Po Leung Kuk Lee Shau Kee Youth Development Fund

1. Background

With the generous support of Dr. Lee Shau Kee, GBS, JP, Chairman of Henderson Land Development Group, the Lee Shau Kee Foundation has donated HKD 5 million in the 2022/2023 fiscal year to establish the "Po Leung Kuk Lee Shau Kee Youth Development Fund." The fund's primary objective is to support Po Leung Kuk youth service users (aged 15 to 30), with a focus on fostering their healthy development. Eligible applicants include youth who face unexpected circumstances requiring economic support, those who are unable to afford short-term value-added enrichment courses due to financial constraints, and those who have a passion for promoting social service and giving back to the community through social innovation.

2. Scope and amount to be granted

Scope 1：Emergency Fund is provided for youth who are suffering from sudden financial hardship (e.g. unemployment, underemployment etc.) or facing particular difficulties. Beneficiaries may be entitled to a maximum of $10,000 for each application.
Scope 2：Financial assistance is provided to support the ongoing learning of underprivileged youth. This assistance aims to enable youth who face economic challenges to participate in a range of experiential activities, including short-term value-added training courses, domestic or overseas exchange programs, competitions, and visits. These activities help broaden their horizons and develop their talents, such as engaging in information technology and social innovation. Beneficiaries may be entitled to a maximum of $10,000 for each application, payable on a cost-pass-through basis. Receipts, exchange program documentation, and proof of completion are required.
Scope 3：To provide mental health support for youth, funding is available for individual therapy or counseling referred by social workers, including cases involving trauma or suspected mental illness. Additionally, funding is provided for therapeutic, preventive, and educational group activities organized by relevant professionals or organizations. Beneficiaries may be entitled to a maximum of $30,000 for each application. Receipts and the required documentation for individual therapy or counseling are necessary for reimbursement, which will be made on a cost-pass-through basis. Pre-allocated funding can be provided for individual therapy or counseling applications based on the relevant fees and the applicant's financial situation. For the therapeutic, preventive, and educational activities organized by professionals or organizations, a report must be submitted to the Fund Management Committee upon completion.
Scope 4：Applications are made by Po Leung Kuk units to subsidize socially innovative service programs designed and implemented by youth, with the aim of contributing to society. Each program may be eligible for a maximum grant of $30,000. Upon completion of the program, receipts and a report must be submitted to the Fund Management Committee. Reimbursement will be made on a cost-pass-through basis.
Scope 5：If there are new projects do not fall within the scope mentioned above, but are consistent with the concept of this fund and have been approved by the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, this fund can be used according to the application and approval procedures.

3. Eligibility (comply with all of the below conditions)

Be a Hong Kong citizen
Aged within 15 to 30
Grassroots or low-income group: including students who eligible to receive the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and School Textbook Assistance ( Full grant / half grant); Challenging living conditions: encompassing substandard housing such as subdivided units, makeshift structures (e.g., wooden or tin houses), and other inadequate living environments; Unemployed; Working youth whose income is lower than the median monthly employment income of young people surveyed by the Census and Statistics Department etc.
Po Leung Kuk Youth Service Users refer by Po Leung Kuk Units

4. Application and processing procedures

The applicant should be a user (aged within 15 to 30) of Po Leung Kuk youth services applied directly or referred by Po Leung Kuk service units.。
For Scope 1, 2 and 3 (individual therapy or counseling applications referred by social worker)
2.1 The application form (Form A) can be obtained from Po Leung Kuk Youth Service Units (refer to the attached list).
2.2 After completion, please submit the original application form and required documents through Po Leung Kuk Youth Service Units to the office of the fund.
2.3 The application will undergo a two-tier approval process by the Deputy Head and Head of Youth Affairs.
For Scope 3 (the therapeutic, preventive, and educational activities organized by professionals or organizations) and Scope 4
3.1 The application form (Form B) can be obtained from Po Leung Kuk Youth Service Units (refer to the attached list).
3.2 Application form should be filled by Po Leung Kuk Youth Service Units and submitted to the fund's office through the Unit Supervisor upon completion. The application will undergo the approval process mentioned at 2.3. The application for Scope 5 will undergo a thorough review and approval process by the CEO of Po Leung Kuk and representatives from the Lee Shau Kee Foundation.
3.3 If the applicant or project has already received other funding, there is a possibility that the application may not be accepted.
The fund office/unit supervisor may request the applicant to provide additional information, and the relevant documents must be submitted within the designated timeframe for further processing. If the required documents are not submitted within the specified deadline, the application will be considered abandoned and will not be processed.
Applications will be considered officially submitted and processed only upon receipt of all required documents.
If the application does not meet the scope and eligibility criteria mentioned above but falls under special circumstances, it will be individually considered in accordance with the provisions outlined in 2.5.
The fund reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action in cases where an applicant provides false information or misuses the fund. As a result, future applications from the applicant may be rejected.
The Fund Management Committee retains the final decision-making authority and reserves the right to terminate or cancel any application at its discretion.

[Chinese Only] List of funded units（Nov 2024）[Chinese Only] List of referred service units for application