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AS Watson Elderly Visit 2026 brought more than 1,200 volunteers from the Group’s offices and stores together with 58 business partners. It was one of the city’s largest volunteer elderly visits. Alongside it, the Group is drawing on its pharmacy expertise to make health support more accessible in everyday life.
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Together, these initiatives give the anniversary a focus beyond commemorating the past. They connect the warmth of personal companionship with practical support close to home, continuing a commitment that began with a Western dispensary in Hong Kong in 1841.
Elderly guests receive goodie bags from Mr. Dominic Lai (second on the right), Chairman of AS Watson and Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson (second on the left) at the kick-off ceremony of AS Watson Elderly Visit 2026.
Care that starts before the first knock
The effort began well before anyone left the office. Colleagues packed 1,850 goodie bags themselves, one for every elderly person they would meet.
The day opened with a kick-off ceremony at TungPo. Mr. Dominic Lai, Chairman of AS Watson, and Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, joined the management team and volunteers for the kick-off ceremony. With support from Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) and St. James’ Settlement (SJS), the volunteers headed out to communities across Wan Chai, Eastern, Central and Western, Southern, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan.
The scale reflects the strength of the shared effort. Its purpose, however, rests in something personal: making time for elderly people and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction.
“For many elderly people, particularly those living alone or with limited social interaction, a simple greeting, a smile or a moment of companionship can bring warmth,” Malina said.
That emphasis on companionship places human connection at the centre of the anniversary activity. The visits bring colleagues and partners together around a common purpose while extending attention and care to older members of the community.
Care beyond the visit
The commitment also extends into the places where people seek support for their health.
Through Watsons’ participation in the Government’s Community Pharmacy Programme, its retail network and professional pharmacy services are being used to make health support more accessible, particularly for elderly people.
“Care goes beyond a single day of visits. It is part of how we serve the community every day,” Malina said.
Her remarks connect the volunteer initiative with the Group’s wider role in community care. The elderly visits offer companionship; pharmacy services bring professional expertise into everyday life. Both draw on the people, skills and connections within the business to respond to community needs.
“Being able to use our expertise to serve the community is a responsibility we deeply value,” she added.
HKCS sees value in that approach too. Karrie Chan, Deputy Director (Elderly, Rehabilitation & Community) of HKCS, welcomed companies getting involved through volunteering, professional expertise and community networks. She said Watsons’ participation in the Community Pharmacy Programme would make healthcare support easier to access close to home, particularly for elderly people and those living with chronic illnesses.
“By working together across sectors, we can build a more caring, inclusive and healthy community,” Karrie said.
The partnership illustrates how community care can take different, complementary forms, bringing personal contact and professional support into the same broader endeavour.
Volunteers and a young participant share smiles with an elderly resident during the visits, bringing generations together through companionship.
Volunteers present a goodie bag to an elderly resident, sharing warmth during an initiative that reached communities across nine Hong Kong districts.
Born in Hong Kong, Caring Worldwide
Established in 1841, AS Watson has grown into the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, with more than 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets and 130,000 employees worldwide.
The anniversary celebrations reach just as far. For its 185th year, the Group is partnering with 185 charity organisations worldwide on a series of initiatives, bringing colleagues and partners together to support their local communities.
Each year, the Group works with charitable and non-profit organisations across its markets, and its people contribute more than 40,000 volunteer hours to supporting people in need.
In Hong Kong, the anniversary has meant visiting elderly people and keeping health support close at hand. Around the world, it means partnerships built around what each community needs. 185 years after that first dispensary opened, the purpose behind it hasn’t changed: care starts with people, and it grows when they act together.
