In a bustling city like Hong Kong, children from marginalised communities often face limited access to sightseeing opportunities and wellbeing & enrichment activities. To address this gap, 391 New Territories Company (NT COY) of the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association was empowered to design a two-year facilitated social service programme, called “Let’s Connect and Grow”, in response to the needs of children from transitional housing or sub-divided flats.
In Hong Kong, transitional housing refers to short-term, government backed projects that provide temporary relief for families awaiting public rental housing, while sub-divided flats are privately partitioned units.
“As event planner for Let’s Connect and Grow, I led a 9-session programme and strengthened my leadership, budgeting, and decision-making skills” - Emily CHONG, 16 years old, Team member
A dedicated team of Girl Guides from 391 NT COY stepped up to form volunteer teams and take charge of an incredible 9-session programme. From ice-breaking games to budgeting, safety, to planning a two-day-one-night sightseeing tour complete with an overnight residential camping for the kids, the Guides were firmly in the driver’s seat. Guiders and mentors stepped into a supportive advisory role to back them all the way. From 2024 to 2026, members of 391 NT COY successfully implemented a total of 13 programmes, benefiting 152 Girl Guides and 224 child participants.
“This project helped our Girl Guides grow from participants into confident leaders who serve with empathy and responsibility.” - Ms Chow Mei Kwan, Icy, 29 years old, Unit Guider
Beyond serving the community, the programme was a transformative peer-to-peer learning experience. The Girl Guides became more empathetic leaders, learning to take responsibility for the children’s safety and wellbeing during outings. As well as mastering essential skills in time management, budgeting, logistical planning, and more.
“Planning and leading the activities taught me teamwork, problem-solving, and how to care for younger children.” - Wong Pui Yu, 12 years old, Team Member
The “Let’s Connect and Grow” Programme was awarded the Olave Award in 2026 for demonstrating Intergenerational Leadership in action - moving from Youth Participation to Youth Leadership.
“Showcasing that girls are catalysts for positive change, this ‘girl-led’ initiative brought our vision of an inclusive, sustainable and impactful Guiding experience to life.” - The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association.