Outstanding Social Capital Partnership Awards (Corporate)
In recognition of excellence in promoting social capital, through the effective use of expertise and network advantages of individuals/ enterprises, and play a key role in achieving social capital outcomes.
• Community network — To develop mutual trust and long-term relationship with people in different sectors and of different backgrounds, and strengthen the social networking.
• Mutual-help and Reciprocity — To make good use of one’s advantages; devote resources to enhancing community capacity and creating opportunities for development.
• Trust and Solidarity — To achieve synergy by fostering cross-sectoral partnership.
• Social Cohesion and Inclusion — To promote social harmony and build social capital culture.
• Social Participation — To mobilise participation in response to community needs, enhance community capacity.
• Information and Communication — To establish an effective communication platform to facilitate information flow.
| CIIF Project | : | Heart Connection |
| Agency | : | Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service |
Critical Success Factor
A.S. Watson Group (the Group) has been participating in CIIF-funded projects since 2013. Working jointly with agencies, the Group has taken part in “Rainbow Life” Community Care Action and Heart Connection at different times to provide support for the elderly and the carers in need. The Group has mobilised over one hundred of its staff members in Heart Connection, where home visits, trips and other activities are organised to help elderly people and their families to maintain contact with society. Leveraging its corporate manpower resources, the Group has carried out health checks for the elderly people in the community with the assistance of its pharmacists, nutritionists and Chinese medicine practitioners, and donated materials from time to time. The Group has also helped strengthen connection with more collaborators and maintained regular communication with various sectors through joining the Medical-Business-Community-Welfare-Government cross-sectoral steering committee under the project.
Quote from the winner
A.S. Watson Group (the Group) had been working with Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service (YMMSS) since 2013 to serve the elderly through the “Rainbow Life” Community Care Action and Heart Connection projects. In view of the ageing population in Hong Kong, we noticed that carers of the elderly are playing a pivotal role and heavy responsibilities have been placed on them. As such, support from the community was particularly important. YMMSS’s work in districts just echoes with the Group’s mission in the way that both parties aim to provide services to cater for the needs of the elderly and their carers. We therefore began working together to achieve synergy by fostering cross-sectoral collaboration.
Making use of their expertise and established networks, business units under the Group contributed resources to meet the community needs and assisted in delivering the much demanded services. For example, pharmacists, dietitians and Chinese medicine practitioners from the Watsons arranged health check-up sessions and shared health knowledge with participants; PARKnSHOP helped participants to learn more about proper nutrition; and FORTRESS assisted participants to better understand home appliances and household safety. The Group also initiated cross-sectoral collaboration by inviting professional athlete trainers through the Watsons Athletic Club for teaching the elderly to do healthy exercises.
The projects not only promoted mutual understanding between the elderly and the community but also relieved some pressure from carers’ shoulders. We will continue to enhance our collaboration with YMMSS and accumulate social capital so as to foster a more caring community. The Group is greatly encouraged by the recognition and support from CIIF, and we hope that more companies will be attracted to take part in giving back to society, thereby bringing more smiling faces to Hong Kong.