SwireTHRIVE – COMMUNITIES

Position our community initiative
as part of our core business value

Beneficiaries

Trust contributions

Contributions

Our diverse businesses are part of the long-term development of the communities and societies in which we operate. When those communities prosper, so do we. As neighbours and employers, we want to be connected, involved, and responsible.

The goal of our community work is to create a better future by building stronger communities. We envision a flourishing world of diversity where all members of society have opportunities for a meaningful life, and where resources are sustained for future generations. We support the local communities in which we operate through The Swire Group Charitable Trust (the Trust). Operating companies also make direct contributions to the communities in which they operate.

The Trust aims to make positive changes in education, marine conservation, and the arts through support for charitable programmes in Hong Kong. The Trust has tax-exempt charitable status in Hong Kong and is funded by annual contributions from operating companies. It is overseen by the Philanthropy Council, which is chaired by a member of senior management. Guided by the Swire motto – Esse Quam Videri (to be rather than seem to be) – the Trust is motivated by altruism and acts for the direct benefit of society and the greater good.

The work of the Trust focuses on three core areas:

Education
To enhance education equity, quality, and innovation for disadvantaged children and youth.

Marine conservation
To help create sustainable marine ecosystems in Hong Kong through policy change, public engagement, and scientific research.

Arts
To promote an inclusive arts sector and to use arts to address social issues.

As part of Swire’s 150th anniversary in Hong Kong, the TrustTomorrow initiative has funded more than 70 projects spanning Education, Marine Conservation and the Arts, and also gave a helping hand to the those disadvantaged during the pandemic since its launch in 2020. Having worked with over 100 NGO partners, to date, TrustTomorrow has touched the lives of over two million people.

In 2023, we supported 50 education, marine conservation, arts, COVID-19 relief, and other programme grants. We also saw a total of 17 projects completed in the year.

Committed amount
(HK$M)

	Ongoing	Complete
Arts	17	1.6
Education	68	6
Marine conservation	48	2.4
Others	19	15

Through our long-term presence in the community, our broad-range connections with local organisations, and our active participation in the social sector, the Trust team has a clear understanding of the latest needs and trends of the society in the respective focus areas. This allows the team to focus resources on areas that most needed support.

The Trust, led by the Group Head of Philanthropy, sources new projects by engaging with NGOs and other stakeholders in the respective social sectors. Apart from aligning with the Trust’s pillars of focus, potential projects should demonstrate that they could serve underserved groups or potential for upscaling.

Those potential projects are invited to submit applications, which then go through an approval process by the Philanthropy Council. Successful projects continue to be monitored by the Trust on their progress and governance until the projects end.

Selected projects active in 2023

Core area

All
Arts
Education
Marine conservation
Others

Organisation	Purpose	Core area	Grant value (HK$)
Caritas Hong Kong	This two-phased grant will enhance the capacity of the social welfare sector to support children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs). It will provide 4 years of family-based and holistic services to children with SLDs to enhance their learning motivation, social skills and self-esteem.	Education	7,215,300
EDiversity Limited	The grant will help build a positive and student-centred teaching and learning culture in more schools and cultivate a positive and empathic parent-child interaction and home-school collaboration. It aims to instil in Primary 1 to 3 students in 15 primary schools the vital values, attitude, life, and social and emotional skills for whole-person development.	Education	5,050,848
Hong Kong Maritime Museum	We are supporting the creation of a first-of-its kind marine science learning platform that will enhance public awareness on marine issues, promote collaboration, and cultivate a marine eco-civilised community in Hong Kong, setting the pre-condition to ultimately protect our marine environment in the long term.	Marine conservation	15,000,000
National Geographic	Through a multi-media campaign, student workshops and on-the-ground exhibitions that chronicle the diverse biodiversity found in Hong Kong waters, the partnership aims to educate, engage and motivate the Hong Kong public to protect Hong Kong’s marine biodiversity.	Marine conservation	8,800,000
The University of Hong Kong – The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS)	Funding will establish the Swire Coastal Outreach Hub and develop coastal science modules, which will provide quality experiential education to students and the public to raise awareness on marine conservation.	Marine conservation	5,372,000
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Society Limited Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts	Our funding will establish a new initiative, The Orchestra Academy, which aims to nurture next-generation musicians in Hong Kong with well-rounded music and career-focused training.	Arts	9,436,000
Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong	We are providing general funding support to promote the arts and artistic talent among persons with disabilities, so as to create equal opportunities for these individuals in the arts sector and to foster social integration.	Arts	7,500,000
St James’ Settlement	The co-creation of a special community hub, Quarryside, for the Eastern District in Hong Kong which aims to foster a closer, vibrant and more sustainable community.	Others	15,000,000
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service InspiringHK Sports Foundation Limited The Zubin Mahtani Gidumal Foundation Limited Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Ltd Playright Children’s Play Association	By driving a 5-NGO-partnership community-based holistic service model we aim to empower the deprived remote community of Tung Chung. The project will strengthen career competence in youths, engage communities through sports and families with young children through play, and upskill young ethnic minorities to promote an inclusive community.	Others	14,000,904
Time Auction Limited	We are funding a digital skills volunteer matching platform to help NGOs recruit skilled volunteers, provide volunteers with unique learning opportunities, and channel the volunteers’ skills into the social services sector in an efficient and scalable manner.	Others	1,770,500

Building Community, Building Tung Chung

Concluding its second phase, the “Building Community, Building Tung Chung” programme has fostered remarkable synergy through collaboration with five NGO partners. This initiative has united children, youth, ethnic minorities, and families, creating a cohesive social fabric in Tung Chung. Directly impacting over 16,000 individuals, the programme has improved access to resources and strengthened community bonds. Beyond assistance, the objective is to empower the community to serve others, fostering mutual help synergy. These NGOs, with their diverse strengths, exemplify the power of collective impact.

In order to draw the stories of Trust that is built through this multi-faceted project, a book of twelve Tung Chung locals was published in December 2023. The public may also access excerpts of these stories on https://listentotungchung.hk/.

A new harbourfront community space

“Quarryside”, a new community space in Quarry Bay, officially opened in June 2023. The site is a demonstration of a collective effort between the Government, private, and social sectors for the betterment of the community.

Supported by the “Funding Scheme to Support the Use of Vacant Government Sites by Non-government Organisations” of the Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the project has transformed vacant government land into a community space that offer diverse experiences to promote a creative, healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Quarryside is operated by St. James’ Settlement, its design and construction supported by Swire Properties, and its operation sponsored by the Swire Trust. From July to Dec 2023, Quarryside has hosted 230 events and engaged more than 11,000 event participants.

Oceans Tomorrow: Celebrating Hong Kong’s unique marine biodiversity

National Geographic Creative Works partnered with Swire Trust to explore the world beneath Hong Kong’s waves. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the marine life in Hong Kong and the threats it faces. It also encourages Hong Kongers to take action to preserve the marine environment. The campaign includes online and offline elements such as National Geographic Explorers-led videos, a dedicated content hub, and a youth workshop that connects marine conservation, arts, and education. The finale of the campaign concluded with four on-ground exhibitions showcasing the various marine ecosystems that shaped the maritime history, ocean life, and our everyday connections with Hong Kong’s waters. The Oceans Tomorrow content hub was selected as one of the official honourees in the 2023 Webby Awards.

Supporting our communities through
our people and our businesses

	Swire Trust	Property	Beverages	Aviation	Trading & Industrial	Swire Pacific (Head office)
Total value of cash contributions (HK$ thousand)	34,984	33,161	9,932	490	1,221	8,412
Value of in-kind contributions (HK$ thousand)	–	9,873	10,987	8	501	–
Volunteering hours	2,968	10,937	150,134	2,538	973	–

In 2023, the Swire Trust’s TrustTomorrow staff engagement programme enabled employees across the Group to contribute 2,968 hours of service to 54 meaningful activities. Through these activities, our people provided direct support to our community and gained a deeper understanding of various social needs.

Mentoring the next generation

Building on the ‘connect the dots’ strategy of TrustTomorrow, the Swire Trust rolled out a mentorship programme in 2023 to further serve the youth under three of our NGO partners, namely Christian Action Centre for Refugees, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Tung Chung Integrated Services, and The Zubin Foundation.

Employees from across the Group volunteered to mentor these youths in tertiary education or above in a one-on-one manner throughout the year. 68 mentors and mentees participated in this pilot year of mentorship, and did an array of activities together, such as office visits, Cathay City tour, or volunteering. Mentors and mentees alike enjoyed the programme and many stated that it broadened their horizons to different sectors of Hong Kong that they did not know before.

Supporting sustainable seafood in Hong Kong

In addition to supporting much needed scientific research under the Marine Conservation pillar, increasing public education is equally important. Swire Trust partnered with Choose Right Today, a Hong Kong platform dedicated to informing consumers about sustainable seafood, to host a few sustainable seafood tours at Sai Kung for our employees.

At this popular seafood hotspot, our colleagues learnt how to identify local versus imported species, as well as common versus endangered ones. It was a first-hand approach in getting familiar with what could be consumed and what should not. “This was eye-opening for me and made me aware of what I should not buy when shopping for seafood,” shared a colleague who brought her child along.

The Swire Trust continues to support inspirational projects in education, marine conservation, and the arts, connecting our people, our partners, and the community to build social capital, create opportunities, and motivate lasting positive change for a better tomorrow. Operating companies across the Group also continue to give back to their respective communities through their businesses.

People