HAC Annual Report
Chairperson's Remarks

Founded in 1963, the Hans Andersen Club Ltd (HAC) has now completed 46 years of service and commitment to Hong Kong children and their families. At this time, I wish to report on some of the Executive Committee's and our centres' actions and activities for 2008-2009, as well as communicate relevant financial information for the past year.


Prof. Gong, Chairperson of HAC, impressed by the opening of Storyland.
  1. Enhancement of staff fringe benefit
    In October 2008, the Executive Committee endorsed the enhanced plan for the staff fringe benefits and salary review after thorough discussion and financial planning. The staff manual was also revised accordingly. The decision was made to recognise staff effort and to make our package more competitive.

  2. Interactive Communications
    The effect of interactive communications over the Internet has increased rapidly over the years according to various researchers. HAC is also actively promoting our services on the Internet through websites like Facebook and Wikipedia. Information about HAC can now be found on babykingdom.com, got-itseminar.org and go2event.com, and we launched our own website about reading: www.storytelling.org.hk. With the Internet becoming more and more popular with parents and children alike, we hope to make good use of this medium to better provide positive information for them.

    This year, our projects "Toys for Our Joy" and "Toys' Angel" received positive feedback from the public. A wide range of news coverage on our new book, Play Through Hong Kong, was noted in various media, such as Next Magazine, Hong Kong Daily News, Ming Pao Weekly, Vitality, Take me Home, Wonderful Grace, Beanie Magazine, Metro Radio, Books4You. . We also deepened our relationship with various media and corporate partners, widening our service scope. For example, Ms. Sinje Lee, a well-known artist, participated in a storytelling program through the collaboration with Yellow Bus, a children's magazine.


  3. Group photo with representatives from NWS Holdings.
    Caring Companies
    More corporate partners like Société Générale have joined us as long term teammates in serving the community in Hong Kong, and 30 companies nominated by HAC were successfully granted the Caring Company logo by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

    In the coming year, we will continue to develop our relationship with corporate partners and the media. Focus will also be put on the Internet as means of promoting our activities and to raise donations. HAC will continue to be open and accountable to all supporters.

  4. Healthy financial situation
    I'm happy to report that our financial situation is sound and that we have continued to be fiscally-prudent by living within our means and actively initiating fund raising events, such as these examples: Charity Sales Held on NWS Caring Day 2009 ($120,215), staff red packet campaign from Soci?t? G?n?rale (SG) ($47,200), and the ING Charity Day (HK$86,991), and donation from private donors (over $165,612 ). Moreover, we have launched donation initiatives, e.g., donation appeal insert supported by Towngas, donation at all 7-11 stores, and online donation service supported by the Bank of East Asia.

    Fund-raising activities have been complemented by successful applications for funding. For example, The HongKong Bank Foundation sponsored the Reading Sowers in Community through a donation to the Community Chest ($1,534,648); the Little Links, Unlimited Dreams project was sponsored by Soci?t? G?n?rale (SG) ($500,000); Toys' Angels was funded by Mattel Children's Foundation ($193,975.12); Unlimited Potential project was sponsored by the Microsoft (HK) Limited ($808,070); we also received support from the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (nearly $1,200,000); and ING provided funding for our Dreams for Children Program (HK$86,991).

    On behalf of HAC, I would also like to acknowledge and express my thanks to all who have given us continuous support in cash and in kind: the Social Welfare Department, Community Chest, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Allen & Overy, corporate and individual volunteers, and so many more too numerous to cite here.


  5. Chairperson presents souvenir to Yam Wai Kwan, a long term service staff.
    Endless loveˇKendless thanks
    This is the last report that I will submit to you as the Chairperson of HAC. In 2002, I was entrusted to represent our NGO. How time flies. Over the past seven years, we have achieved so much. We have expanded our outreach, having opened our most recent centre, Storyland; this magical place for children's reading, creating, and performing stories has been made possible by the support of Operation Santa Claus (i.e., RTHK and the SCMP) as well as IKEA. We have seen our children and families participate actively in a myriad of programs that promote family cohesion and communication, foster personal growth and confidence, and encourage educational and cultural values. In addition, our Centres-in-Charge have experienced professional development and changing responsibilities, too. The staff, along with volunteers from various private and public sectors in Hong Kong, has continued to meet the daily challenges in our fast-moving society, with its ups and downs, amazingly. I am so very proud to have been associated with you all.

    I am also deeply honoured to have worked with outstanding Directors for the past seven years: Maria Chan, Rita Chiu, Alice Chong, former Chairperson Jill Elsner, Gordon Fong, Annis Fung, Brenda Leung, Eric Ng, Eileen Tam, Wendy Tam, Tang Wai Hung, Regina Wai, Connie Wong, Frank Wong. Together during these years, we have conducted a full review of HAC, developed a corporate governance model for our organisation so that our Board members can flexibly take a more active role in HAC, and have been blessed to have the support of our Honorary Patron Charles Kao. And our team has had the good fortune to have had Executive Directors Eileen Hui and May Wong by our side, managing day-to-day affairs and serving as liaisons between the Directors and staff as well as government, private, and public organizations. I am so grateful to each of you, especially Vice-Chairperson Alice Chong, whose expertise and humanity have enriched me throughout our collaboration. As I leave, I wish all the best to the next Chairperson who will lead in the ongoing process of strengthening HAC's mission to "Cherish our Children, Cultivate our Community."

 

Professor Gwendolyn Gong
Chairperson

March 2009

 
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