童話港島賣旗日 | 悅讀花園 | 60周年專頁

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童话港岛卖旗日 | 悦读花园 | 60周年专页

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Flag Day | Storytelling | HAC 60th Anniversary

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ED Report (23-24)

Dear supporters of HAC,

Over the past year, as we faced the challenges of a post-pandemic environment and economic downturn, children’s mental health, especially for those in underprivileged families, has become our top priority. Guided by the Hans Andersen Club’s three service directions, we have implemented innovative services tailored to meet current needs, while staff members actively pursue professional training to stay current and effectively respond to social demands.

Innovative Storytelling

Now in its tenth year, our evidence-based “Read to Change” project has consistently demonstrated, through scientific research, the positive effects of storytelling on enhancing empathy among primary school students and reducing school bullying. Our findings were published in 2023 and 2024 in the well-known international journals “The Springer” and “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry”, which gives us further confidence to continue using stories to nurture children’s hearts and minds. In 2023-2024, we conducted 5,176 sessions, reaching 80,870 children and parents through a series of educational workshops, children’s animated films, financial literacy resources, and storytelling activities.

Fostering Positive Mindsets

This year, we introduced books on themes of personal growth for mental wellness, organizing related activities at each center to teach children how to face failure and challenges, accept imperfection, and grow with resilience and courage.

Additionally, we are actively exploring new service collaborations, including:

  • The “Little Pioneers Big Discoveries” project (Volumes 1 and 2 – Antiques and Paintings) in partnership with the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
  • Collaboration with the Education Bureau, including the “Workshops for Kindergarten Teachers on Promoting Children’s Understanding of Chinese Culture through Reading” and “Workshops for the Learning Community of Primary School Teachers on the Use of Picture Books to Promote Values Education”.
  • The “ School-based After-School Care” Pilot Project funded by the Community Care Fund at Kowloon Tong Government Primary School.

We provided services to over 100 primary schools and kindergartens, totaling 96,442 participants across 7,568.5 sessions over the past year.

Fostering Intergenerational Inclusion

Since 1997, HAC has served the community on Lamma Island, a place rich in culture and stories. We aimed to capture this unique multicultural heritage in a picture book, encouraging intergenerational sharing among children and elders. In March 2024, we published “Home of Dreams”, the first picture book on Lamma Island. Created collaboratively by residents of different generations, this book captures elders’ oral stories, enriched by creative illustrations and narratives from younger generations. This project promotes Lamma Island’s culture and intergenerational inclusion, with copies available at local stores and public libraries across Hong Kong. We are deeply grateful for the support from all sectors.

In response to an ever-evolving society, HAC remains committed to learning and growth. We established a Child Protection Policy and trained all staff, while six colleagues completed a six-month MEL training course under the Jockey Club’s “Impact Lab.” Our project, which explored the benefits of storybooks for children with special learning needs, won the “My Favorite Project” award, chosen from over 60 teams. This experience inspired our staff, and the skills learned are now applied in our centers.

Additionally, we were honored to be among the top 22 finalists for Social Career’s “My Favorite Non-Profit Organization” award and to receive the “Digital Transformation Innovation Award.” Last year, more than 1,200 volunteers contributed over 6,000 hours to serve low-income families and support residents in remote areas.

We strictly adhere to the Level 1 standards of the Social Welfare Department’s “Best Practice Manual.” As of March 31, 2024, our reserves from Lump Sum Grant amounted to $1,244,458, including a Provident Fund reserve of $192,074 for non-Snapshot staff. By the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, we expect this reserve to decrease to $170,000. These funds will be allocated towards improving employee benefits in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

To mark our 60th anniversary last year, we held a celebration dinner to thank all who have supported us over the past six decades. We also produced short videos to give the public a deeper understanding of our work and to inspire more people to engage in children’s development. As

Ms. Charmaine Lee Pui Sze, JP, Director of Social Welfare Department, mentioned in her speech at the dinner, “The Hans Andersen Club, as a pioneer in creative storytelling and play, nurtures children’s communication skills, confidence, and creativity through storytelling resources, professional training, and parent-child programs, helping them grow with the hope that they can one day contribute to the society.” This belief guides us, and we remain committed to serving children, looking forward to partnering with more individuals and businesses to create a positive impact in our community!