The Hong Kong Funders’ Network on Ageing Well (“the Network”) was established in April 2016 to facilitate communication among private foundations whose scope correspondingly extended across issues around ageing. It is the first issue-specific foundations’ platform in Hong Kong, originally formed in response to discussions raised at the “Creating Sustainable Public-Private Partnership for Ageing Population in Hong Kong” Conference in November 2015 and “Improving Services for the Elderly in Hong Kong” Roundtable Discussion in April 2014.
Governed by a Steering Committee, the Network was initiated by ZeShan Foundation, which continues to support the secretariat and administration of the collective.
Purpose
Beyond its function as a platform for communication between foundations dedicated to combating issues around ageing, the Network facilitates learning and collaboration between members. Primarily focusing on the exchange and collective building of knowledge, a set of objectives has been developed by members of the Network:
○ Strengthening sector capacity
○ Enhancing service models and innovations
○ Advocating for policy development and improvement
Scope
Grounded in the formation of the Network is the primary focus of “ageing”. In recognition of the holistic approach necessary for ageing well, as well as the intersections between “elderly care” and other domains, the Funders’ Network’s primary scope on “ageing” also encompasses “ageing-related issues” that concern broader population groups (e.g. mental health, primary care, caregiver support).
Established after the formation of the group, “philanthropy” emerged as an equally important area of focus for the Network, the scope referring to the knowledge and skills key to achieving social impact through grant-making, such as the exchange of “practice wisdom” among members.
The Network has 14 Founding Members, and has expanded to its 21 Members today:
Current SC members are:
* denotes Organizing Committee Members of the 2015 Conference
Apr Inauguration & 1st general meeting
Speaker: Mr Horace LIT (Senior Charities Manager, Hong Kong Jockey Club)
Jun Cocktail Reception
Jul 2nd general meeting – Dementia care
Speakers: Dr DAI Lok-kwan, David, JP (Chairman, Hong Kong Alzheimer’s Disease Association); Dr LAM Ching-choi, BBS, JP (Chairman, Elderly Commission)
Aug Visit – Grace Nursing Home (Tak Tin)
Sep Special meeting – End-of-life care
Speaker: Prof Christine FANG (Adjunct Professor, The University of Hong Kong)
Nov Deliberative engagement – End-of-life care
Speakers: Prof Christine FANG (Adjunct Professor, The University of Hong Kong); Ms Grace CHAN (Chief Officer (Elderly Service), Hong Kong Council of Social Service)
Nov Special meeting – Elderly Services Programme Plan (ESPP)
Dec Fireside chat – Dr Sandro Galea
Speaker: Dr Sandro GALEA (Dean, Boston University School of Public Health, USA)
Dec Visit – Woopie Club dementia day care centre
Jan Guided tour – End-of-life care at Golden Age Expo & Summit
Docents: Prof Christine FANG (Adjunct Professor, The University of Hong Kong);
Prof Vivian Lou (Director, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong)
Jan Informal gathering – Chinese New Year hiking
Feb Submission of Views on ESPP Consensus Building Stage
Feb Special meeting – Swedish “Health & Elderly Care” delegation
Head of delegation: Ms Madeleine Harby SAMUELSSON (State Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden)
Feb Workshop – “From Unit Cost to Effective Grantmaking”
Trainer: Mr Timothy MA Kam Wah, JP
Apr Special meeting – HKSAR Food and Health Bureau
May Special meeting – HKSAR Food and Health Bureau and Social Welfare Department
May 3rd general meeting
Jul Visit on Drug Management – ActiveCare
Aug Visit on Drug Management – Hong Kong Pharmaceutical Care Foundation
Aug Singapore Study Tour – Pre-trip orientation
Sep Singapore Study Tour “Foundations-driven Social Change on Ageing”
Oct Singapore Study Tour – Post-trip debriefing
Dec 4th General Meeting – Gerontechnology
Mar Brownbag lunch on dementia-friendly community
Mar Cocktail reception
Jun Field visit to Kwai Tsing District on primary health care
Jul General Meeting
Jul Special meeting – HKSAR Food and Health Bureau
Aug Field visit on healthy ageing and pay-for-success financing
Aug Brownbag lunch on due diligence
Jan Visit to contract home in Shui Chuen O
Jan Brownbag lunch on mental health
Feb Informal gathering – Chinese New Year hiking
Mar General Meeting – Caregiver support; Dementia assessment
Apr Visit – Palliative care in nursing home
Jun Brownbag lunch on NGO governance health
Nov Guided Tour – Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit 2020
Organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Dec Informal gathering – Winter hiking
Dec Meeting with Research Unit, Labour and Welfare Bureau
Jan Meeting with the Food and Health Bureau
Nov Meeting with Research Unit, Labour and Welfare Bureau
Mar Seminar on building dementia-friendly communities in HK (co-hosted with the
Community Investment and Inclusion Fund of the Labour and Welfare Bureau)
Jun Visiting Jockey Club “Age at Home” in Shatin and the Gerontech Cleaning and
Maintenance Service Centre at Fo Tan
Nov Guided Visit to Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) 2021
Dec Visit Shum Shui Po District Health Centre
Jan Sharing given by Professor Carol Ma on Singaporean Practice in Multi-sectoral Collaborations and Initiatives for Carers
Mar Meeting with Research Unit, Labour and Welfare Bureau
Jun Opening Ceremony of Woopie Club (Cheung Sha Wan)
Jul Meeting with Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund
Nov Guided Visit at Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) 2022
Guided Visit at Social Enterprise Summit – Young Entrepreneur Showcase
Visit Southern District Health Centre
Dec Mental Health Seminar cum peers project sharing
Feb Tour to Health In Action (HIA) ‘s Kwai Tsing Community Health Management Hub
May Tour to Forward Living
Jun Study Tour to Taiwan
Jul Meeting with Labour and Welfare Bureau