were not the only ones who had fun.
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For the occasion, Singapore Pools closed its branches across the island from 8 am to 3 pm, so its employees could volunteer at the event. This meant that 400 of the organisation’s employees could engage with the beneficiaries, and help them take part in one of the event’s highlights – an augmented reality (AR) trail.
“My branch colleagues and I are all very happy to be here because it’s a nice break from work,” said Kelly Chang from the company’s retail operations department. “And today, we’re doing something meaningful.”
This was the second time the company had closed its outlets for half a day during regular operations for a community programme. The first time it did so was in 2018, when it marked its 50th anniversary.
Mobilising human resources
Gaming and giving back are rarely associated with one another. But besides providing a legal and responsible gaming environment, Singapore Pools consistently channels “almost 30 per cent of every dollar it makes to a wide array of community and infrastructural projects in Singapore through the Tote Board and taxes”, said Chin Sau Ho, senior director of community partnerships and communications at the organisation.
Under its “Capital for Purpose” principle, Singapore Pools provides its assets for the community’s benefit.
These go beyond providing funds to providing volunteers and technological and infrastructural resources. For example, in 2019, the organisation set up a charity called iShine Cloud to share its data servers with, and provide cloud services to, other charities.
Chin said that the volunteerism rate at Singapore Pools is 60 per cent. The opportunities provided by the organisation are well-received internally, he added, based on feedback from staff.
“They can see that the company is serious about giving back to society, and that it is not just some CSR (corporate social responsibility) spiel,” he said. “Especially with the current generation – they want to see the company demonstrating its values transparently.”
Staff volunteer Chan agreed, adding that through volunteer work, employees benefit on both personal and professional levels.
She has been a volunteer for more than a decade and her experience has taught her to be patient as well as considerate of the needs of the senior citizens in her charge. At Tuesday’s event, she ensured that there were sufficient water points, and that wheelchair-bound participants had the help they needed.
Besides providing opportunities to bond with her colleagues, such activities also hone her communication and event-planning skills, she said.
Making digital learning fun
On the walking trail with AR elements, participants visited points of interest in the Gardens, including the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. The volunteers were on hand to help them use an AR application that provided nuggets of information about the sites.
Singapore Pools said it hoped to “excite participants, especially seniors, with the possibilities brought about by technology, and encourage them to continue advancing on the digital journey”.
The activity tied in with the organisation’s broader efforts to support digital literacy, especially among senior citizens. Singapore Pools, a Digital for Life partner, has supported programmes that help seniors pick up digital literacy.
Digital literacy is one of two areas that Singapore Pools will focus on to help its senior beneficiaries, Chin said. The other is mental health.
It is critical to teach seniors to be digitally literate, he added, but learning digital skills can be stressful for seniors, so it is key that their encounters with digital technology take place in engaging settings.
“I think there’s a need for seniors to be exposed to fun,” Chin said. “And that’s why we did this AR (trail). It’s fun, and they’re more inclined to do it.”
Covid restrictions narrowed down the options for outdoor activities for seniors, he said, but expressed hope that events such as the Community Day carnival will benefit them “physically and mentally”.
Kok, for one, said she is looking forward to signing up for more of Singapore Pools’ community activities.
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