President Soheila Hayek of World Alliance of YMCAs witnesses the ESG and YMCA Vision 2030 in action at Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

As part of the global YMCA movement, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (YMCA), together with the World Alliance of YMCAs (WAY), has been rooted in Hong Kong for more than 120 years.

In the Christian spirit of “to serve, not to be served”, YMCA serves as one of the most established and largest social welfare organisations in Hong Kong, providing tailored and diversified services to all walks of life with over 60 service units. Ms. Soheila Hayek, President of WAY, visited the YMCA headquarters and service units in Hong Kong, where she was received by Mr. Ronald T.F. Yam, Deputy President of WAY and the Honorary Treasurer of YMCA; Dr. Arnold Cheng Cheuk-sang, President of YMCA; The Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Soo, J.P., Director of YMCA; and Mr. Karl Lau Chun-chuen, General Secretary of YMCA. This trip was a testimony to how YMCA integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) into its strategic plans and implements the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and YMCA Vision 2030 in all areas of its work.

Last year, WAY presented its “YMCA Vision 2030” bringing together YMCAs around the world to advocate four key Pillars of Impact, including “Community Wellbeing”, “Meaningful Work”, “Sustainable Planet” and “Just World”, all of which are proactively undertaken by YMCA in the areas of conservation, youth ministry and social services.

YMCA was first established in Hong Kong in 1901. Since Hong Kong was then a British colony, an English Department was set up in 1904 to cater for the needs of the non-Chinese speakers. The former headquarters of YMCA, the Bridges Street Centre in Sheung Wan was built in 1918 with the patronage of various dignitaries, and it was previously known as The Central Building. Declared as a Grade I Historic Building in 2009, it now serves as a recreational and sports centre and a sheltered workshop. The centre houses the first heated indoor swimming pool in Hong Kong that still serves the community, and the first elevated wok-shaped running track in Hong Kong currently in good condition.

With the expansion of services over the years, YMCA has relocated its headquarters from Bridges Street to 23 Waterloo Road since 1966, catering for different sectors of the community with services in the areas of camps, hostels, as well as recreational and sports services, amongst which our hostels and centres have been recognised for their environmental performance with a number of green certifications and awards in recent years.

In response to the increasing demand for medical services due to ageing population and the growing need for medical-social collaboration, YMCA has further expanded its services to medical aspect in 2020 by setting up Health Care Professions Department to provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy services etc. In addition, Kei Yau Integrated Medical Centre (located in Lai Kee Mansion, 523 Nathan Road) has been established this year to provide quality primary healthcare services by harnessing the collaborative strengths of Chinese and Western medicine.

YMCA also operates schools to provide quality education services for children to adults; and the social enterprise “YM HAIR” was established in 2022 to provide professional vocational training for young people.

As an advocate of social responsibility, YMCA is dedicated to nurturing young people to be socially responsible with a global perspective. Since 2003, YMCA has established 9 University & College YMCAs in 8 universities and colleges to nurture over a thousand student executive committee members. Dr. Janet K.Y. Chan, who works as a Senior Lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, has been volunteering at YMCA since her engagement in the University & College YMCA, contributing to the community with her professional knowledge.

Dedicated to maintaining high standards and sound governance for the interests of its stakeholders, YMCA is led by a Board of Directors with diverse professional backgrounds who oversee the operations of YMCA and provide strategic guidance on issues such as service development and sustainability towards the future.