‘Generations Connect’ Project Brings Young People Together with the Elderly to Boost Emotional Resilience

In recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, elderly people have had to stay mostly at home. Confined to small living spaces for prolonged periods, many senior citizens have been prone to emotional challenges, affecting their mental wellbeing and health. Sino Group (‘the Group’) and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (‘NTFCF’), in collaboration with the School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (‘HKUMed’), and charitable organisations and NGOs, announced the launch of the two-year ‘Generations Connect’ Project (‘the Project’) to bring young people together with the elderly in an initiative that will see over 1,000 nursing students providing community intervention and behavioural coaching. Integrated with the concept of e-health literacy, the Project aims to enhance the physical, psychosocial and mental wellbeing of the elderly amid the epidemic. With the target of serving 10,000 elderly people, the Project will commence in November this year with its first phase of pilot services.

HKU Nursing Students Offer Personalised Support to 10,000 Elderly People
Supported by a HK$10 million joint donation from the Group and the NTFCF, the School of Nursing of HKUMed, and eleven charitable organisations and NGOs will be devising the scope of services in tandem to focus on the needs of the elderly aged 65 or above. Coupled with the domain knowledge of HKUMed’s nursing curricula, the Project will also develop an elderly-friendly e-platform and mobile app. Nursing students will build relationships with the elderly and engage them in dialogue to promote health and wellbeing through regular home visits, phone greetings and video conferencing. Self-care tips for COVID-19, health assessments, and mental health education will also be offered to provide timely and appropriate support for those in need. In addition, the Project will organise various activities to encourage them to cultivate healthy hobbies and expand their social circle for the holistic improvement of mental health, lifestyle and overall wellbeing.

Tailored Wellbeing Online Platform for the Elderly
With more and more elderly people becoming familiar with mobile apps for communication, the concept of Mobile Health (‘mHealth’) is being integrated into this Project with a specially curated health benefit-focused e-platform tailored to the needs of the elderly. With personalised support from the nursing students, elderly people can learn to access pertinent information, training materials, games and videos, cultivating their eHealth literacy. With an emphasis on preventative care and self-help health resources, the Project aims at encouraging the elderly to keep abreast of developments in public e-health services moving forward. Those facing difficulties in using the Internet will also be assisted through agile support services.

In addition to support services for the elderly in need, the School of Nursing, HKUMed will leverage two years of clinical data and application cases to study the effectiveness of community interventions for improving the physical and mental health of the elderly in Hong Kong. Training workshops facilitated by charitable organisations and NGOs will also help upgrade the skills of nursing students for better communication with the elderly, while giving them the opportunity to put what they have learnt into practice.

Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, the School of Nursing of HKUMed, said, ‘The School and I are honoured to receive this generous donation from Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, and for the opportunity to work with eleven local charitable organisations and NGOs to enhance the health and wellbeing of the elderly, as well as their capability of using electronic devices in communication. As the elderly population grows, demand for social and medical care increases. The School of Nursing proactively offers various intervention activities to enhance communication with the elderly and enable early assessment of their physical and mental health, providing timely support and improving the elderly’s skills in coping with the challenges of life, and enhancing their wellbeing and quality of life. HKUMed’s School of Nursing offers comprehensive training in nursing, preparing students to serve the community and safeguard public health.’

‘The young nursing students are dynamic and radiant, and ready to unleash their creativity as they design effective means of communication with the elderly under this Project, which blends curriculum teaching and research. In so doing, the students may contribute not only to building closer ties across generations, but also promoting the physical and mental health of the elderly. This Project aims at helping the elderly adopt a healthy lifestyle and increase their health awareness using a preventive approach, which aligns with the Government’s policy of strengthening primary health care in the community. It will prepare and highlight students’ roles as health coaches in promoting elderly health in the community,’ added Professor Chan.

Mr Daryl Ng, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group and Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, said, ‘Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation are delighted to partner with The School of Nursing of HKUMed, The University of Hong Kong and eleven community partners and NGOs in this meaningful programme. We believe that the youth of Hong Kong is full of compassion and care for others, and with the ageing of the Hong Kong population, a particularly vulnerable group are the elderly. Through pairing up youth volunteers with the elderly in need, we hope that a beneficial synergy can come about allowing the elderly to be cared for and the youth volunteers to learn important life lessons.’

Participating charitable organisations and NGOs in this Project include Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service, Christian Family Service Centre, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong, Haven of Hope Christian Service, The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon, Methodist Centre, The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council, The Hong Kong Society for the Aged, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited, United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service, and Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association.

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Donates to Eight Charitable Organisations to Support Underprivileged Families, Students and the Elderly in Combating the Pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people from all walks of life. The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (‘NTFCF’) today announced a donation of HK$8 million to eight charitable organisations in support of their community service provisions for underprivileged families, students and the elderly who are facing potential health challenges during this critical time.

As the pandemic situation continues, there is a surging demand for support for underprivileged families and the elderly. In view of the new school year approaching, support for the less-resourced students is also essential. The NTFCF is donating HK$1 million to each of eight local charitable organisations, namely Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, Lok Sin Tong, Po Leung Kuk, Pok Oi Hospital, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Yan Chai Hospital Social Services Department, and Yan Oi Tong. Through the donations, the NTFCF wishes to provide timely and appropriate support to those in need in the community, including underprivileged students, the elderly, families living in sub-divided units and ethnic minorities, etc., for the provision of a range of services including:

• Anti-epidemic support including rapid antigen test kits, nutritious meals and urgent care services for less-resourced families and students;
• Chinese and Western medical support for recovered patients with the symptoms of ‘post COVID-19 condition’;
• Emergency support for less-resourced families undergoing home quarantine;
• Telemedicine services for the underprivileged and the elderly affected by the pandemic as well as prevention and recovery support;
• Anti-epidemic supplies for the elderly and the less-resourced to prevent the spread of the virus among vulnerable groups;
• Home cleaning and anti-virus coating spray services for the elderly in need and families with poor living conditions.

Mr Daryl Ng, Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, said ‘I would like to express my gratitude to the Government for their tremendous effort in the fight against the pandemic and my heartfelt appreciation to all the medical professionals on the frontline for their dedicated efforts to remain committed and safeguard Hong Kong during the critical period. With the new school year approaching, we hope to provide timely support to the students along with our community partners. We are thankful to our eight partners who have been so committed to supporting the less-resourced and those in need in the community through providing relentless support and safeguarding public health throughout the pandemic. We shall continue to work with like-minded partners to provide appropriate care and support to those in need.’

Sino Group and Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Launch Summer Programme to Provide Immediate Support for the Community
10,000 drink cards, meals and ice-cream are being provided to help the community cope with the hot days

Sino Group and its philanthropic arm, the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (NTFCF), have launched a summer programme in collaboration with community partners to provide immediate support for the less-resourced amid the heatwave.

Sino Caring Friends, the Group’s volunteer team, as well as community partners J Life Foundation and Pei Ho (Ming Gor) Charity Foundation joined hands in distributing 3,000 cans of chilled Yeo’s drinks to people living in Shamshuipo on 22 July 2022 to help them stay hydrated amid the high temperature, in particular with the ‘Great Heat Day’ (23 July 2022) approaching.

In addition to handing out on the street, the Group and the NTFCF are distributing 200,000 cans of Yeo’s drinks to people living in sub-divided units in collaboration with 20 community partners, who will distribute 10,000 drink cards imprinted with a dedicated QR code, each entitling the cardholder to 20 cans of drinks from designated vending machines in various districts in Hong Kong. Drinks can be collected from now until 31 October 2022. To further help people living in sub-divided units to cope with the hot weather, electric fans will be provided through community partners upon request.

People’s livelihoods have been greatly affected by the pandemic, especially the less-resourced. The Group and the NTFCF are starting the second year of the meal donation programme, through which 10,000 nutritious meals prepared by the Pei Ho (Ming Gor) Charity Foundation in Shamshuipo will be provided for the needy individuals and families. The meals are carefully designed and feature dishes suitable for summer, and completed with ice-cream, making them particularly appealing on hot days.

Mr Daryl Ng, Deputy Chairman of Sino Group and Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, joined Sino Caring Friends in distributing the refreshing chilled beverages in Shamshuipo on 22 July 2022. ‘Like many other places, Hong Kong is facing an extremely hot summer with the “Very Hot Weather Warning” issued more frequently. By serving chilled drinks and providing cooling products on very hot days, we hope to show our care and concern while reminding them to stay hydrated and safe amid the hot weather,’ remarks Mr Ng.

‘We are thankful to J Life Foundation, Ming Gor and our community partners, who join us on this summer programme to provide much-needed support for the community, and to our Sino Caring Friends for their tireless services. We look forward to working with more partners to support those in need,’ adds Mr Ng.

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation Join Hands with Hong Kong Palace Museum to Help Hong Kong Youth Appreciate Chinese Arts and Culture

The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (‘NTFCF’) and the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation are delighted to announce ‘Art Journey for Youth at HKPM’, a multiple-year partnership with the Hong Kong Palace Museum (‘HKPM’) to provide an immersive cultural experience to inspire Hong Kong youth and help them appreciate Chinese arts and culture.

Commencing on 1 October 2022, the Foundations will sponsor 50,000 special exhibition tickets of the Hong Kong Palace Museum annually and distribute to more than 500 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong to provide opportunities for local students, in particular those from underprivileged families, to appreciate first-hand over 900 priceless national treasures.  The artefacts, on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing, range from grade-one cultural objects, paintings and calligraphy to ceramics, jade, costumes and textile, jewellery, rare books, many of which are on display in Hong Kong for the first time ever. There will be workshops for the young talents to learn more about Chinese history, architecture and culture at the world-class museum. The Foundations are working closely with schools and community partners, and details will be announced in due course.

NTFCF Launches Cultural Appreciation Programme to Palace Museum in Beijing

To deepen appreciation of Chinese culture and foster a sense of identity, the NTFCF is launching the Beijing-Hong Kong Cultural Appreciation Programme, through which 50 local university and college students will be hosted to the Palace Museum and other historic buildings in Beijing per year.  The Programme will entail learning workshops with museum professionals at the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong) on heritage research and artefact conservation.  Through this Programme, the students will be able to experience first-hand Lingzhao Belvedere of Yanxi Gong, the only Western-style architecture in the Forbidden Palace, and appreciate how traditional Chinese form of arts and architecture blends with Western style, while learning about management of relics and intercultural dialogues that celebrate harmony and diversity.

Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Board, extends his appreciation to the meaningful undertaking, ‘The Hong Kong Palace Museum, with cultural resources belonging to the community of Hong Kong, is committed to promoting the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture in addition to advancing international partnerships.  We are appreciative of the kind effort by the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation to bring our young generations to experience national treasures and culture first-hand.  We look forward to more meaningful partnerships with more like-minded partners.’

Mr Kenneth Fok, JP, Executive Vice Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation and LegCo member representing the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication sector, says, ‘The opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum not only strengthens the position of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange which is supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan, but also facilitates the cultural and art development between Hong Kong and the Mainland, including the Greater Bay Area. Through this programme, the Foundation hopes to deepen Hong Kong youth’s understanding on the history and culture of our nation.’

Mr Daryl Ng, SBS, JP, Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, shares, ‘We are honoured to work with Hong Kong’s world-class museum to promote the appreciation of Chinese arts and culture. This is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region this year.  We hope that by providing our young people with the eye-opening opportunities to experience first-hand the national cultural treasures, they can expand their horizons, appreciate the national culture and foster a sense of unity.’

Hospital Authority Appreciates Generous Donation from Sino Group and Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation

The Hospital Authority (HA) 6 June 2022 expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation for their generous donation of $5 million worth of anti-epidemic supplies and equipment for paediatric services in public hospitals, including the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital.

Group General Manager of Sino Group and Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Ms Nikki Ng expressed her utmost admiration to healthcare personnel to offer comprehensive care to child patients and families, and for their dedication and professionalism to safeguard public health.  She said that the Group and the Foundation will continue work hand in hand with other sectors of the community in this battle and hope that the epidemic will subside soon.

The HA Chairman Mr Henry Fan said, “We express heartfelt gratitude to the Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation for their continuous support to the HA and encouragement to our healthcare staff in fighting against the epidemic since  2020.  The donation this time is more specifically to support the anti-epidemic work of our paediatric services. Their timely and kind initiatives have given staunch support and recognition to all our staff who have been fighting tirelessly against the epidemic all along.”

The HA expresses appreciation to the Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation.