Messages
President’s Message
As President of the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (the Association), it gives me great pleasure to witness the Association' s continuing commitment to professionalism and excellence in 2023/24. Throughout the year, the Association has steered its development toward quality and responsive services with vigor and dedication.
Established in 1965, the Association has been a cornerstone of social services in Hong Kong, dedicated to providing professional mental health care and support to the community. In 2023/24, the Association served over 23,000 persons in mental recovery and their families to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives through our direct services, while reaching more than 100,000 individuals in the community through mental health promotion and public education initiatives. Our dedicated staff force has expanded to nearly 1,500 colleagues, all committed to multifarious service provision.
In 2023/24, the Association further developed strategic platforms while establishing new opportunities and making solid progress on many fronts. I am delighted to recognise the significant and innovative achievements that the Association had accomplished in the year. Among these are the successful service commencement of the mega 400- bed Siu Lam Long Stay Care Home project at the Siu Lam Integrated Rehabilitation Service Complex, the thriving promotion of Body (3), Mind (3) and Spirit (0) Well-being through strategic partnerships, the vibrant developments in professional services and social enterprises which demonstrated the strengths and vitality of the Association. We are grateful that the Association has received widespread recognition and tremendous support from service users, strategic partners, funders, the Government, and other stakeholders in the community. All these contributed to the dynamic growth of the Association that enables it to maintain leadership in the arena of mental health service provision and holistic well-being promotion.
As the Association approaches its 60th Anniversary in 2025, we proudly reflect on our legacy as a leading organisation dedicated to reaching our mission of pioneering and delivering people-focused, recovery-oriented, and evidence- based mental health services characterised by "care" and "innovation".
I must pay tribute to our Patron, Honorary Advisors and Vice Presidents for their unreserved guidance and support over the years. I also wish to express my deepest gratitude to the Executive Committee under the distinguished leadership of Prof. Annie TAM Kam-lan, GBS, JP, as well as the Subcommittees, Expert Advisory Group, Task Group and Working Group. All of them, who are of highly skilled and dedicated professionals and experts in their fields, have made strenuous efforts and generous contributions to the strengthened corporate governance and profound development of the Association.
In addition, I would like to acknowledge the dependable and enduring support from the Government, funding bodies, donors, corporations, district and community leaders, volunteers and supporters. Over the years, our partnership has grown from strength to strength through shared mission and values.
Last but not least, my heartfelt appreciation goes to our dedicated staff team at all levels with their enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication to achieving the Association's goals.
Anticipating our 60th Anniversary next year, we in the Association look forward to another fruitful year of diverse opportunities and new initiatives to come.
Professor CHEUNG Mui-ching, Fanny, SBS, OBE, JP
SBS, OBE, JP
New Life Psychiatric Rehhabilitation Association
Established in 1965, the Association has been a cornerstone of social services in Hong Kong, dedicated to providing professional mental health care and support to the community. In 2023/24, the Association served over 23,000 persons in mental recovery and their families to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives through our direct services, while reaching more than 100,000 individuals in the community through mental health promotion and public education initiatives. Our dedicated staff force has expanded to nearly 1,500 colleagues, all committed to multifarious service provision.
In 2023/24, the Association further developed strategic platforms while establishing new opportunities and making solid progress on many fronts. I am delighted to recognise the significant and innovative achievements that the Association had accomplished in the year. Among these are the successful service commencement of the mega 400- bed Siu Lam Long Stay Care Home project at the Siu Lam Integrated Rehabilitation Service Complex, the thriving promotion of Body (3), Mind (3) and Spirit (0) Well-being through strategic partnerships, the vibrant developments in professional services and social enterprises which demonstrated the strengths and vitality of the Association. We are grateful that the Association has received widespread recognition and tremendous support from service users, strategic partners, funders, the Government, and other stakeholders in the community. All these contributed to the dynamic growth of the Association that enables it to maintain leadership in the arena of mental health service provision and holistic well-being promotion.
As the Association approaches its 60th Anniversary in 2025, we proudly reflect on our legacy as a leading organisation dedicated to reaching our mission of pioneering and delivering people-focused, recovery-oriented, and evidence- based mental health services characterised by "care" and "innovation".
I must pay tribute to our Patron, Honorary Advisors and Vice Presidents for their unreserved guidance and support over the years. I also wish to express my deepest gratitude to the Executive Committee under the distinguished leadership of Prof. Annie TAM Kam-lan, GBS, JP, as well as the Subcommittees, Expert Advisory Group, Task Group and Working Group. All of them, who are of highly skilled and dedicated professionals and experts in their fields, have made strenuous efforts and generous contributions to the strengthened corporate governance and profound development of the Association.
In addition, I would like to acknowledge the dependable and enduring support from the Government, funding bodies, donors, corporations, district and community leaders, volunteers and supporters. Over the years, our partnership has grown from strength to strength through shared mission and values.
Last but not least, my heartfelt appreciation goes to our dedicated staff team at all levels with their enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication to achieving the Association's goals.
Anticipating our 60th Anniversary next year, we in the Association look forward to another fruitful year of diverse opportunities and new initiatives to come.
Professor CHEUNG Mui-ching, Fanny, SBS, OBE, JP
SBS, OBE, JP
New Life Psychiatric Rehhabilitation Association
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT
It is my great honour to present the 2023/24 Annual Reportof tie New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (theAssociation) in my capacity as Chairperson of the ExecutiveCommittee of the Association. During the year, we in theAssociation remained committed to driving developmenton the basis of our vision, mission and cherished corevalues. Our staff efficiently delivered multifarious services toeffectively meet changing social needs, with professionalismand innovation.
Good Corporate Governance
In 2023/24, the Association continued to nurture goodcorporate governance. In moving forward, we stood by ourpledge to Accountability, Transparency, Integrity, and Openness.The Association continued to grow under an effectivegovernance structure, comprising an Executive Committeeassisted by 9 Subcommittees, an Expert Advisory Group, aTask Group and a Working Group. We had the privilege ofbenefiting from the collective wisdom of 62 memberswith diverse backgrounds and expertise.
In 2023/24, we continued to develop and adhere to policies,rules and processes which served as our guide to best practices.Members of the Association approved a set of amendments tothe Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) through a special resolution moved at an Extraordinary General Meeting.These amendments aimed at (i) enabling the Annual GeneralMeeting to be convened at two or more places using anytechnology, thus adding flexibility to the holding of a GeneralMeeting in terms of format and the extent of involvement ofMembers (Article 11); (ii) extending the deadline for holding anAnnual General Meeting from six months to nine months fromthe financial year end, thus easing the preparation andorganisation of such an important agency event (Article 12);and (iii) bringing the terms of office for Honorary Officers,Office Bearers, and Executive Committee Members intoalignment with each other (i.e. three years in all three cases)and rendering them eligible for re-election. (Articles 17, 2314(d)). The amended M&A, having been approved by therelevant authorities, took effect on 22 March 2024.
During the year, the Association also reviewed and updatedseveral key guidelines,including those for accounting,procurement, IT systems security and utilisation, payroll andrecruitment, and vehicle management. To ensure compliancewith the service quality standards prescribed by the SocialWelfare Department (SWD), self-assessments and cross-unit internal inspections of service units were conducted.We successfully passed the assessments in the inspectionsconducted by SWD.
The New Siu Lam Long Stay Care Home
Back in October 2021, the Association won, by competitivebidding, SWD's service contract to operate a new 400-bedlong stay care home at the Siu Lam Integrated RehabilitationServices Complex. The task of taking up this new Siu LamLong Stay Care Home, due to its size and location, posedunprecedented challenges to the Association. We werepleased to witness its first in-take of residents in December2023. The opening of the Home would significantly shortenthe waiting time for people queueing up for long stay carehome service. We are truly grateful for the wise counsel andvaluable assistance rendered by Members of the ExecutiveCommittee as well as the Expert Group (comprising Mr AUChoi Kai, SBS, Mr Franki YEUNG Kai Yu and Mr wai wai, JP).We are also proud of the contribution made by ourmanagement team and operational staff in successfullybringing this mega Home into commencement.
330 Well-being
The Association vigorously continued its public mental healthawareness programme (i.e. dayday330) which is meant tchelp members of the general public enhance theirbody (3) mind (3) and spirit (0) holistic well-being byencouraging them to do something they like regularlyas "dayday330 breaks". In 2023/24, many activities wereorganised under the theme cf "5 Ways to Well-being:Take Notice, Be Active, Give, Connect and Keep Learning".A mega community engagement event - "dayday330 Well-being and Sports Carnival" was launched by the Associationat the Cyberport on 30 March 2024 in partnership with HongKong Cyberport Management Company Limited, and a numberof other organisations including Shall We Talk, MTRC, CTBusLimited, Hong Kong Left Hand Drive Motors Association,Inspiring Hong Kong Sports Foundation and Hong KongEconomic Times. This one-day event ettracted over 2,00Cparticipants who gave the event very favourable feedback.The Association also continues to cffer the community a[330] Well-being Index to conveniently monitor their 330 well-being regularly. This Index was widely promoted in 2023/24through various events organised by the Association orother organisations. It has been integrated as part of thedayday330 Campa ign.
Care and Innovation
At the Annual Dinner held on 15 September 2023 bearing thetheme of "Our New Life Journey: With Care and Innovation",we had an open sharing session with the over 220 guests andstaff who attended the event. Through this sharing, theAssociation reviewed the dedication of our staff at differentlevels to care and innovate in service delivery. Indeed "Careand Innovation" had become part of our New Life culture.The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, as the Guest ofHonour for our Annual Dinner, fully endorsed the sterlingcontributions made by the Association. The Association wasrecognised by the Secretary as one of the Government'smost important partners.
Gratitude
The year 2023/24 marked another remarkable chapter forthe Association. am truly grateful to our Patron, President,Vice-Presidents, and Honorary Advisors for their steadfastsupport and encouragement. I would also like to thank therelevant Government Bureaux and Departments, fundingorganisations, donors, NGOs, corporate partners,andindividual supporters for their generous contributions,continued friendship, and valuable assistance.
My sincere appreciation extends to the Honorary Auditcr andHonorary Legal Advisors for their highly regarded service.I am indebted to Members Df the Executive Committee, theExpert Advisory Group, and all Subcommittees, Task Groups,and Working Groups for their unwavering support and wiseguidance.
Special thanks go to our Chief Executive Officer, Mr ThomasCHO, for his effective leadership and to all the staff for theirdedication to serve the community.Last but not the least, I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks toour service users and their families for plecing their trust inthe Association. thank them for bestowing on us the honourof accompanying them on their life journeys.
Miss Annie TAM Kam-lan, GBS, JP
GBS, JP
New Life Psychiatric Rehhabilitation Association
Good Corporate Governance
In 2023/24, the Association continued to nurture goodcorporate governance. In moving forward, we stood by ourpledge to Accountability, Transparency, Integrity, and Openness.The Association continued to grow under an effectivegovernance structure, comprising an Executive Committeeassisted by 9 Subcommittees, an Expert Advisory Group, aTask Group and a Working Group. We had the privilege ofbenefiting from the collective wisdom of 62 memberswith diverse backgrounds and expertise.
In 2023/24, we continued to develop and adhere to policies,rules and processes which served as our guide to best practices.Members of the Association approved a set of amendments tothe Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) through a special resolution moved at an Extraordinary General Meeting.These amendments aimed at (i) enabling the Annual GeneralMeeting to be convened at two or more places using anytechnology, thus adding flexibility to the holding of a GeneralMeeting in terms of format and the extent of involvement ofMembers (Article 11); (ii) extending the deadline for holding anAnnual General Meeting from six months to nine months fromthe financial year end, thus easing the preparation andorganisation of such an important agency event (Article 12);and (iii) bringing the terms of office for Honorary Officers,Office Bearers, and Executive Committee Members intoalignment with each other (i.e. three years in all three cases)and rendering them eligible for re-election. (Articles 17, 2314(d)). The amended M&A, having been approved by therelevant authorities, took effect on 22 March 2024.
During the year, the Association also reviewed and updatedseveral key guidelines,including those for accounting,procurement, IT systems security and utilisation, payroll andrecruitment, and vehicle management. To ensure compliancewith the service quality standards prescribed by the SocialWelfare Department (SWD), self-assessments and cross-unit internal inspections of service units were conducted.We successfully passed the assessments in the inspectionsconducted by SWD.
The New Siu Lam Long Stay Care Home
Back in October 2021, the Association won, by competitivebidding, SWD's service contract to operate a new 400-bedlong stay care home at the Siu Lam Integrated RehabilitationServices Complex. The task of taking up this new Siu LamLong Stay Care Home, due to its size and location, posedunprecedented challenges to the Association. We werepleased to witness its first in-take of residents in December2023. The opening of the Home would significantly shortenthe waiting time for people queueing up for long stay carehome service. We are truly grateful for the wise counsel andvaluable assistance rendered by Members of the ExecutiveCommittee as well as the Expert Group (comprising Mr AUChoi Kai, SBS, Mr Franki YEUNG Kai Yu and Mr wai wai, JP).We are also proud of the contribution made by ourmanagement team and operational staff in successfullybringing this mega Home into commencement.
330 Well-being
The Association vigorously continued its public mental healthawareness programme (i.e. dayday330) which is meant tchelp members of the general public enhance theirbody (3) mind (3) and spirit (0) holistic well-being byencouraging them to do something they like regularlyas "dayday330 breaks". In 2023/24, many activities wereorganised under the theme cf "5 Ways to Well-being:Take Notice, Be Active, Give, Connect and Keep Learning".A mega community engagement event - "dayday330 Well-being and Sports Carnival" was launched by the Associationat the Cyberport on 30 March 2024 in partnership with HongKong Cyberport Management Company Limited, and a numberof other organisations including Shall We Talk, MTRC, CTBusLimited, Hong Kong Left Hand Drive Motors Association,Inspiring Hong Kong Sports Foundation and Hong KongEconomic Times. This one-day event ettracted over 2,00Cparticipants who gave the event very favourable feedback.The Association also continues to cffer the community a[330] Well-being Index to conveniently monitor their 330 well-being regularly. This Index was widely promoted in 2023/24through various events organised by the Association orother organisations. It has been integrated as part of thedayday330 Campa ign.
Care and Innovation
At the Annual Dinner held on 15 September 2023 bearing thetheme of "Our New Life Journey: With Care and Innovation",we had an open sharing session with the over 220 guests andstaff who attended the event. Through this sharing, theAssociation reviewed the dedication of our staff at differentlevels to care and innovate in service delivery. Indeed "Careand Innovation" had become part of our New Life culture.The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, as the Guest ofHonour for our Annual Dinner, fully endorsed the sterlingcontributions made by the Association. The Association wasrecognised by the Secretary as one of the Government'smost important partners.
Gratitude
The year 2023/24 marked another remarkable chapter forthe Association. am truly grateful to our Patron, President,Vice-Presidents, and Honorary Advisors for their steadfastsupport and encouragement. I would also like to thank therelevant Government Bureaux and Departments, fundingorganisations, donors, NGOs, corporate partners,andindividual supporters for their generous contributions,continued friendship, and valuable assistance.
My sincere appreciation extends to the Honorary Auditcr andHonorary Legal Advisors for their highly regarded service.I am indebted to Members Df the Executive Committee, theExpert Advisory Group, and all Subcommittees, Task Groups,and Working Groups for their unwavering support and wiseguidance.
Special thanks go to our Chief Executive Officer, Mr ThomasCHO, for his effective leadership and to all the staff for theirdedication to serve the community.Last but not the least, I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks toour service users and their families for plecing their trust inthe Association. thank them for bestowing on us the honourof accompanying them on their life journeys.
Miss Annie TAM Kam-lan, GBS, JP
GBS, JP
New Life Psychiatric Rehhabilitation Association
