SINGAPORE – After Mr Leong Kang Chuen retired from his job as a marine engineer almost thirty years ago, he found it hard to stay active and maintain his health.

Now the 84-year-old is enjoying his golden years to the fullest, cycling around his West Coast neighbourhood to catch up with friends and engaging in various physical activities.

This is after he joined the Bros Interest Group, an initiative set up by the SASCO active ageing centre in West Coast to offer older adults, especially men, a way to gather regularly around shared activities in settings where they feel comfortable and connected.

“Monday I have stretch band sessions, Tuesday steel combat, Wednesday parkour, but some days I keep myself free.. I like to cycle around and I am greeted by people saying ‘how are you’. Everyone seems to know me,” said Mr Leong.

He is one of about 3,000 seniors in Boon Lay and West Coast who have benefited from an initiative aimed at bringing healthcare and social support directly to the doorsteps of older adults.

Piloted first in Boon Lay in 2024, the Healthy Precinct approach, led by the National University Health System (NUHS) and various community partners, rethinks how seniors live, move and connect within their neighbourhoods.

It will now be expanded to surrounding neighbourhoods in western Singapore.