It was a special afternoon for both patients at Bright Vision Hospital and a group of Standard Chartered Bank volunteers on 14 April 2011.

The group of corporate volunteers came in to celebrate the birthdays of our patients. The event was well planned and organized, with many games and prizes to give away. The patients were laughing and smiling throughout the event.

The event was started with rounds of bingo games for ice breaking. The volunteers successfully cheered up the patients and made them to relax and enjoy themselves. The patients were then wheeled to form a circle for ball passing games. They would have to sing or perform if the ball was with them when music stopped. Many of the volunteers sang on behalf of the patients who were shy to sing. This brought more fun and the volunteers who sang on behalf were applauded for their courage and sportiveness.

A glimpse of the volunteers’ mindfulness was seen in the gifts. The volunteers nicely wrapped the gifts presented to winners of the games. The gift items were useful and essential to the patients’ daily use, such as towel, shampoos, soaps and ointment.

Towards the end of the event, a birthday cake was cut with birthday songs being sung for the patients celebrating their birthday in April. The patients cheered out their appreciation to the volunteers who lighted up their day. “Xie Xie Cha Da Yin Hang!” One of the patients cheered in Mandarin, which meant “Thank You Standard Chartered Bank!” This surprised the Standard Chartered volunteers and ended the event with climax.

One of the volunteers, Irene, who is the manager of the group, recalled that before the activities commenced, she was a little apprehensive about whether the patients would enjoy themselves and whether her time spent with them was of value to them. However, as she got to meet some of the patients and as they started to play bingo, she realized that the patients were interested in the game and were enjoying themselves.

Seeing the positive response from the patients encouraged her to interact more with them. “I was very pleased to have made a difference to the patient’s day, even though it was in a small way. The time I spent with the patients also made a difference to my day. It made me realize the importance of having the support of loved ones and being cared for as we get older and frail. It was a humbling experience.” She concluded.

“Thank you for having us at Bright Vision hospital. I really enjoyed my day, interacting with the patients. It made me really happy to see the joy that we brought them, and how enthusiastic they were about getting involved. I am glad that we helped make a difference in their lives and brought a bit of cheer.” - A quote from another volunteer, Olivia, after the event.