************************************************************
Officiating at the opening ceremony of the "Golden Age Delight" pre-retirement activity today (November 6), the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, encouraged members of the public to plan ahead in order to lead a full and rich life in retirement.
Jointly organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Elderly Commission, the event introduced different areas of planning that were crucial to one's adaptation to retirement life including one's physical and psychological well-being, social life, family life and finance.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Cheung said, "As the baby boomer generation reached retirement age, how to prepare for a healthy and quality retirement life has become a new issue of concern. To this end, pre-retirement planning is of utmost importance."
Retirees nowadays possess higher education attainment and are more health-conscious. What they pursue are a healthy and quality lifestyle as well as a sense of worthiness. In view of this, the Government and the Elderly Commission have carried out a number of projects in recent years to promote active ageing.
Apart from "Golden Age Delight", other projects include the Elder Academy Scheme which aims at promoting lifelong learning among elders. Since its launch in 2007, 108 elder academies have been set up in tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools. Last year, the Government allocated $10 million to establish the Elder Academy Development Foundation to further develop the curriculum and improve the structure of elder academies.
In 2008, the Neighbourhood Active-Ageing Project was launched. Through cross-sectoral collaboration, it served to develop community network in the neighbourhood to identify and support needy elders. A total of 75 district projects have been carried out so far in districts across the territory, reaching 200,000 elders and their families.
"We are actively considering launching a new phase of the Neighbourhood Active-Ageing Project to further promote care for the elders," said Mr Cheung.
Noting that voluntary work was another area where retirees could contribute, Mr Cheung pointed out that the number of volunteers aged 60 or above registered with the Central Office for Volunteer Service of the Social Welfare Department had already exceeded 120,000.
"Last but not least, a dedicated portal for the elderly was set up in June to provide one-stop information service on elderly services and the silver hair market," he added.
Mr Cheung's remarks were echoed by the Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Leong Che-hung, who was also officiating at the ceremony. Dr Leong noted that overall planning was essential for an enriched retirement life.
"Saving money aside, one should also pay attention to the physical and psychological well-being and development of social life while not overlooking the possible disruption of retirement to our usual family life," he said.
The two-day event in Olympian City featured a variety of activities such as drama, experience sharing, information booth and exhibition.
Roadshows will also be staged in the exhibition area at the main foyer of Yuen Long Theatre and exhibition halls of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsuen Wan Town Hall and Sha Tin Town Hall between November 15 and December 17.
Ends/Saturday, November 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:14
NNNN
