District Highlights 2020-21

Rural Care Express - Promoting Ageing in Place

uen Long District has an extensive area as well as a growing ageing population. To assist the elderly in ageing in place, the Yuen Long District Social Welfare Office (District Social Welfare Office) held regular collaboration meetings with the district rural committees and NGOs providing community care and support services for the elderly to map out comprehensive services that suit the needs of elders living in rural areas. Related measures included stepping up NGOs’ service introduction and promotion at villages, borrowing storage space from village offices to store service equipment and materials (e.g. wheelchairs), mobilising volunteers in villages and co-ordinating restaurants in nearby localities to provide meals and other necessary assistance for service users under special circumstances, etc. Through multilateral collaboration and resource sharing, service provision achieved greater synergy and thus responded to the needs of the elderly in a more flexible, responsive and effective way.

“Story of Unconditional Love” Project - Walking with Carers

The 24 NGO rehabilitation service units under the Community Education Working Group of the Yuen Long District Co-ordinating Committee on Rehabilitation Services continued to organise the “Story of Unconditional Love” Project with funding support from the Yuen Long District Council. The Project included the organisation of “Human Library” training, support groups for family carers, concern visits and also the shooting of a micro movie named “Story of Unconditional Love” with carers being the main theme. Based on true stories, the micro movie narrated the real-life situations and needs of carers, touching the audience’s hearts. The micro movie was broadcast in rehabilitation service units in the district and on online platforms to show recognition for the devotion of carers as well as to arouse concern on their needs. The Project registered a total of over 1 400 participants and successfully aroused public concern, acceptance and support for carers.

Watching Over the Youth, Establishing a Joyful Life

Since 2017-18, the District Social Welfare Office has been implementing the “Peer Gatekeeper” Project to raise the youth’s awareness to mental health, help them build a positive outlook on life and let them become gatekeepers of their peers while raising public concern for the mental well-being of children and adolescents. In 2020-21, the Project was further expanded with the number of participating units increased from 14 to 18, including 16 youth service units, 1 Cyber Youth Support Team and 1 mobile van for publicity service on mental wellness. This allowed the Project to be implemented in a more comprehensive way with more beneficiaries. 18 service programmes were completed under the Project, with more than 18 000 beneficiaries. Through interventions at individual, school and community level, the Project strengthened cross-sector collaboration and provided a holistic response to the emotional needs of the youth from real life to the Internet. In the meantime, various publicity materials and publications promoting concern for the youth’s mental health were produced to raise the youth’s awareness about the need to seek help and further enhance the concern of schools and the community on the youth’s mental well-being.

Putting Volunteer Services into Practice, Building a Community with Love of Volunteers

The COVID-19 epidemic has greatly affected the people’s livelihood in Hong Kong since early 2020, especially those of the underprivileged. In this regard, the District Social Welfare Office launched a district-wide volunteer project, namely “Walk with the Underprivileged in the Pandemic” Project in 2020-21. The Project aimed at gathering the strength of volunteers in Yuen Long to carry out volunteer service programmes that met various needs of the needy and provide them with love and care at such difficult times. The messages of “love” and “care” were spread through the whole district during the Project. 34 units from social welfare service units of different sectors and schools participated in the Project. A total of 34 volunteer service programmes were completed, including conducting online concern visits to the elderly, sourcing and distributing anti-epidemic items, holding health talks and producing cheering videos, etc. Around 900 volunteers participated in the Project, with over 3 000 beneficiaries.

“Love and Caring Words” Project - Fostering Caring Families and Community

The Yuen Long Family Life Education Publicity Campaign Working Group continued to foster harmonious families and community by implementing the “Love and Caring Words” Project through 18 service units providing family life education and youth services in the district. The objectives of the Project were set at 2 levels: strengthening family relationships through promoting emotional exchange and sharing at the family level while building a sense of belonging and creating a harmonious community atmosphere at the district level. The Project consisted of the “Create & Express Love Contest” for families and the community, parent-child groups, the production of a family life education video cum a family quiz and the production of publicity items, etc. More than 6 900 people participated in the Project with enthusiastic responses received.