The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) is the city’s largest youth service organisation. Since its establishment in 1960, the HKFYG has been providing opportunities and facilities for the social, educational, cultural, emotional and physical development of young people. Income is obtained primarily from government subvention, as well as grants from the Community Chest of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, other trust funds, programme fees, and both private and corporate donations.
The HKFYG, through its youth membership network, provides quality services that address the issues and concerns of young people and promotes healthy all-round development. Over 70 service units organise more than 25,000 activities annually, with attendance to the various programmes now standing at nearly six million a year. 460,000 registered members are engaged through the online platform, easymember.hk and the HKFYG app.
Youth S.P.O.Ts
The HKFYG has 22 Youth S.P.O.Ts. These youth centres provide space and opportunity to learn and develop. They focus on Strengthening Classroom Learning, Continuous Learning Opportunities and Experiential Learning in a Societal Context, offering tailor-made programmes in combination with other provided services. Each Youth S.P.O.T. is equipped with both an M21@Youth S.P.O.T. station to facilitate development in creativity and enhance interactions with the community through social media, as well as a LEAD Lab to provide a platform to learning through engineering, art and design. The NEIGHBOURHOOD First project has become a core component of community-based services through the S.P.O.Ts, while the Community Team Sports project encourages young people to get physical by participating in sporting activities and learning the values that come with team play.
M21 Multimedia Services
By using the Internet, social and new media, the HKFYG connects with young people on their terms and through their chosen mode of communication. M21 is a multimedia centre with the slogan, “It’s all about YOUth” and is comprised of the Media Lab, the Media Academy and Media Broadcast. The M21 Youth Production Team gives young people a wide platform for imagination and innovation, and offers them hands-on operational experience in production, which is then screened through the M21 Internet Radio and TV, a broadcast network linked up with campus TV and community channels for the public.
Counselling Services
The HKFYG Wellness Mind Centre has consolidated the services of the School Social Work Unit, the Student Guidance Team, the Media Counselling Centre and the Youth Wellness Centre. This is to enhance service delivery by leveraging Youthline 2777 8899, uTouch online outreach, stationing school social work teams and student support services to comprehensively address issues related to emotional health, relationships and sex, learning difficulties as well as media literacy.
Youth at Risk Services
Through existing outreaching social work teams and the Youth Support Scheme, the HKFYG Youth Crime Prevention Centre (YCPC) provides five categories of service: prevention and education, crisis intervention and professional assessment, counselling and treatment, multi-disciplinary collaboration and advocacy. Innovative and effective services are provided for youth at risk, young offenders, victims and all family members in three main areas: youth crime and deviance, sex-related crises and drug abuse. The YouthLaw website and app, along with the YCPC Hotline 8100 9669, provide information on youth deviance and delinquency and ways to seek help. The WL Residence provides short term residential service for youth.
Employment Services
The HKFYG promotes the concept of “life and career planning” for young people and as a result, the Youth Employment Network (YEN) organises diversified activities that include career counselling services to assist and support the transition from school to work. Pioneering entrepreneurial opportunities for young people since 2002, the Federation offers access through Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK), The HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre, Young Entrepreneurial Course and the Social Innovation Challenge. Incubation services, seed funding, co-working spaces, mentorships and business support are also provided. Through the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub (E Hub) and the annual Global Youth Entrepreneurs Forum, local start-ups are given opportunities to develop business networks outside Hong Kong.
Leadership Training
Leadership 21 has, up to now, provided comprehensive leadership training for nearly 150,000 student leaders, numbers that keep on increasing. Numerous programmes are organised, including Hong Kong 200, a core project, which focuses on training and service to the community. The Hong Kong Youth Service Award recognises and honours outstanding young people who exemplify the true spirit of service to the community. The Salzburg Global Seminar was introduced to provide a global perspective through learning from international leaders. Building on its solid foundation of leadership training, The HKFYG Leadership Institute is now preparing to be set up on the premises of the revitalised Former Fanling Magistracy. It will consist of four Schools that emphasise on instilling Leadership Skills, developing Communication Abilities, ensuring Global Understanding and encouraging Public Engagement.
Volunteer Services
The Youth Volunteer Network (VNET) is the city’s largest youth volunteer network, and currently has more than 200,000 registered volunteers who provide more than 800,000 service hours per year. The Heart to Heart Project is a unique programme that brings students and corporate volunteers together to serve the needy through sponsored community services. VNET recently launched a brand new search engine, easyvolunteer.hk, which matches volunteers’ preferences with service opportunities irrespective of time constraints, thus encouraging the spirit of “letting love fill life”.
Parenting Services
The HKFYG’s Parent Support Network (PSN) provides a wide range of parental information, including free mediation services, as well as training courses, talks, support groups, workshops and family activities in community and online. The Parent-Child Ambassadors Scheme enables peer to peer support to promote family harmony.
Education Services
The HKFYG runs two non-profit kindergartens-cum-nurseries, a non-profit kindergarten, an aided primary school and a Direct Subsidy Scheme EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) secondary school. In each institution, a stimulating learning environment is provided so that each child will receive a well-rounded, holistic education. The HKFYG LIVING Life Academy (LLA) strives to nurture young people to enjoy life and to see lifelong learning as something that can enable this joy through less formal platforms. The LLA provides a wide range of life-related courses which emphasise interests, hobbies, skills and experience to improve the quality of life.
Creativity Education and Youth Exchange
Through cutting-edge one-stop learning model of “Learn‧Apply‧Exchange” of HKFYG’s LEAD (Learning through Engineering, Art and Design) Project, the LEAD Lab and the Centre for Creative Science and Technology (CCST), interest and potential towards STEM education can be unleashed. Diversified science and creativity competitions, including The Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition, The Hong Kong FLL Robotics Tournament, The Hong Kong GreenMech Contest and The Creative Coder Competition continue to be organised, nurturing creativity and innovation. To encourage and provide exchange opportunities, the Youth Exchange Unit organises experiential study tours on different themes to the Mainland and overseas, which help shape a deeper understanding of the country, and develop a global perspective.
Leisure, Cultural and Sports Services
The HKFYG has four camps and outdoor activities centres, which offer diversified training programmes to enhance resiliency and self-confidence, strengthen teamwork and improve communication skills. The HKFYG Zhongshan Sanxiang Youth Training Centre provides experiential learning opportunities on Chinese history, culture and the socio-economic development of villages and towns. Platforms for music and the performing arts include the Hong Kong Melody Makers a cappella choir, the Hong Kong Youth Dance troupe, the Hong Kong Youth Band and the Hong Kong Youth Percussion.
Research and Publications
For the past 20 years, the Youth Research Centre (YRC) conducts evidence-based research, along with analytical support on youth concerns. The Journal of Youth Studies provides a forum for professional discussion on youth topics for the advocacy of policies for youth services. Youth I.D.E.A.S. (Ideals, Dedication, Engagement, Aspirations and Service) is a think tank and with the support of YRC, conducts research in the areas of (1) Employment and Economic Development; (2) Governance and Constitutional Development; (3) Education and Innovation; and (4) Society and Livelihood. The Professional Publications Unit is responsible for Federation books. There are two magazines, the English quarterly, Youth Hong Kong, for local and international audiences and the bi-monthly Chinese Youth S.P.O.T. magazine which provides a platform for young people to share their stories and experiences.
