AXA Hong Kong Corporate Responsibility Week 2020 Mobilised 300 volunteers to promote mental health

Instilled positivity among 800 beneficiaries and fundraised for Mental Health Foundation

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach^[1] - 19 October 2020 - AXA Hong Kong^[2] is committed to enhancing the holistic wellness of Hong Kong people. This year, AXA Corporate Responsibility Week ('CR Week') mobilised 300 volunteers to promote mental health through a series of remote volunteering activities to support underprivileged families and individuals with mental health challenges and raised funds for Mental Health Foundation.  

This year's AXA Corporate Responsibility Week mobilised 300 volunteers to promote mental health through a series of remote volunteering activities to support 800 beneficiaries from underprivileged families with mental health challenges and raised funds for Mental Health Foundation. 

In this year's CR Week, AXA Hong Kong collaborated with five non-governmental organisations ('NGOs'), including Christian Action, Mental Health Foundation, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, St. James' Settlement and Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association, to create DIY mental-healing items. These items were later sent to 800 beneficiaries with mental health challenges, together with gift packs consisting of staple food items, anti-epidemic items and daily necessities.

The DIY mental-healing items made by volunteers include:

• Drawings from Art Jamming: Paintings with mental-healing colours to bring positivity to families with member(s) suffering from mental health issues.
• Cheer-up Booklets: Booklets with supportive messages to families with children who have special educational needs to show encouragement and support.
• Rain Sticks: For families with children with special educational needs. The sound of rain will stimulate the sense of hearing for them.
• 'Positive Stand by Me' Message Boards: Message boards with encouragement for individuals with mental health issues.
• Upcycled Plastic Bottle Plant Pot: Used plastic bottles were repurposed to become plant pots for kids to complete the design with their parents and start planting their own plant.

What's more, near 200 financial consultants together with their families and friends  joined the 'Sports Challenge' organised by AXA Group, in which they had to do one-hour walking or running in a weekend. With each participation, AXA Hong Kong would make a donation in the name of the participants to Mental Health Foundation. For each participant who walked or ran 2km to 5km, AXA Hong Kong will donate HKD100; for those completed more than 5km, AXA Hong Kong will donate HKD200 for each of them. Collectively the volunteers completed 789km, equivalent to almost 19 marathons, and raised close to HKD25,000 for Mental Health Foundation.

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} AXA Hong Kong (www.axa.com.hk)