The Welfare Council has always dedicated a lot of attention to excavating opportunities for collaboration with the industrial, commercial and public sectors. Over the past few years, it has actively engaged in Caring Company Partnership Expo hosted by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to encourage various industries to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities while promoting the Welfare Council’s social enterprises and social services. In the afternoon of Friday, 10th March, 2017 , Caring Company Partnership Expo 2017 was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring more than 120 exhibition booths related to social service and social enterprise. Representatives from various industries and social service sector were allowed to exchange ideas and explore opportunities to facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration catering to social needs. The Welfare Council also assigned employees of different service units to introduce its social enterprises, social services and creative art projects including the PGR Fusion, Grace On Hands, Solar Tower∙Camp, Good Kitchen, tuck shop of the Good Kitchen, Community Medical, Support Network, B Plus Balloon Decorative Services, the Rainbow Arts Corner, the Green Infinity Recycling Shop and the Azure Production Workshop to different corporations and groups on the spot. Not only did the staff show to guests the handicrafts, fabric products, handmade soap and healthy food made by the Welfare Council’s social enterprises, they also invited its service users to demonstrate balloon art and how to make hand cream and leather bracelets. Guests were encouraged to try and join in the fun. Many guests felt interested in the Welfare Council’s products and services and asked for further details of cooperation.
In addition, the Welfare Council was invited to decorate one of the art pieces produced by HKCSS to celebrate the Caring Company Scheme’s 15th anniversary. Elderly members of the Vitalia Academy for Life Long Learning painted a bird and climbing plants to symbolize senior citizens’ resilience, thirst for knowledge and desire to live life to the full.
This year, the Welfare Council successfully nominated a record high of 62 business and public organisations for the Caring Company Award or Caring Organisation Award (Download the list of awardees). The Welfare Council extended its heartfelt congratulations to every awardee and thank them for their relentless support to the Welfare Council as well as their contribution to the society. Looking ahead, the Welfare Council would join hands with more caring companies and organisations to facilitate different kinds of community partnership programmes that could transform lives of the needy.