Annual District Highlights

District Highlights 2022-23

Together, We Hold Onto Hope

The Kowloon City and Yau Tsim Mong District Social Welfare Office (District Social Welfare Office) endeavours to facilitate cross-sector collaboration and employ multi-pronged approaches to early identify and support underprivileged families or hidden groups in the community. In 2022-2023, the District Social Welfare Office adopted the theme “Revitalising, Networking and Embracing a Bright Future” and collaborated with various service units in the district to launch 38 community care projects. These projects aim to provide assistance to individuals facing mental and emotional challenges, while raising awareness and concern for mental health in the district. They offer a diverse range of support programmes for both individuals and their caregivers. The total number of beneficiaries from these projects exceeded 6 000 people. The District Social Welfare Office also organised the “Here to Listen, Dare to Dream” campaign, including a workshop for frontline colleagues from various service units. Through sharing and experiential activities, this workshop enhanced self-care among colleagues as well as their awareness of the mental well-being of service users. In addition, promotional items designed by creative young people were created and distributed to colleagues and service users through relevant service units in the district, conveying uplifting messages about self-care and embracing the joys of life. The Family and Child Protective Services Unit (Kowloon City/Yau Tsim Mong) also commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the “Strengthening Families and Combating Violence” Publicity Campaign by organising a series of district-wide activities. These activities included mobile vehicle exhibitions and a photography contest, aimed at raising awareness and promoting the prevention of domestic violence.

“Cherishing the Elderly Like a Precious Treasure” – Cultivating a Cherishing Environment for the Elderly Persons

The District Social Welfare Office continued to promote “Cherishing the Elderly” series of programmes, which aims to strengthen cross-sector collaboration between elderly service units and local groups to address the physical, mental and emotional needs of the elderly. The programme also aims to deepening the understanding of emotional well-being of the elderly among front-line staff, carers and volunteers in the community, enabling them to identify and provide appropriate support for elderly singletons, elderly doubleton families or hidden elders. To support these efforts, the District Social Welfare Office has produced a promotional video with the theme “Cherishing the Elderly”. The video features a Clinical Psychologist from SWD discussing the psychological state and spiritual needs of the elderly when facing illnesses, the loss of loved ones, and changes in family structure. To promote mental well-being among the elderly, the video also features a demonstration of relaxation exercises by the Clinical Psychologist and volunteers from the Neighbourhood Elderly Centre of the district. The District Social Welfare Office has also collaborated with 5 District Elderly Community Centres to produce a promotional video based on a real-life case. The video aims to raise public awareness of dementia and the early identification of elderly individuals in need. The District Social Welfare Office also strengthens the promotion of “Dementia Community Support Scheme” to foster a dementia-friendly community for elderly individuals with dementia and their carers.

Promoting Young People’s Well-being by Fostering Positive Values and through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The District Social Welfare Office, in collaboration with 11 Integrated Children and Youth Services Centres, continued to organise the “Tomorrow’s Leaders Job-shadowing Programme”. Senior secondary students and undergraduates participating in the programme were paired with volunteer mentors who are corporate leaders or senior managers. Over the course of 2 shadowing days, the young participants had the opportunity to learn from their mentors’ practical experience by touring workplaces. These exchanges enabled the transmission of positive values and established a solid foundation for early career planning and broader opportunities for young people.

Since the mental health of young people in the district has been a major concern, the District Social Welfare Office has collaborated with 6 welfare agencies that serve high-risk youth in the Yau Tsim Mong district to identify and assist young people experiencing emotional distress through innovative approaches. Young people explored the Yau Tsim Mong community through leisurely street runs and engaged in a variety of special activities including volunteering, peer support, human libraries, and award scheme. These activities aim to establish a sense of community belonging, improve mental well-being and physical health, and enhance their resilience against deviant behaviour in the aftermath of pandemic.
The District Social Welfare Office and an NGO jointly organised professional training workshops to enhance the awareness and understanding of youth workers, school social workers, and stakeholders in the district regarding youth mental health problems. The workshops also aim to strengthen their ability to identify and intervene with high-risk cases at an early stage by providing them with the necessary sensitivity and skills.