Page 18 - Sphere No.30 (Dec 2011)

16 Sphere 30
Neighbourhood treasures
Volunteers Aki Ho Yuen-man and Leung Man-ching, social
workers and founders of a community-based organisation
called Life Workshop, are dedicated to preserving the unique
neighbourhood culture housed in Hong Kong’s small businesses.
The initiative stemmed from their concern that many small
businesses in their area were on the brink of closure because
of an influx of larger businesses and an overwhelming societal
shift towards buying global brand-name goods.
“When we first spoke with small business owners in the
Tai Kok Tsui district (of Kowloon), we found that they were
having many difficulties keeping their businesses afloat,” said
Aki. “We were inspired to find a way to help them preserve
their businesses, broaden their networking capabilities with
each other and raise awareness of their businesses, particularly
among younger generations.”
Thus, Life Workshop, which originally focused on helping
underprivileged individuals when it was established in 2004,
evolved into a donation-driven initiative to support small
businesses so they could keep alive their legacies as cultural
treasures and community assets.
With the help of the HKD300,000 from LKSF, Aki and
Man-ching, along with other social workers and some 100
youth volunteers, now regularly bring groups of young people
to visit local storefronts. They also host bazaars showcasing
small businesses and hold frequent sharing sessions for business
owners to help them develop supportive local networks.
The “Love Ideas, Love HK” grant has enabled them to
provide their services to more than 200 shops and to offer
transportation that allowed more than 10,000 people to
participate in their events. They have also been able to expand
the geographical area in which they operate.
“What we are really striving for is an overall balance between
the development of small neighbourhood shops, the passing on
of traditional trade skills and the ever-expanding big high-street
brands,” Aki explained. “It is important to preserve and grow
our unique community culture at the same time as the city
grows and expands in other ways.”
Inspiring efforts
From conception to implementation, the Hong Kong Council
of Social Service (HKCSS) and St James’ Settlement (SJS) have
provided valuable assistance to both LKSF and to “Love Ideas,
Love HK” project participants. Both share the Foundation’s
vision of encouraging truly selfless community service.
In the submission phase, they help entrants prepare and
polish their project proposals. After winners are announced,
they mentor participants by advising them on the
implementation of their project and preparing them for
difficulties they might face on the road to project success.
Most recently, they tutored participants in carrying out impact
assessments of their projects to ensure that the effects of the
projects have been clearly articulated.
According to Josephine Lee, Senior Manager of Partnerships
and Alliances for SJS, the most common area in which
participants express a need for support is in the execution of
their ideas. “We hope that by liberally sharing our experience
and expertise with participants, they will be able to fully realise
their projects’ potential,” explained Ms Lee.
Both SJS and HKCSS have been moved by the creativity,
determination and selflessness of all participants. “I have been
deeply impressed by the student-run projects,” said Cliff Choi,
Business Director (Sector Development and Partnerships) at
HKCSS. “They have been fully in charge of their projects, from
decision-making to implementation, and have handled this
responsibility remarkably.” For Mr Choi, the willingness of
students to help the community’s underprivileged highlights the
Hong Kong’s small businesses house a unique neighbourhood culture.
“We were inspired to find a
way to help them preserve
their businesses.”
STORE FRONT PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LIFE WORKSHOP