Spirit of Hong Kong Awards honours the ‘unsung heroes’ who make a difference in the city

A 15-year-old student providing free sports training to 2,000 underprivileged children, a principal integrating education with assistive technology for disabled pupils, and a social enterprise ensuring dignified dining with soft meals for the elderly – these inspiring efforts were among those honoured at this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.

Ten winners were recognised at the 12th edition of the annual campaign, which celebrates the city’s unsung heroes. The awards were jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and developer Sino Group.

Nine winners were selected by a panel of judges, while the recipient of the Lion Rock People’s Choice Award was determined through online voting.

This year’s awards received a record-breaking number of nominations, more than triple compared to previous years. There was a 160 per cent increase in youth participants, and 27 individuals and groups – all embodying the city’s “can-do” spirit – were selected as finalists.

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Bagging the Youth Award was 15-year-old Owen Ng Yat-san from St Paul’s Co-educational College. At 13, he spearheaded Game On, a student-led initiative offering free basketball, tennis, and table tennis sessions to more than 2,000 underprivileged children, thanks to the support of 200 volunteers.

“This is a huge recognition for me and my whole team,” he said. “We worked so hard, and without everyone’s support, we wouldn’t have reached this stage.”

Over the last two years, the student has reached out to many different schools and local community centres to promote volunteering. He said young people can make a big impact on society.

“I believe that our ability should not be limited by our age,” Owen explained.

Queenie Man Wei-yin, founder of Project Futurus, was recognised for her innovative soft meals tailored for seniors with difficulty swallowing.

She took home the Spirit of Community Award for her initiative, which trains carers and chefs to prepare nutritious meals. She also collaborated with local restaurants to offer soft versions of traditional Chinese dishes like dim sum and mooncakes.

“Our goal is to promote healthy ageing through education, community service and advocacy work,” she said.

“The award is a collective effort of my team members [who] bring the community together through our programmes ... delivering the joy of dim sum dining to those who can’t swallow, and those with dementia.”

Two new award categories were introduced this year: nurturing and entrepreneurship. They joined the existing ones for community, culture, innovation, sustainability, perseverance, teamwork, youth, and people’s choice.

Kenneth Choi Man-kin’s Gingko House, a catering business employing over 300 staff with an average age of 68, won the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award. Supported by an organic farm and a commercial bakery, Gingko House operates six branches, creating opportunities for elderly workers.

Chuin Chi-wai, head of Hong Kong Red Cross Margaret Trench School, won this year’s Spirit of Nurturing Award. Chuin has overseen the integration of advanced assistive technologies into his school’s curriculum and the broader rehabilitation programme.

His work has made it possible for students previously confined to wheelchairs to walk using exoskeleton gait training devices, a first for a Hong Kong school. The transformation in these students’ lives is visible in their new-found independence and self-confidence.

“This award is not mine because I think this [should go to] the teachers, even the janitors, all of them,” he said. “I’m very proud of [working in] this school because it has many wonderful colleagues.”

“I’m thankful that the students are willing to try ... I’m sure many of us want to give them opportunities.”

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The Innovation Award went to George Chen Dah-ren, who founded green biotech company Ecoinno to alleviate the plastic waste crisis with its patented Green Composite Material (GCM), a 100 per cent biodegradable alternative to single-use plastics. Made with plant fibres, it takes only 75 days to decompose.

Meanwhile, A Plastic Ocean Foundation earned the Spirit of Sustainability Award, presented by Ocean Park Hong Kong, for its initiative to transform waste into animal feed with black soldier flies.

Hong Kong’s first visually-impaired clinical psychologist, Jennifer Wong Ming-wai, earned the Spirit of Perseverance Award, presented by Manulife.

In 2015, she founded Codekey Cookies, a self-sustaining social enterprise run by visually impaired people to promote social inclusion and offer jobs to those with disabilities.

The Spirit of Teamwork Award, presented by the Bank of Singapore, went to the Elderly Unit at the Hong Kong Red Cross. Edmund Chan Ka-ming won the Lion Rock People’s Choice Award.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu congratulated the winners at the ceremony, noting that this year’s prizewinners and finalists are “imbued with the spirits of altruism and civic pride”.

He also highlighted how the city is “ushering in a new era of transformation”.

“We are witnessing changes in modes of business, economic activities, on the social ladder, and the dynamics of the lives of the people of Hong Kong, day in and day out,” he said. “In times like this, we look to selfless individuals to step up to make a difference for [their] neighbours and the greater community.”

“I’m confident that with your spirit – the spirit of Hong Kong – there’s nothing Hong Kong can’t accomplish for our economy, for our community.”