Lingnan University launches the Jockey Club “We Care, We Serve & We Learn @ Tuen Mun” Programme to promote inter-generational collaboration and active ageing

20 Mar 2017

kick-off-we-care

Mr Simon Ip Shing-hing, Deputy Chairman, Council of Lingnan University (3rd left), Ms Winnie Ying, Executive Manager, Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (centre), Prof Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University (3rd right) and other officiating guests kicked start the Jockey Club “We Care, We Serve & We Learn @ Tuen Mun” Programme.

Lingnan University organised the launching ceremony of the Jockey Club “We Care, We Serve & We Learn @ Tuen Mun” Programme today (20 March) at the Skylight Plaza on the Lingnan campus.  The 3-year programme is ogranised by the University’s Office of Service-Learning, and supported by a donation of HK$8 million by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

 

The Jockey Club “We Care, We Serve & We Learn @ Tuen Mun” Programme will promote the concept of inter-generational collaboration and active ageing through working with different stakeholders including government departments, non-governmental organisations, academia and business partners, and create a cross-sectoral collaborative Service-Learning platform.  Its objectives are to work with community partners to address ageing issues in the district; train students to understand their roles and encourage them to be more innovative and involved in social entrepreneurship; strengthen the social responsibility of the University and share information with other universities; and facilitate network building among different stakeholders and Service-Learning practitioners in Hong Kong and Asia for sharing the best practices in community engagement.

 

In his welcoming remarks at the ceremony, Mr Simon Ip Shing-hing, Deputy Chairman, Council of Lingnan University expressed that as a Liberal Arts University, Lingnan University is committed to achieving the whole-person education that encourages students to apply their knowledge and serve the society. He hoped that Lingnan University could work together with different stakeholders to contribute further to the community.

 

Ms Winnie Ying, Executive Manager, Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, remarked that the Club was glad to support Lingnan University’s work with community partners in the programme to address the needs of senior citizens in the district.  “The Club has assisted numerous tertiary institutions to implement trial service-learning programmes, so as to encourage students to help solve social issues in a creative way,” she said.  “In the coming few years, we will put emphasis on strategic focus areas such as youth, the elderly and sports, to promote sustainable development in society.”

 

In the coming three years, the Jockey Club “We Care, We Serve & We Learn @ Tuen Mun” Programme will promote Service-Learning schemes and facilitate cross collaboration among faculty members, students and community partners to build better elderly services for the community, and to train students as future elder care givers.  It will organise regular trainings, forums and symposiums for the elders and different stakeholders in the community to stimulate innovative ideas and facilitate development that meet the needs of society.

 

Under the Programme, the outcomes of the Service-Learning projects will be released through media channels for publicising the concept of care for the elderly and intergenerational collaboration, and research that focus on elderly services will also be promoted.  Moreover, useful information and trainings will be provided to stakeholders for fostering long-term and sustainable partnerships.  Service-Learning teams from local and Asia colleges and universities will be connected to build an online resource platform to share Service-Learning experience and promote related projects.

 

Prof Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University pointed out that Lingnan University emphasises diversity in both teaching and learning and encourages students to serve the community so as to deepen their knowledge and nurture their critical thinking skill and self-reflection ability. He hoped that the programme could encourage the public to address the challenges of aging phenomenon and its related problems in Hong Kong and help build a caring, inclusive and harmonious society.

 

The Intergenerational Week organised by the Office of Service-Learning was also launched on the Lingnan campus on the same day.  From 20 to 22 March, 10 game booths will be available for participation by students, staff and residents of the neighbouring community.  The booths were set up by Lingnan students as a Service-Learning project of the course “To Care about our Society – Social Marketing” they are currently studying.  Through the 10 themes of (1) healthy diet, (2) healthy family, (3) latest electronic technology, (4) elder volunteering, (5) employment of elderly, (6) telephone deception case of elderly, (7) road safety, (8) educate financial management and retirement planning, (9) understanding ageing process and (10) intergenerational relationships: respect, responsibility, reciprocity and resiliency, the activity aims to promote the spirit of active ageing and intergenerational harmony.