Source: Media Outreach
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 November 2022 – Hongkong Land HOME FUND (“HOME FUND“) yesterday completed two momentous years of empowering younger generations, promoting social inclusion, and helping disadvantaged families facing housing-related social issues. To mark the second anniversary of HOME FUND, Hongkong Land announced new partnerships for 2023, and shared various achievements of the past two years.
(from left to right) Ms Cressida Leung, Deputy Chief Executive, The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong, Ms Anita Lai, Chairperson, Make-A-Wish Hong Kong, Mr John Simpkins, Executive Director & General Counsel of Hongkong Land, Ms Sian Taylor, CEO, Box of HOPE, and Ms Winnie Ngan, Director, Institutional advancement office, Vocational Training Council, commemorate the second anniversary of Hongkong Land HOME FUND.
< >Launched in November 2020, with an initial investment of HK$100 million, HOME FUND has been actively collaborating with various non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) on a series of community outreach programmes aimed at helping local communities aspire for a better future. Since its inception, HOME FUND has already committed over HK$80 million, touching the lives of more than 150,000 people and growing its NGO partnerships from an initial three to more than 80.
To provide support during the fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong Kong earlier this year, a further HK$15 million was injected into HOME FUND, to provide emergency support to 116,000 people in Hong Kong. Some of HOME FUND‘s key projects in 2022 include:
Empowering Youth through Life and Career Coaching Initiatives:
- In partnership with The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong, HOME FUND sponsored a career and life planning project for nearly 300 young people from ethnic minorities aged 15 to 29, to equip them with Chinese language skills, expand career opportunities and aspire to a promising future.
- HOME FUND collaborated with the Hong Kong Christian Service to set up a dedicated team as part of early intervention efforts to identify the hidden disadvantaged youth in society and design social, family and career programmes to help them become productive members of society, approaching life with renewed confidence.
- In line with HOME FUND‘s community investment strategy, the Hongkong Land HERE2HELP volunteer team contributed at least 1,900 volunteering hours through well-structured programmes like career coaching, homework tutoring and thematic educational workshops. With a 20% participation rate from Hong Kong-based employees, their efforts have helped over 15,000 people in need.
- Sponsored by HOME FUND and curated by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, ‘Project Futuremark’ is a two-year programme to assist the upward mobility of 1,000 young people living in sub-divided flats through creative learning workshops related to education, social connections, family relations, health and hygiene, and employment experience. More than 30 workshops have been completed and the programme is currently recruiting more partners. With the commencement of the second cohort in November, over 30 NGO partners have been engaged.
< >Providing a Better Living and Study Environment for the Community:
- HOME FUND collaborated with twelve Hongkong Land business partners to work on an Improvement Project for the Christian Zheng Sheng Association. Recognised as the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year’ at the RICS Awards 2022, the project has improved the living conditions of students by revamping their dormitory and equipping the kitchen with essential items for cooking and training purposes.
- Supported by HOME FUND, the Jockey Club Design Institute of Social Innovation at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) produced ergonomically designed furniture to enable a conducive learning environment for nearly 2,000 children living in sub-divided units. The furniture will be distributed by the end of this year and volunteers will be deployed by PolyU, to teach the children how to use the furniture safely.
< >“Two years ago, HOME FUND established with a vision to empower the local community in Hong Kong and inspire our next generation with better opportunities for the future. Looking back on our journey, we are proud of how far we have come and all the lives that have been impacted along the way,” said Mr John Simpkins, Executive Director & General Counsel of Hongkong Land. “In the years to come, we hope that our projects will serve as a leading model for social impact collaboration and encourage more organisations to join hands with us as we continue to serve the needs of the community.”
In 2023, HOME FUND will continue to renew its investments across all its key projects, whilst growing its network of NGO partners:
- As part of a multi-year commitment, HOME FUND will partner with Light Be over the next three years on ‘Youth Light Home’, where it aims to improve the upward mobility of disadvantaged young adults who are going through the transition from school to the workplace. This initiative will offer young adults transitional housing and help them develop their careers and financial resilience.
- In addition to supporting young adults, HOME FUND will also provide assistance to primary and secondary students with various special needs. The partnership with RMHC Hong Kong will promote the academic development of nearly 200 underprivileged children suffering from chronic illness, by providing them with timely guidance from qualified part-time teachers, to enhance their opportunities and learning abilities.
< >This festive season, Hongkong Land has once again aligned HOME FUND to support young people in need and promote social inclusion. Built around a special theme that honours the idea of ‘Love is in the Giving’, Christmas at LANDMARK this year reflects HOME FUND‘s spirit of giving back to the community. Proceeds from LANDMARK’s Christmas installation ticketing, merchandising and Christmas Charity Booths will be shared with four designated charity partners, all of whom have been empowered by Hongkong Land HOME FUND, including Box of Hope; Make-a-Wish Hong Kong; The Society of Rehabilitation & Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP); and Shine Skills Centre of Vocational Training Council.
Notes to Editors
The Hongkong Land HOME FUND was launched in November 2020 and has been injected with a total investment of HK$115 million over the past two years. It demonstrates Hongkong Land’s long-term commitment to the development of future generations and its aspiration to contribute to the fostering of an inclusive society. Hongkong Land HOME FUND‘s initiatives aim to address long-term underlying socio-economic issues, by supporting young people in unleashing their potential and improving the standards of living and the upward social mobility of low-income households.
To date, Hongkong Land HOME FUND has extended support to over 80 NGO partners and has touched the lives of more than 150,000 people in need, with impact extending beyond Hong Kong, to the Chinese mainland and Singapore.
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