Carving out community: A senior’s blueprint for fulfilment
Mr Lim Lye Ho, 73, spends his days at the Montfort Care Goodlife Studio carpentry space, where every repair and project builds friendships and a shared sense of purpose.
Mr Lim Lye Ho's carpentry skills have taken on a new purpose at an Active Ageing Centre. Photos: Agency for Integrated Care
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After wrapping up his household chores and finishing lunch on weekdays, Mr Lim Lye Ho heads to a place that has become his second home – Goodlife Studio (Bukit Purmei) by Montfort Care. Here, the 73-year-old works with focus, repairing a stool or crafting with wood.
Goodlife Studio, an Active Ageing Centre (AAC) designed to engage seniors, is more than a gathering place for Mr Lim – it’s where his lifelong skills find fresh purpose. Once reluctant to step into the AAC, his interest was piqued when he saw carpentry equipment hanging on the walls.
“One of the staff invited me to join a woodworking workshop,” he recalled. “I already had some carpentry skills, so I thought – why not put my time to good use?”
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD SKILLS
Before retiring at 55, Mr Lim worked as a sewing machine repairman. With a carpentry workshop next to the garment factory, he picked up woodworking skills in his free time.
“I enjoy carpentry because it’s practical,” he said. “When I saw my wife dragging a chair to the window whenever it rained to bring in clothes, I built her a laundry rack. Now, all the aunties want one, too!”
With Mr Lim and other seniors keen to put their skills to use, the carpentry studio has expanded to include household item repairs. The public can bring in furniture or sewing machines for assessment and fixing, with fees contributing to the AAC’s senior appreciation fund.
Beyond problem-solving, these projects hold deeper significance. When a fellow senior wanted to replicate worn but sentimental plastic benches, Mr Lim took precise measurements and built near-identical benches from pallet wood, much to the owner’s delight.
He also contributed to an upcycling initiative, crafting reclaimed pallet bookshelves for community use in void decks as part of a collaboration between the AAC and the People’s Association. During the project, Mr Lim worked alongside other seniors skilled in carpentry, including a man in his late 50s with whom he formed a close friendship.
Such connections play a vital role in enhancing seniors’ well-being. However, research indicates that older men, compared to women, often struggle to maintain or develop social ties after retirement.
In fact, AACs were once predominantly attended by women. But in recent years, male-focused programmes such as steel combat, pool and carpentry have encouraged more male seniors in Singapore to take part.
By combining friendly competition with hands-on activities, these programmes provide older men like Mr Lim a chance to socialise while staying active in ways they enjoy. Working side by side, Mr Lim and his carpentry circle are not just crafting wood – they are shaping more fulfilling senior years.
BUILDING SOLUTIONS, SHARING KNOWLEDGE
Eager to give back, Mr Lim continually looks for ways to improve the carpentry studio, from designing and building cabinet organisers to improvising hand tools that make woodworking easier for beginners.
At the centre, he’s the go-to for carpentry knowledge, with others often seeking his help with their projects.
“Sometimes, they ask me how to fix or make things. One friend wanted help making an organiser box to store his wife’s wires,” said Mr Lim. “I’m always happy to share what I know, especially when it comes to using equipment safely.”
When he’s not at the AAC, Mr Lim enjoys listening to English, Mandarin and dialect oldies on his beloved hi-fi system. One song he particularly loves is Tokyo Square’s Within You’ll Remain, a favourite from his nights out years ago.
These days, he chooses low-sugar soy milk over a pint. He says his wife and three children are glad he has found a wholesome way to stay engaged with friends at the AAC’s carpentry studio.
“Drinking is expensive anyway, and if I stay home and watch TV, I’ll only feel more sluggish,” said Mr Lim. “I’d rather head to the AAC to meet friends, share a laugh and keep my hands busy fixing things. That’s how I stay active, both physically and mentally.”
Learn more about what it means to live well, age well and live an unstoppable life. Want to uncover more inspiring stories? Read Rethinking ageing: From caregiving to community and contribution and 67 years and counting: A love story for the ages.
