YMCA 2023 October Perspective
26-10-2023
Cover Story
YMCA YM Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony
Honours Over 1,000 Outstanding Volunteers
Making global impact through volunteering and caring for the community in support of the global sustainable development goals
In response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (YMCA) is committed to encouraging volunteers in caring for the underprivileged and contributing to the world through services for a sustainable development of the community and the planet. Presenting the "YMCA YM Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony 2022-2023" on 15 October, YMCA honoured outstanding volunteers for their contribution to sustainable development, including a team of volunteers who regularly distribute meals to hidden homelessness and secondary school students who organise interactive recycling activities in the community.
Under the theme of "Be YM Volunteer Be Impact Maker", this year's event celebrated the positive changes that volunteers have brought to the community and the world through their services. This year, 15,764 volunteers registered and 96,046 hours were served, with a total of 1,272 awardees. Mr. Ho Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, was invited to deliver a speech at the awards ceremony. He was joined by The Rt Rev Dr. Thomas Soo Yee-po, JP, Director and Chairman of Service Development and Member Affairs Committee of YMCA; Prof. Ko Wing-hung, Director and Member of the Service Development and Member Affairs Committee of YMCA; and Dr. Bonson Lee, Deputy General Secretary of YMCA, to officiate at the ceremony.
The four officiating guests Mr. Ho Kai-ming, JP (second from right); The Rt Rev Dr. Thomas Soo Yee-po, JP (second from left); Prof. Ko Wing-hung (first from left); and Dr. Bonson Lee (first from right), attended the YM Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony.
Mr. Ho Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, remarked in his welcoming speech on the gaps in the provision of various community services by the Government, expressing his gratitude to YMCA for promoting the volunteer movement and encouraging the community to maintain their commitment to YMCA's volunteer services in order to empower the community to change for the better through volunteering.
Mr. Ho Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, expresses his gratitude to YMCA for promoting volunteer services.
With the aim of encouraging schools to respond to the SDGs through volunteering, YM Volunteer promoted "YM Volunteer@ SCHOOL" this year to educate students on the application and the practice of ESG and SDGs in their daily lives for the benefit of the global community. In the first year of the programme, a total of 28 secondary schools took part in the programme, among which 21 schools were recognised for fulfilling the requirement of providing at least 100 hours of school-wide services. In addition, the YM Volunteer@ SCHOOL SDGs Theme Story Awards were presented to Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long), Chinese YMCA College, and The Chinese Foundation Secondary School in the first, second and third places respectively. The first prize winner, Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long), organised a series of recycling and sharing activities in the previous school year to promote responsible consumption through bartering in the neighbourhood. Participating students were invited to share their experiences at the awards ceremony.
Prof. Ko Wing-hung, Director and Member of the Service Development and Member Affairs Committee of YMCA, presents the first prize of the "YM Volunteer@ SCHOOL" SDGs Theme Story Awards to the teacher and student representatives of Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long).
In addition, the awards ceremony acknowledged the outstanding volunteer groups. One of the honoured teams, the "Mealbox Man Community Volunteer Team" from our Jordan Centre, comprised members of youths, university students, parents and teachers. Since October last year, the team has been reaching out to cleaning workers or hidden homelessness in the Yau Tsim Mong District on Fridays giving free meals and showing our care through conversation with them. The team's perseverance has inspired business corporations and other organisations to join in the effort, in a bid to expand their services.
With nearly 100,000 hours of volunteer service in this year, the "YMCA YM Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony 2022-2023" invites a number of volunteer units to receive the awards in recognition of their tireless contribution.
For more on the programme and the ceremony, see our press release。
What’s New
YMCA celebrates winning
“Platinum Outstanding ESG Performer of the Year award” again
At the ESG Achievement Awards 2022/2023 ceremony presented by the Institute of ESG & Benchmark held on 22 September, we were pleased to be awarded the “Platinum Outstanding ESG Performer of the Year award” in the NGO/NPO category for the second consecutive year in recognition of our dedicated efforts in the ESG practice.
Since 2020, we have published three Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Impact Reports to share our efforts and achievements in ESG. Through our endeavours in the areas of wellness, physical and mental development, education and employment, we have provided a full range of services to improve the physiological wellness, emotional balance and resilience to adversities of young people; sharpen their leadership and social skills; and enhance their sense of belonging to the community for the future development of our society by the new generations of health and productivity. In addition, we are committed to building a sustainable environment for the wellbeing, growth and development of our young people with our ongoing efforts to improve the sustainability and climate resilience of our operating venues (including offices, centres, camps and hostels).
We also hope to set a precedent for the industry to adopt ESG concepts and to bring together youth and the community for a sustainable development of the Hong Kong society.
“Green Tour Fun Day”
Jointly organised by the Chinese YMCA Environmental Working Group and the Kowloon Centre, the Green Fun Day series has come to its fourth "Green Tour Fun Day" on 23 October, with free entry for the community to promote environmental protection. The event featured green crafts, eco games, recreational and sports activities, goods donation station and "My Green Wish" wishing tree. For those who have visited the designated number of booths, they could receive souvenirs and also join the "KAHOOT!" green quiz to win great prizes and bring "Green Hope" to the Earth!
Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village "Thankful Festival"
The second "Thankful Festival" organised by Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village was brought to a successful conclusion on 23 October, with more than 220 families participating in the festival. Exciting camp activities included inflatable bouncers, mini trampolines, dodgebee, kendama, cornhole, mölkky, tire climbers, flyball, floor curling, dollies, and other special features such as aquaponics guided tour! Through various mega events and carnivals held at the camp, the general public would have a better insight into Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village with joyful and continue to show support for future camp activities together!
Featured Programme
"Listen to S.U.M - Parent-Child Photography Tour"
"Sharenting" describes the behaviour of parents who post clips or photos of their children's growth on social media, and has become a popular trend in recent years. These "sharenting" behaviours are often initiated from the perspective of the parents in an attempt to record "all the episodes" of their children's development. While such moments may be what the parents consider as "the most precious", their children may find them to be "the most embarrassing situations". What may seem like an harmless act on the part of the parents may have an impact on the intimate parent-child relationship as well as on the feelings of the children.
In this regard, the Family Working Group aims to empower parents with the theory of "Mindfulness Photography" to cherish the moments with their children in the "here and now", as well as the skills of "observing before photograph", so that they can better understand the importance of having a dialogue to convey their feelings towards each other. A two-day and one-night camp activity "Listen to S.U.M - Parent-Child Photography Tour" will be held at Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village from 9 to 10 December 2023 (Saturday to Sunday) by the Family Working Group. Parents and their children can learn about the theory of "Mindfulness Photography" and experiment photography through meditative elements. While they can gain a better understanding of the five aesthetic elements of mindfulness, the activity will also enlighten them on the benefits of mindfulness to themselves, their families and their lives, bringing about the seven life attitudes of mindfulness. As parents learn to better respect their children's voices, together they can create a treasure moment for each other, while reflecting on their feelings about the privacy of their children.
"Listen to S.U.M - Parent-Child Photography Tour"
Date: 9 - 10 December 2023 (Saturday to Sunday)
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. the following day
Venue: Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village
Target: Parents and children aged 6 - 14 (max. 2 children)
Quota: 15 - 16 families, around 60 - 64 persons
Fee: $80 per person
Registration: https://forms.gle/Do3XELABRQppFvrQ7 (Deadline: 11 November 2023)
Interested families can register via the QR code on the poster or the online link above.
Enquiries: 2896 0308 (Miss Wing), 2781 1411 (Miss CoCo), 2778 2727 (Sir Larry)
Programme Highlight
"Youth Pi@ Kwun Tong - Life Planning and Internship Programme 2023"」
Sponsored by the Home Affairs Department, the Lam Tin Centre organised the "Youth Pi@Kwun Tong - Life Planning and Internship Programme 2023" from June to August to provide life planning workshops to 50 senior secondary school students in the district. With the support of our units and friendly organisations, including our Integrated Medical and Allied Health Services Department, The Cityview, The Harbourview, YM Balloon, YM Fleur, China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited, MTR Corporation Limited, China Unicom Global Limited, and China Taiping Insurance Group Limited, the programme has benefited from the excellent career experiences and internship opportunities provided to the trainees through a wide range of job shadowing and internship programmes, so that they were able to gain a profound insight into different industries with great benefits.
A sharing session on the achievements of the programme was successfully held on 9 September. The District Officer of Kwun Tong, Mr. Andy Lam, JP, along with representatives of various internship and job shadowing organisations, were invited to share the achievements and development of the trainees. In his speech, Mr. Lam addressed the participants to plan for their career and capture different opportunities to enrich themselves.
Y-Care CSR Scheme - Mid-Autumn Festival Gathering
Special community services were arranged by our Y-Care CSR partners, Shenwan Hongyuan (Hong Kong) Limited and CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited, for low-income families and the elderly and carers of the Chai Wan Neighbourhood Elderly Centre respectively before the Mid-Autumn Festival!
Shenwan Hongyuan (Hong Kong) Limited invited adults and children from low-income families to participate in a traditional mooncake making workshop to enrich the children's knowledge of traditional cultural festivals, whereas volunteers from our corporate partner in CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited joined a group of elderly people and carers from the Chai Wan Neighbourhood Elderly Centre to make custard mooncakes together. While celebrating the festive season, the workshop also promoted social life and strengthened the ties between the elderly and their carers, adding to the significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival!
South China Old Timers try out walking football
South China Old Timers, a team of retired Hong Kong top football players, visited the Kowloon Centre on 17 September to play walking football, and met with the coaches from the " Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong – JC Walking Football Programme".
Before the friendly match, the organiser explained the background of the programme and the game of walking football. Retired football players such as Wong Man-wai, Tsang Ting-fai and Sammy Yu Kwok-sum joined in to try out the game. In particular, Leung Kin-chung a.k.a “The Brazilian”, the eldest and soon-to-be-87 player on that day, highly recommended walking football to the elderly as it is good for their physical and mental health.
PAIN Kick Zone
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 www.ymca.org.hk/hcp or call 2783 3616 for inquiries.
《A common condition: trigger finger》
If you found a hitch or difficulty in the flexion and extension of your fingers, It could potentially be caused by a condition known as trigger finger. Trigger finger, also called stenosing tenosynovitis, is often a result of excessive repetitive finger movements. Due to excessive friction, the soft tissue which surrounds the tendon at the carpometacarpal joint thickens and nodules may form on the tendon. It could lead to difficulty in normal finger flexion and extension. Common symptoms include popping or clicking sensation during Flexion and extension of finger, tenderness and nodule form at the base of the finger. In the early stages of the condition, one may only experience swelling, pain, and limited mobility, while severe cases may result in an inability to fully extend the finger after flexion. The following describes an exercise that can help to improve and prevent the condition.
Tendon gliding exercise
Practice the exercise following the above order, each set consists of 5 movements, do it twice.
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