Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

With the help of the World Alliance of YMCAs (WAY), Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (the Association) has been rooted in Hong Kong for more than 120 years, as part of the ever-growing global YMCA movement. Ms Soheila Hayek, President of the WAY, recently visited the Association’s headquarters and service units in Hong Kong. She was received by Mr Ronald T.F. Yam, Deputy President of the WAY and the Honorary Treasurer of the Association; Dr Arnold Cheng Cheuk-sang, President of the Association; The Rt. Rev. Dr Thomas Soo, J.P., Director of the Association; and Mr Karl Lau Chun-chuen, General Secretary of the Association. On her visit, Ms Hayek got a first-hand look into how the Association integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters into our strategic plans and how we are implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the YMCA Vision 2030 in all areas of our work.

Last year, the WAY presented its YMCA Vision 2030, which brings together YMCAs around the world to advocate for four key pillars of impact: “community wellbeing”, “meaningful work”, “sustainable planet”, and “just world”. The Association proactively works to attain the aims of these pillars in our conservation, youth ministry and social services projects.

In Sheung Wan, Ms Hayek visited the Bridges Street Centre, the former headquarters of the Association until 1966. Built in 1918, this beautiful edifice was previously known as The Central Building and was declared a Grade I Historic Building in 2009. The building housed the first heated indoor swimming pool in Hong Kong, which is still serving the community to this day, and the first elevated wok-shaped running track in Hong Kong, currently still in good condition. Today, the Bridges Street Centre also serves as a recreational and sports centre and a sheltered workshop.

Visiting the Association’s headquarters at 23 Waterloo Road, Ms Hayek was introduced to the successive service expansions that have occurred over the years, catering to the needs of different sectors of the community through camps, hostels and recreational and sports services. She also learned how our hostels and centres have been recently been recognised for their environmental performance with a number of green certifications and awards.

Ms Hayek was then informed about Hong Kong’s increasing demand for medical services and growing need for medical-social collaboration due to our ageing population. She then learned how, in 2020, the Association further expanded our services to include more medical aspects by setting up a Health Care Professions Department to provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other related services. This year, we established the Kei Yau Integrated Medical Centre to provide quality primary healthcare services that harness the collaborative strengths of Chinese and Western medicine.

Finally, the Association’s representatives informed Ms Hayek how, thanks to our dedication to maintaining high standards and sound governance to ensure the interests of our stakeholders are upheld, the Association is led by a Board of Directors with diverse professional backgrounds who oversee the operations and provide strategic guidance on issues including sustainability and future service development. All in all, it was a very successful visit!

In view of Hong Kong’s dire, and ever-increasing, need for elderly healthcare services and the great significance of medical-social collaboration, the Association has at last established a non-profit clinic – the Kei Yau Integrated Medical Centre. Providing both Western and Chinese clinical services to the general public, the centre upholds the Association’s core values of promoting all-around wellness and a service-oriented mind set. We hope that this new medical landmark will offer our members and all citizens of Hong Kong access to more diversified, more affordable and greater quality medical services.

The Kei Yau Integrated Medical Centre officially began providing services on 6 March, with an experienced team of family medicine specialists and registered Chinese medicine practitioners delivering holistic primary care services. The Western medicine service offerings include outpatient services, body checks, vaccinations, specialist outpatient referral, and others; while the Chinese medicine services cover long-haul COVID conditioning, improvement of diabetic and other suboptimal health syndromes and more. The centre is also focused on increasing the public’s awareness of preventive healthcare and health self-management.

Kei Yau Integrated Medical Centre

Address: G/F, Lai Kee Mansion, 523 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei (Exit B1 at Yau Ma Tei MTR Station)

Telephone: 2577 9375