“Social Prescribing Day 2025” creates a healthy community through medical-social collaboration
In response to the International Social Prescribing Day on 19 March, YMCA brought together multiple service units and professional departments to launch “Social Prescribing Day 2025” at The Park, The Mills, on 23 March. The event attracted over 300 participants and successfully raised public awareness of how social prescribing can improve the mental health of young people through non-pharmacological treatments such as art, sports, and nature activities.
Guests officiated at the "Social Prescribing Day 2025" launching ceremony. (From left to right: Dr. Fan Ning, Founder of Health In Action; Professor Timothy Kwok, Director of Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing and Professor of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr Pang Fei Chau, Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of Primary Healthcare Commission, Health Bureau; Mr. Karl Lau, General Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong; Dr. Chan Kai Tai, Clinical Professional Consultant and Associate Professor of Practice in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr. Yu Ju-cheng, Research Assistant Professor at the Clinical Division of the School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University)
At the event, the ceremony invited Dr Pang Fei Chau, Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of Primary Healthcare Commission, Health Bureau; Professor Timothy Kwok, Director of Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing and Professor of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr. Chan Kai Tai, Clinical Professional Consultant and Associate Professor of Practice in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr. Fan Ning, Founder of Health In Action; and Dr. Yu Ju-cheng, Research Assistant Professor at the Clinical Division of the School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, as the officiating guests.
10 free workshops on art, creativity, sports and other topics related to social prescribing were specially designed by various units, so that the public could experience the diverse forms of social prescribing first-hand and understand the positive impact of such interventions on mental health. A “Social prescribing” exchange session was also held during the event, featuring a panel of experts from the medical, academic and social welfare sectors, who shared their latest experiences and practices, inviting the industry and the public to explore together a new paradigm of medical-social collaboration and integrated social resources.
“Social prescribing” is an evidence-based early intervention approach that focuses on medical-social collaboration and integrates medical and community resources. This approach aims to improve social determinants of health such as loneliness and mental health through the use of non-pharmacological support. Findings from relevant studies have shown that social prescribing can have a positive impact on the mental health needs of adolescents, improving their sense of well-being and mental health. The JC InnoPower: Nature4Mind programme launched last year has been rolled out successfully in Hong Kong. It offers children from underprivileged families suffering from anxiety disorders access to medical and community services, and improves their physical and mental health through nature-related activities. This year, we organised “Social Prescribing Day” to promote the importance of the social prescribing approach in dealing with youth mental health problems to the general public and raise public awareness of mental health issues.
This year, we have also launched the “Youth Link Worker Ambassador Programme”, training 30 young people aged 15-24 to become “Link Worker Ambassadors”. They will help identify peers with mental health needs early and provide support, promoting mutual assistance and connection within the community. “Link Worker Ambassadors” need to understand the benefits of different prescribing methods for the body, mind and spirit, and develop empathy for the needs of others, while promoting social prescribing in the community and among peers.
The first social prescribing themed carnival in Hong Kong featuring 10 experiential workshops on art, creativity, sports and other social prescribing activities for public participation.
Experts from the medical, academic and social welfare sectors explored the new model of medical-social collaboration in the "Social prescribing" exchange session.
Survey on parents' awareness of child protection and the mandatory reporting mechanism
The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect in less than a year. Our Family Working Group interviewed more than 2,500 parents with minor children earlier to understand their awareness of child protection and the Ordinance. The results showed that two-thirds of the parents respondents were not familiar with the content of the Ordinance, and more than 40% of the parents believed that they might accidentally violate the child abuse-related regulations when disciplining their children. They hoped to learn parenting communication and discipline skills to deal with the problem.
Our Family Working Group held a press conference on 16 March, and invited lawyer Albert So as the guest speaker to share his insights. The Working Group’s convenor, Coordinating Secretary of YMCA, Ms. Phoebe See, said, “Parents must first take care of their own emotional and psychological needs, view things from multiple perspectives and understand their children’s feelings. They should also avoid reacting to their children with violence or neglect to establish effective mutual communication.” Lawyer Albert So also reminded parents not to pressuring children living up to expectations and disciplining them by beating or scolding, as this may lead to unintentional legal violations.
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Congratulations to CYMCASS on winning bronze in Hong Kong Schools Jing Ying Girls Basketball Tournament
The Chinese YMCA Secondary School (CYMCASS) Girls’ Basketball Team competed in the 2024-2025 NIKE All Hong Kong Schools Jing Ying Basketball Tournament at the Kai Tak Arena on 16 March.
With the enthusiastic cheering of the teachers, students, family and friends, the CYMCASS Girls’ Basketball Team defeated Diocesan Girls’ School by 62:59 in the third-place match, demonstrating their unyielding sportsmanship and ultimately winning bronze in the girls’ division. During the competition, Chan Tsz Ying was the top scorer with 28 points, while team captain Lam Cheuk Tung won two individual awards in the girls’ division for Best 3-Point Shooter and Leader in Steals. Both were selected as members of the Girls’ All-Star Team. After the game, Principal Cheung of CYMCASS shared with emotion: “When the score was once behind, the team members gave it their all, encouraging each other and adjusting their tactics, and ultimately turned the game around and evened the score. This is a perfect demonstration of a fighting spirit!”
Joint-school summer internship programme in Guangzhou
Seize the opportunity for an internship in the Greater Bay Area this summer! Funded by the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland, we are organising the Two Joint-University Summer Internship Programmes to Guangzhou.
This is a valuable opportunity for local young people to seize the resources and advantages of the Greater Bay Area in public welfare and business, gain first-hand experience of the workplace environment in mainland China, and hone their professional skills and innovative abilities. We invite members aged 18-30 to apply for the above programme. Participants can undertake internships at public welfare organisations or enterprises in Guangzhou, gaining valuable work experience and establishing a broad network of contacts for future employment. In addition to providing professional internship positions, the programme will also arrange various cultural exchange activities to help young people develop all-round and realise “Meaningful Work” under YMCA Vision 2030.
Date: 14 June to 29 July 2025 (46 days)
Target: Members aged 18-30
Fee: Free (including transportation, accommodation, meals, training and cultural activities for participants)
Registration deadline: 7 April 2025
Enquiries: 2705 2725 (International and Mainland Affairs Division)
Programmes details: https://ima.ymca.org.hk/zh-hant/gzinternship2025
YMCA hosts Odyssey of the Mind Hong Kong Regional Tournament, top teams to compete in US
Since 2017, YMCA has hosted the Odyssey of the Mind Hong Kong Regional Tournament – a competition that encourages Hong Kong students to be creative problem solvers and develop creativity and problem-solving skills. This year’s competition was held on 1 March at Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village. 31 teams from 28 primary and secondary schools across Hong Kong participated. Winners from each category were announced, who will represent Hong Kong to compete with world-class teams in Michigan, USA from 21 to 24 May for the title of World Champion. Participating teenagers also have the opportunity to broaden their international horizons and learn about different cultures.
Odyssey of the Mind, also known as the “Mind Olympics”, is an international educational activity that originated in the US. Participating teams need to solve challenging long-term and spontaneous problems without fixed answers creatively. Participating teams can choose a specific long-term problem they are interested in. The problems cover five areas: vehicles, technology, classics (classical art and literature), structure, and performance. Participating teams need to prepare several months in advance and demonstrate their solutions to the judges in an 8-minute performance in English. In addition, participating teams are also required to respond immediately to the spontaneous questions announced on the day of the competition to test their adaptability.
The competition aims to inspire students’ interest in creative thinking, STEAM, the application of mathematics and science, and innovative technology, while cultivating teamwork, communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in young people. Click here to view the Hong Kong regional tournament results.
Youth & Elderly Information Literacy Sync Day
With the ever-evolving tactics of online scams, understanding various scamming techniques is essential to effectively prevent being deceived! The YMCA “InnoTech Movement Working Group” held the “Youth & Elderly Information Literacy Sync Day” in March. The group recruited 35 youth and elder volunteers and conducted in-depth training, learning how to avoid the latest types of online and offline scams. Together, they designed a social simulation game to teach 100 elderly from different social service organisations about scam prevention knowledge
During the event, participants held a simulated ID card and went to different booths to get points. Volunteers mimicked various deceptive practices, and participants needed to outsmart various scams to avoid having their points deducted. In addition to traditional interactive games, there were also video game consoles and tablet-based motion-sensing games, allowing participants to learn about fraud prevention while getting to know virtual technology. In addition, officers from the Regional Crime Prevention Office of New Territories South Region and the Sha Tin Police Community Relations Office were also on hand to promote the latest scam prevention information.
The event not only provided the elderly with knowledge about fraud prevention, but also promoted cooperation between young people and the elderly through volunteer training. We will continue to train more senior and youth volunteers to raise awareness about internet safety, promote digital inclusion in the community, and enhance information literacy and community scam prevention awareness!
YMCA Christian Academy organises "Digital Citizenship Week"
Each year, YMCA Christian Academy organises “Digital Citizenship Week” to raise students’ awareness of internet safety and educate them on good digital citizenship. During the week, the Year 1 students made internet safety hats to raise awareness among classmates of staying vigilant when browsing online, and learned how to use the internet safely, such as not sharing passwords, thinking twice before clicking on links, and never sharing personal information. Year 2 students role-played as cyber detectives and explored digital citizenship and digital literacy through interactive experiential activities. They learned how to protect online privacy for themselves and others, to protect personal data and become responsible digital citizens. The Year 3 students created their own digital footprint maps to understand how all their online activities leave traces on the Internet, and that the activity logs can be traced back. This helped them realise that everyone is responsible for their actions in cyberspace as well as in the real world.
In this digital era, where children are constantly exposed to the internet, online safety has become a critical issue. Therefore, it is crucial to teach our children to stay safe online. Through the “Digital Citizenship Week”, the school hopes to cultivate a more responsible and conscious new generation of internet users.
As city dwellers who often work overtime and frequently perform repetitive motions, we are more susceptible to joint pain or sports injuries that can affect our quality of life. The Association’s Health Care Professions Department is launching a regular monthly column and publishing short articles about self-care. Topics covered will include arthritis, joint pain and self-healing. For more detailed health-related information, please visit our websitewww.ymca.org.hk/hcp or call 2783 3616for inquiries.
Red Flags in Physiotherapy that You should Know
You may consult a physiotherapist when you have muscle and joint pain. However, certain pains and symptoms may signal serious underlying health issues requiring urgent medical attention. Here are some examples of them and their possible causes.
- It may be caused by tumors or infection if you have unintentional weight loss, fatigue or have constant pain, especially at night and when the pain is not related to activity.
- If you have pain after injury and are unable to bear weight or move that body part, you may have fracture.
- Also, don’t miss out if you have back or neck pain with fever because it might be related to spinal infection.
- If you have clumsy or weak hands, numbness and pain over both arms, decreased balance and stability when walking, with urinary or bowel incontinence, loss of sensation at buttock and inner surface of the thighs, it may be due to cervical myelopathy (compression of spinal cord) or cauda equina syndrome (injury to nerves). Despite the more serious conditions above, there are also some medical conditions that you should not neglect. For instance, if you have sudden onset of intense joint pain with warmth, swelling and redness on that joint, it might be related to gout.
- If the painful joints happen on fingers and toes with morning stiffness lasts over an hour, it might be related to rheumatoid arthritis.
To sum up, it is important to recongnise some health problems that are related to medical rather than physiotherapy issues. Therefore, during physiotherapy consultations, physiotherapists will conduct necessary assessments to rule out those conditions. If indicated, physiotherapists will advise patients to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Social enterprise YM Fleur "F2 GreenPathy Project" | The story of life-changing floral art
＊Some of the programmes are subsidised by the Social Welfare Department
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