YMCA presents “Lyrics of the Soul” Cantopop Mental Wellness Contest to express emotions through music
Organised by our YM Volunteer Working Group from October last year to April this year, the “Lyrics of the Soul” Cantopop Mental Wellness Contest attracted over 250 entries. After the judging, a music exchange and award ceremony was held on April 18 at Western Market in Sheung Wan. This contest used Cantonese songwriting as a springboard to integrate mental health education, ditching the usual preachy approach and giving young people a platform to create music and express themselves. It also offered listeners a way to process their emotions and let out all that pent-up emotions, and share a message of hope to society.
At the live music showcase, two young buskers and three youth bands mentored by our outreach team performed the award-winning and outstanding songs, turning the songwriters’ personal journeys into truly moving music.
The “Lyrics of the Soul” Cantopop Mental Wellness Contest invited a judging panel featuring Ms. Norris Wong, director of “The Lyricist Wannabe”, and Dr. Kenneth Chan, psychiatrist and lyricist. The overall winner will receive professional recording, a music video, and a song release opportunity. From the Open Group, Warren scooped the top prize with his song “失語症” (Aphasia) about someone who stops speaking after a traumatic experience. Many other powerful lyrics explored themes of mental health from personal perspectives, or from the viewpoint of carers and supporters.
The contest was divided into two categories: the Open Group and
the YM Volunteer Group for our young volunteers. The YM Volunteer Group featured two workshops on mental health and lyric writing for participation. In particular, Ms. Norris Wong led the “Lyric Writing 101” workshop, sharing her own stories of setbacks and encouraging the teenagers not to be afraid of failure. Meanwhile, our Counselling Unit also ran “The Human Library” session, helping participants connect with their emotions and turn them into lyrics. Norris commented, “Both groups delivered lyrics that were spot-on and personal. The Open Group were generally more experienced with melody, and there were some seriously inspiring entries!”
The top entries are now on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ymvlyrics/), sharing the lyrics and creative ideas of the participants. We also set up the “Chillest Song Award” for public voting to pick the most touching entry, which reached over 23,000 votes, bringing everyone along on a journey of hope and support through music.
YMCA Institute of Christian Ministry GROW Micro-Credential Courses Promotion
This May, our Institute of Christian Ministry is offering two GROW micro-certificate courses focused on nurturing believers’ spiritual lives and ministry skills. We encourage ministry leaders and teachers to sign up.
The Joyful Children’s Ministry Course covers understanding the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children, exploring the characteristics of different activity formats, and partnering with parents in their children’s spiritual nurture, which will equip children’s ministry leaders to plan diverse and engaging sessions with ease and effectiveness, so as to create a church environment where children love to come and are nurtured in their faith.
Instructor: Pastor Ruby Leung (Superintendent of UniKids, Fanling Assembly of God Church UniKids; Master of Arts in Christian Education – Children’s Christian Education, Hong Kong Evangel Seminary)
Dates: Thursdays on 15, 22 and 29 May and 5 June 2025
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Format: Online
Fee: $800*, or $700* per person for groups of three or more.
*A one-off $100 registration fee applies for first-time GROW course participants.
Registration form: https://forms.gle/ySbbzeZDBcWtBe9XA
Deadline: May 6 (sign up now)
R.E.A.L Men’s Ministry Boot Training is designed for leaders who are interested in participating in men’s ministry, introducing a new “Fun, Feast, Fight” ministry model, through the process of experiencing and becoming a “R.E.A.L. real man” in a small group, providing six practical steps to help men “regroup and start again”, and then help the church or community to establish a men’s ministry and expand the kingdom of God.
Instructor: Rev. Daniel Tse (Rev., Island ECC; Master of Christian Studies, China Graduate School of Theology). Pastor Daniel Tse has nearly two decades of experience coordinating and promoting men’s ministry and has been involved with Pure Desire Ministries since 2012.
Dates: Wednesdays on 21 and 28 May, and 4 and 11 June 2025
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Format: In-person teaching
Location: Institute of Christian Ministry, 3/F, Administration Building, 23 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Fee: $800*, or $700* per person for groups of three or more.
*A one-off $100 registration fee applies for first-time GROW course participants.
Registration form: https://forms.gle/NUDLBaM4fAgNC89B9
Deadline: 12 May (sign up now)
Chinese YMCA College student and athlete wins gold for Hong Kong
On 12 April 2025, YMCA College track and field athlete Kwan Yan-yi was selected for the Hong Kong, China Athletics Team to participate in the Asian Junior U18 Athletics Championships in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, where she threw 54.04m in the women’s U18 javelin,, achieving the top position in Asia, and rising to second place in the world rankings.
Kwan has been training with Chinese YMCA College alumnus and coach Mr. Chow Pui Yin since the start of secondary school. She has already enjoyed considerable success this year, winning the girls’ U18 javelin throw at the first leg of the 2025 Hong Kong Junior Age Group Athletics Competition on 2 March, where she also broke the Hong Kong U18 record. She followed this up with a silver medal and a new meet record in the girls’ javelin at the Inter-School Athletics Competition on 12 March.
“Mindfulness through Sports” new website is now on live
The Jockey Club Active Elders Programme – Mindfulness through Sports project has launched a brand new website! Visit https://mindfulness-sports.org to access a wealth of resources and information on mindfulness and exercise, designed to help those aged 55 and over learn about the programme, stay up-to-date on the latest activities, and develop healthy habits for mind, body, and spirit.
The new website features:
- Exercise Tutorials: Learn mindful movement techniques to help you keep active at home.
- Online Games: Five interactive games, each with a different theme to introduce mindfulness concepts, encourage self-awareness, and promote relaxation and stress reduction. These can also help improve reaction time and cognitive skills.
- Mindful Trails: Enjoy virtual tree walks and short mindfulness exercises with 20 videos showcasing the mindful tree trail at the YMCA Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village.
- Articles: Read insightful articles on mindfulness and exercise.
- Media Resources: Download WhatsApp sticker packs, phone wallpapers, and more.
- Events: Find the latest information on experiential sessions and mindful movement training courses offered by the programme. Register for a free account to sign up – all activities are completely free of charge.
Feel free to share this programme and website with anyone aged 55 or over. For more details, stay tuned to our Facebook page or visit the website for the latest announcements.
"CHAIKAWA" Experience Centre
To celebrate Children’s Day and mark the 100-day countdown to its 50th anniversary, the Chai Wan Centre Youth Team hosted a “CHAIKAWA” experience centre on 4 April, featuring a range of activities designed for families to enjoy together while also introducing the centre’s services to members and the wider community.
On the day of the event, Chai Wan Centre was transformed into an interactive experience centre with six themed zones. Families had 30 minutes to explore each zone, which included brain-teasing puzzles, takoyaki making, writing “Letters to My Future Self (100 Days Later)”, a commemorative photo booth, a “shout-out” decibel challenge, and fun sports challenges. The event attracted 222 participants who enjoyed a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere as they tackled the various challenges and games together. At the end of the day, Chai Wan Centre showcased the centre’s services and invited participants to join in the upcoming 50th-anniversary celebrations.
Discover Guangzhou: Cultural Exchange and Service Trip
From 28 to 30 March, the University and College YMCA led a group of 19 students from various institutions on a cultural exchange and children’s service trip to Guangzhou. The group participated in an urban orienteering activity to learn about Guangzhou’s history and culture, and joined a cultural carnival to share diverse international cultures with local youth and children. They also experienced an intangible cultural heritage activity focusing on martial arts and visited young lupus patients at a local children’s hospital, where they set up stalls for cultural exchange and offered computer game experiences related to immune system diseases. The trip deepened the participants’ understanding of mainland Chinese society, development, and culture, and fostered cultural integration between local and non-local students.
Chillax Y2K Youth Mental Health Support Programme
In response to the needs of students taking this year’s Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) exams, Chai Wan Centre, Kornhill Centre, and Siu Sai Wan Centre have joined hands to launch the Chillax Y2K DSE Support Programme. This initiative provides a range of services to support students before, during, and after their exams, including access to study rooms, individual counselling sessions, post-exam activities, and results day support groups. On the key exam dates of 2 and 3 April, encouragement packs – including specially designed bookmarks created by students engaged in the programme – were distributed to students at seven secondary school exam centres in Chai Wan.
Our Principal Programme Secretary of Siu Sai Wan Centre Ms. Jessica Mo also appeared on RTHK TV 31’s “Hong Kong United” programme on 3 April to discuss strategies for DSE candidates to manage stress, and highlight the support available through Chillax Y2K. The full episode is available at https://youtu.be/ipujrnOM0o8?si=rKkHBQ-Ihd5nMKaK&t=190
Our commitment to the principles of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) since 2019 reflects the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our organisation’s approach to development and the YMCA 2030 Vision for sustainable development in Hong Kong. Apart from publishing the ESG Impact Report, YMCA also endeavours to integrate ESG concepts into our daily operations. This column is dedicated to sharing with our members our ESG initiatives regularly.
YM Volunteer@SCHOOL Programme: SDGs on campus
Our YM Volunteer Working Group launched the “YM Volunteer@SCHOOL” programme in 2022 to promote volunteering in schools, cultivating a spirit of service among students and raising awareness of ESG and SDGs in everyday life. Participating schools that meet the programme’s criteria will receive a certificate from YMCA and invitation to an awards ceremony, and have the chance to win the “Highest Volunteer Service Hours Award” and the “SDGs Themed Story Award”. The following are the winning schools for the 2023-2024 academic year, showcasing how students are addressing the SDGs through innovative volunteer services.
The champion of the SDGs Themed Story Award went to Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long) for their "捐捐" (Donate and Share) project. Students and teachers collaborated to collect unsold vegetables from market vendors, which were then sorted by students and redistributed to elderly people in need within the community. Students also organised stalls to collect second-hand items and donate usable goods to those in need.
Kwun Tong Kung Lok Government Secondary School won the first runner-up prize for their "環保有緣人" (Recycling Buddies) project, which gave old items a new lease of life. Inspired by students' experiences of finding unwanted but still usable items while clearing out their homes, the school organised an event where students first identified items they needed and then encouraged the entire school community to bring in unwanted items for a swap shop, promoting reusing resources and reducing waste.
Liu Po Shan Memorial College secured the second runner-up prize for their "「耆」妙人生" (Wonderful Lives of the Elderly) project , creating memory books documenting the life stories of elderly people. This project encouraged students to slow down in our fast-paced city life, care for the elderly around them, and listen to their stories. Beyond expressing care for the elderly, some of the stories even became a source of inspiration for the students.
Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School received the Highest Volunteer Service Hours Award for their various service-learning projects, including oral history documentation and visits to subdivided flats. These initiatives allowed students to connect with the community and capture its spirit, and more importantly, raised awareness of and provided support to vulnerable groups.
These award-winning volunteer projects addressed the UN SDGs, specifically SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), where the students also demonstrated significant personal growth through their participation, becoming more proactive to engage with diverse members of the community and strengthening their connection with society.
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 website: hcp.ymca.org.hk or call 2783 3616for inquiries.
Does Bending Over to Pick Things Up Always Hurt Your Back?
Many people believe that bending over to pick things up will increase the risk of back injuries. Actually, this is a common misconception. In fact, Lumbar spine is naturally designed for movements like bending forward, backward, side bending, and rotation. Bending is not only natural but also essential for maintaining spinal flexibility.
The problem isn’t bending itself—it’s the modern sedentary lifestyle that weakens core muscles and reduces back endurance. Even when using so-called “proper posture” to lift objects, insufficient muscle strength can still lead to injury.
To truly protect your back, we recommend:
To truly protect your back, we recommend:
- Break up long periods of sitting—stand up and move every hour.
- Gradually strengthen your core—with exercises like bridging.
- Develop a regular exercise routine—to improve overall muscle strength.
- Increase movement range progressively—warm up first to avoid sudden, excessive bending.
Remember: Bending is a natural movement—maintaining muscle strength and mobility is the real key to a healthy back!
SDGs Themed Story Award - Champion: Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long)
Rescuing market vegetables for the elderly and giving second-hand goods a new life through street stalls
SDGs Themed Story Award - First Runner-Up
Students declutter and share unwanted items via Instagram
SDGs Themed Story Award - Second Runner-Up
"Wonderful Lives of the Elderly" - Bridging generations through storytelling and memory books
Highest Volunteer Service Hours Award
Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School
＊Some of the programmes are subsidised by the Social Welfare Department
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