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Partnership to enhance self-reliance

When talking about social enterprises, we may easily associate them with restaurants hiring elderly and persons with disabilities, or stores selling second-hand products. Although they are in commercial operation, a more friendly working environment is provided to facilitate persons with limited capabilities to bring their potentials into full and fulfil themselves.

While social enterprises realise their objectives, they need to pay extra efforts in ensuring its efficiency in operation and the effectiveness in marketing, with a view to achieving a break-even balance and sustainable development. To promote the development of social enterprises, the Government launched the Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme (ESR) in 2006. ESR aims at gathering the strength and wisdom from the community to support social enterprises in carrying out their social mission with business capability.

Over the past ten plus years, the number of social enterprises in Hong Kong has increased from 170 to over 650. ESR has so far provided support to around 220 social enterprises, among which 80% were able to continue with their operations after the funding period. These social enterprises together have over 5,000 employees and 80% of them come from the disadvantaged groups, including persons with disabilities, as well as women, elderly and young people with employment difficulties, etc.

ESR not only assists in providing more employment opportunities to the disadvantaged groups, but also brings positive changes to them, facilitates them to develop their full potential in job or interest, and make use of their abilities to contribute to Hong Kong’s development.

One of the examples is Splendid under Lok Kwan Social Service. This social enterprise mainly hires experienced female workers previously employed in the garment industry. With the relocation of garment factories to the Mainland of China in the past decades, these workers can no longer earn a living with their skills in Hong Kong. With the arrangement of Splendid, the workers can now re-join the workplace and provide small-scale pattern design and clothing production services to young designers. They also organise workshops to share their experiences and skills.

Another example is Easy Escort Service under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong. In addition to medical follow up escort service for the elderly, it also addresses elderly’s social needs by providing escort services for dining in restaurants, gatherings with relatives and friends, shopping, and attending wedding banquets or funerals, etc. These escort services help elderly with mobility difficulties to maintain a socially active life, which contribute significantly to their physical and psychological health. With the aging of our population, these heart-warming services which can fill the gap in the current elderly service market are particularly important and valuable.

Since its launch, ESR has brought long-term and sustainable benefits to the society, and promoted the diversified development of local social services. In the Budget this year, I provided an additional funding of $150 million to ESR to support its continuous operation. I hope that ESR can continue to promote the development of social enterprises in Hong Kong and provide rooms and platforms for different groups to develop their skills and capabilities.

24 March 2019