YMCA 2024 November Perspective
25-11-2024
Cover Story
“MASTER PEACE Knitting"- A record breaking finger-knitting event by over 200 youth volunteers
Over 200 youth volunteers participated in the "A Culture of Peace Campaign 2024" to spread the message of love and peace through finger-knitting.
All youth volunteers gathered at The ONE in Tsim Sha Tsui to finger-knit cushions, holding up their unique works to spread the message of love and peace.
In response to the "Culture of Peace" proposed and advocated by the United Nations, YMCA celebrates the third Saturday of November as our "Peace Day" every year to spread the message of love and peace to the public through different activities. Sponsored by The ONE and Happy Yarn, a local crochet brand, this year's event "MASTER PEACE Knitting" was held on 16 November, bringing together over 200 youth volunteers aged between 10 and 24 at The ONE in Tsim Sha Tsui to participate in a group knitting session and a visit to the community. The volunteers created "Peace Cushion" with the popular stress reliever "finger knitting", and delivered them together with charity bags to the underprivileged to spread love and care. Through "MASTER PEACE Knitting", we hope to help young people heal their bodies and minds and relieve stress. Our warmth-carrying visits also allowed the younger generations to learn about life at grassroots level, and encouraged the community to care for the underprivileged and spread the message of peace to the general public. The event was graciously supported by Ms. Winnie Ho, JP, the Secretary for Housing, and Mrs. Kimbee Lau, the CEO of Chinese Estates Holdings Limited and Founder of Happy Yarn.
In the welcoming speech, Dr. Arnold Cheng, President of the Association expressed his delight to see more than 200 youth volunteers at the event, together with the generous support from the Housing Bureau of the HKSAR Government and sponsors such as Chinese Estates Holdings Limited, to "weave" love and peace into the community.
Addressing the event, Ms. Winnie Ho, JP, the Secretary for Housing, said she was pleased to see how YMCA connected young people, ethnic minority families and different sectors of the community to knit and spread the message of love to the needy around them, thereby building a harmonious and prosperous Hong Kong.
On behalf of the main event sponsor, Mrs. Kimbee Lau, CEO of Chinese Estates Holdings Limited and Founder of Happy Yarn, hoped that all volunteers would embrace the soothing and healing qualities of knitting and spread their joy to others, living up to the name of Happy Yarn - happy knitting to weave more joy.
Mr. Liu Ho Yin, one of the participants said that the activity not only taught him how to knit, but also relieved his academic pressure during the process, and felt satisfied for being able to knit a unique cushion and provide warmth to the needy.
Ms. Winnie Ho, JP, the Secretary for Housing (second from left), visited a public rental housing tenant to understand the needs of the grassroots and delivered charity bags containing food, baby diapers, "Peace Cushion" and daily necessities.
One of the female tenants was in tears when she talked about parenting, and Mrs. Kimbee Lau encouraged her to "sweat it out" and relax in the park whenever she felt upset.
Following the finger-knitting of more than 200 "Peace Cushions", all youth volunteers Ms. Winnie Ho, JP and Mrs. Kimbee Lau in visited public rental housing tenants, sub-divided unit households and the elderly in different districts to deliver the cushions and charity bags with food and beverages, cleansing products and thermos cups. Together, we were able to spread the love and care to the underprivileged through our own strengths for mutual help.
What's News
The Cityview participates in the Education Bureau's "Business-School Partnership Programme" to provide internship opportunities for young people
The Cityview is committed to fulfilling its corporate social responsibility by focusing on career planning and future workplace development for the younger generations. Recently, the hostel participated in the "Business-School Partnership Programme" organised by the Education Bureau, inviting senior secondary school students to participate in a career exploration activity and experience hospitality work in the hostel's restaurants. Through this internship programme, we hope to help young people understand the operation of the local hospitality industry and the entry requirements, and more importantly, to develop a proper work attitude and values, so that they can adapt to the changing economy and society, and eventually achieve holistic development.
"Listening with Empathy" Health Tips
In response to the "Community Wellbeing" pillar under YMCA Vision 2030, YMCA has launched the“Accompaniment with Empathy - Mental Health Service Series for Youth”, with various YMCA service units working together to organise a series of activities targeting people in need of emotional support to improve their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. The programme also invited artist Harriet Yeung (Hatou) to be the "Accompaniment with Empathy" ambassador, sharing a series of "Listening with Empathy" health tips through video clips to promote taking good care of mental health among the public.
Enjoy the video clips below and share them with your friends and family.
"Listening with Empathy" Health Tips (1): Relax and say goodbye to anxiety https://youtu.be/SUe3A9h5FxY?si=xotkk5HP1JAe-SRE
"Listening with Empathy" Health Tips (2): Enjoy the moment of solitude https://youtu.be/eJrUS8mYbWQ?si=uLtXkqsJY7ClSCC-
Featured Programme
"Colour in Future's Dream" Parent-Child Colouring Contest - Free Gift for Participation
The "Colour in Future's Dream" Parent-Child Colouring Contest is now open to current family members and youth members. This is a great opportunity to introduce YMCA Vision 2030 to more children. Join us in the contest!
Holders of valid Family Membership or Youth Membership are eligible to participate in the "Colour in Future's Dream" free of charge. The first 200 participants will receive a concession ticket to the Hong Kong Palace Museum or M+, and the champion will receive a book coupon worth HK$1,000 and a certificate of merit. Simply complete the following 3 steps to join the contest:
- Download the colouring sheets
- Complete and scan the artwork
- Fill in the registration form and upload your artwork.
Target: New/ renewed/ existing family members or youth members
Division: Junior (age 3-7) and Senior (age 8-12)
Early Bird Reward: The first 200 participants will receive a concession ticket to the Hong Kong Palace Museum or M+.
Participation Gift: Participants will receive a lovely folder (subject to availability)
Deadline Extended: Immediately until 13 December at 6:00pm.
Prizes: Three prizes for the Champion, 1st Runner-up, 2nd Runner-up and 5 Merit Prizes for each of the two divisions.
- The champion will receive a book coupon worth HK$1,000 and a certificate of merit.
- The first runner-up will receive a book coupon worth HK$800 and a certificate of merit.
- The second runner-up will receive a book coupon worth HK$500 and a certificate of merit.
- Five merit prize winners will receive a book coupon worth HK$200 and a certificate of merit.
Visit the contest website
Programme Highlights
Representatives from the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong attend YMCA Accelerator Summit to jointly implement YMCA Vision 2030
World Alliance of YMCAs (World YMCA) held the "YMCA Accelerator Summit" from 21 to 25 October. Our representatives gathered with more than 450 YMCA delegates from 60 countries and regions in Mombasa, Kenya to exchange valuable insights on YMCA Vision 2030 and promote cooperation between YMCAs through a series of engaging panel discussions, themed speeches and workshops.
Inviting representatives from various international organisations to participate and deliver speeches, the conference encouraged YMCAs around the world to further strengthen collaboration with fellow partners and work together to achieve YMCA Vision 2030 and make a difference in society. In addition, the F2 GreenPathy Project, a joint project with our social enterprise YM Fleur, was selected as one of the key projects of YMCA Vision 2030. Apart from effectively promoting “sustainable planet”, the project also supports women empowerment and provides disadvantaged mothers with comprehensive development opportunities, thus fulfilling the YMCA Vision 2030's "Meaningful Work" pillar. Our Coordinating Secretary Mr. Verdi Lai was also invited to share his insights on operations in the group workshop, highlighting the success of the project as widely appreciated by the participants.
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The inaugural YMCA Impact Awards were presented at the end of the conference to recognise the outstanding projects and initiatives of YMCAs around the world for improving their communities. Our “JC InnoPower: Nature4Mind” project won the award in the category of “Sustainable Planet” and was presented to our project leader Mr. Anthony Cheuk.
We will continue to fulfil the four pillars of YMCA Vision 2030 - “Community Wellbeing”, “Meaningful Work”, “Sustainable Planet”, and “Just World”, so as to enrich the lives of those in need and build a sustainable and inclusive world.
Woodland YMCA - A Student-Led Climate Action Education Programme
YMCA is committed to promoting multi-cultural exchange and education for sustainable development among young people, in order to foster partnership with local YMCAs and different stakeholders. As part of such efforts, the “Partnering with Students in Climate Education: HKU Climate Ambassador” programme was jointly developed and implemented by Dr. Janet Chan, a member of our Social Services Committee and “Be a Global Citizen Campaign” Steering Committee, and University YMCA (The University of Hong Kong) Masters’ student members. Together, their contribution further enhanced the professionalism of this year's "Woodland YMCA", and manifested the mission of student-led education to create a meaningful work. The project is now competing for the Sustainability Education Action Award organised by the international organisation QS Reimagine Education. Out of over 1,000 applications, Dr. Chan's team has been recognised by more than 800 esteemed judges in the field of sustainable education in China and overseas, and has successfully progressed to the finals in the United Kingdom in December. We will continue to support her team towards further excellence and success.
We have earlier joined hands with our project partner, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, to visit the Tanggeli Desert in Ningxia from 23 to 29 July for a student-led volunteer programme with "Woodland YMCA", addressing one of the four pillars of YMCA's Vision 2030 - “Sustainable Planet”, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) on Quality Education (SDG 4), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13).
A group of 18 local and non-Chinese speaking international students from the University YMCA (The University of Hong Kong) were appointed as "HKU Climate Ambassadors". Starting from May, they started their preparatory work and brought along with their self-designed climate action teaching kits to organise environmental service-learning workshops for a number of YMCA participants from Shanghai, Xi'an, Macao and Taichung, followed by experiential games and reflections at the service groups.
Our General Secretary Mr. Karl Lau also officiated at the unveiling ceremony of "Woodland YMCA" together with our co-organiser Xi'an YMCA, to witness the fruitful results of the students' efforts. After their return to Hong Kong, the students shared their learning experience with members of the public through social media, bringing more attention to the issues of waste reduction, desertification control and biodiversity in China, and fully responding to the national sustainable development initiatives.
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Chinese Y.M.C.A. Primary School Open Day
Chinese Y.M.C.A. Primary School (CYMCAPS) held a panda themed open day in November, featuring a five-metre-tall "Giant Panda" to celebrate the school's 25th Anniversary and the open day.
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The school arranged a number of STEAM education workshops, such as the "Poo Workshop" and "Fossil Workshop", to inspire students' scientific investigation skills in a playful way. AI technology was also integrated into the visual arts creation activities, allowing students to experience the integration of technology and creativity in learning.
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The open day attracted more than 600 visitors to the school. The panda-themed mini-classrooms, technology and sports activities, and school briefings gave parents in the district a better understanding of the school, while the visiting kindergarteners enjoyed the activities as parents experienced the lively and interesting teaching methods of the school.
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.
Knee Pain? Maybe it is a Meniscus Injury!
The knee structures include medial and lateral menisci, which are two C-shaped pieces of cartilage. They play an important role in absorbing force and nourishing the knee joint.
Meniscus injury is one of the most common knee injuries. For example, incomplete tear, horizontal tear and complex tear. A torn meniscus mostly occurs when one is twisting or rotating the knee forcefully or putting a heavy weight on the knee. Signs and symptoms include pain, swelling, popping sensation and difficulty in straightening the knee may be developed.
Meniscus tears are often accompanied by quadriceps muscle weakness. Therefore, strengthening and maintaining the strength of this muscle can help protect the knee joint and reduce the risk of re-injury.
Quad sets exercise:
- Sit or lie down on the floor or a firm bed.
- Put a small, rolled towel under the knee of the straight leg, keeping the leg in a slightly flexed position. (as shown in picture 1)
- Tighten your thigh muscle (the quadriceps) in your straight leg by pressing the knee towards the towel. (as shown in picture 2)
- Hold this position for 4 seconds and relax.
- Repeat for 12-15 times on one side. Then switch leg to do the same exercise for 12-15 times. Do the exercise 3-4 times per week.
（Picture 1）
（Picture 2）
Some soreness or discomfort at the thigh may be expected.
Discovering YMCA Channel
A unique school opening assembly: “The Year of Go!「Play and Go 難我不倒」”
＊Some of the activities were subsidised by the Social Welfare Department
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