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Po Leung Kuk and Ocean Park Join Hands to Launch Social Care Programme “A Wonderful Journey Inside and Out”

2021-03-10

Spreading Love and Happiness in the Community

The unpredictable COVID-19 situation has had huge impacts on the daily lives and social activities of many local citizens. To stay safe, many of those living in residential care homes for the elderly and disabled are unable to go outdoors. With their long-standing commitment in serving the community through multi-faceted initiatives, Po Leung Kuk and Ocean Park have joined hands to launch a social care programme titled A Wonderful Journey Inside and Out to spread love and joy during these difficult times.
 
The programme features an array of customised activities, including visits and performances at residential care homes, conservation research, moral education, art jamming and career exploration through job shadowing, with the objectives of promoting conservation to the public, and encouraging younger generations to take small steps in their daily lives to protect our precious environment.
 
Daisy Ho, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk, thanks Ocean Park for developing an exciting range of edutainment activities for the different groups of beneficiaries supported by Po Leung Kuk. With a comprehensive programme benefiting students, the elderly as well as those with special needs, the collaboration is a great testimony to the Kuk’s manifesto of Boundless Compassion, Unconditional Giving.
 
“Po Leung Kuk and Ocean Park have grown together with Hong Kong people. In view of the stress brought by the pandemic, we are joining forces to bring a much-needed boost of positivity and a sense of empowerment to those in need. With this shared goal, we’ve come together naturally, and swiftly put together an extensive programme with in-depth content to be launched once the situation gets better,” said Ho.   
 
“Ocean Park is always committed to giving back to the community. We are proud to be part of this joint effort with Po Leung Kuk to help spread care and joy in the community, especially during this challenging pandemic. The collaboration is an example of our conservation and education focus that underscores the future strategy of Ocean Park, and how we will be extending our conservation and education work outside the Park gates. The Park and the Kuk have designed a series of edutainment activities to bring surprises for friends at the care centres, and encourage the community and students to participate in conservation activities. We are very much looking forward to sharing fun and conservation messages with more Hong Kong citizens,” said Lau Ming-wai, Chairman of Ocean Park.
 
Visits to residential care homes
A Wonderful Journey Inside and Out will include a series of community visits and outreach activities. Ocean Park will take their performers, animal ambassadors and corresponding care takers on the road to Po Leung Kuk rehabilitation centres and special schools for the mentally and physically challenged as soon as the pandemic situation permits. The team will strictly comply with the Government’s anti-pandemic and social distancing measures, enabling friends of residential care homes and students to experience the extraordinary surprises brought by Ocean Park while staying safe.
 
The Park will also welcome the elderly and the disabled for Park visits when the pandemic restrictions ease. In the meantime, a video tour of Ocean Park will be arranged for the physically-challenged elderly and disabled to enjoy memorable moments of the Park safely from their care centres.
 
Ocean Park has also gifted the elderly and rehabilitation centres with some plants, providing the elderly and disabled the chance to nurture the plants, relax and add plant life to the centres for all to enjoy.
 
Promote moral education and conservation through Park visit and outreach programme
Students from Po Leung Kuk’s education unit will be invited to visit Ocean Park in different phases when pandemic restrictions ease. Through learning more about the Park’s animal ambassadors, the aim of this programme is to provide students with opportunities to discover life lessons. About 200 primary students from the Kuk’s schools will also take part in an eco-friendly art exhibition at the Park to promote the importance of conservation to other fellow students and the public.
 
Students from Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College will have the unique opportunity to observe the Ocean Park veterinary team and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong team conduct necropsy on stranded dolphins and collect data for research. This will allow them to deepen their understanding of the effects of marine pollution has on marine animals. In addition, they will explore the similarities between dolphin brains and human brains, and how dolphins have been found to show signs of dementia.
 
In addition, some students from various Po Leung Kuk secondary schools will get to participate in Ocean Park’s performances and backstage workshops with the chance to perform in the Park. Some of the participants will get to shadow an “Ocean Parkner” for a day and experience what it is like to work in a theme park.