A group photo of guests (from the left): Mr Dennis LAU (Hong Kong Christian Service), Prof Kenneth FONG (PolyU Research Centre for Assistive Technology), Prof Marco PANG (PolyU RS), Ms Poonam MEHTA (Be The Change), Mr Percy CHILDE (Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui), Ms Karrie CHAN (Hong Kong Christian Service), Ms Ann WONG (Hong Kong, China Table Tennis Association), Dr Cynthia LAI (PolyU RS/ Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui)
Welcome Speech by Prof. David SHUM, Dean of FHSS
Educational Talk by Dr Man-Fuk LEUNG (President of Hong Kong Association of Gerontology)
Ms Renjina Mary VARGHESE, Consul (Commerce) of India-Hong Kong and Macau SARs, presented appreciation certificate to our speaker Mr Raymond HO, Senior Equal Opportunities Officer (EM Unit)
Mr Eugene FONG (middle; Past District Governor, Rotary International District 3450) presented appreciation certificates to speakers Mr Dennis LAU (left; Senior Occupational Therapist of Hong Kong Christian Service) and Dr Cynthia LAI (right; Associate Professor of PolyU and Past President of Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui)
RS Associate Professor and Past President of the Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui, Dr Cynthia Lai, organised a community service project titled “Ping Pong without Boundaries” to promote social inclusion and well-being. This initiative offers free table tennis activities to older adults (service users of care and attention homes or day care centres), children with special needs, and ethnic minority groups from October 2023 to April 2024. The Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui is the primary organizer of this community service project, with co-organizers including PolyU RS, Hong Kong Christian Service, Be The Change, and the Hong Kong, China Table Tennis Association.
The Rotary Club of Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Christian Service hosted a closing ceremony for “Ping Pong without Boundaries” on 13 April 2024 at the Jockey Club Innovation Tower, PolyU, with support from the PolyU Research Centre for Assistive Technology, NGOs, and entrepreneurs. More than 230 attendees joined the closing ceremony.
This community service project originated from a R&D project (Technology-enhanced Table Tennis Training Programme) between PolyU RS and Hong Kong Christian Service aimed at promoting the well-being of older adults with dementia and children with special educational needs. It was extended to community service through collaborations between the Rotary Club, PolyU, NGOs, and a large group of volunteers (e.g., table tennis coaches, occupational therapists, teachers, students, and businessmen). This platform exemplifies cross-disciplinary and cross-professional collaboration. As shared by FHSS Dean, Prof David Shum, in the welcome speech at the closing ceremony, “As we look towards the future, our commitment remains steadfast in collaborating with various community sectors. We will persist in our efforts to promote impactful cooperative projects that bring significant benefits to society.”
