Making a difference

You don't have to be a multinational to make a big difference. The staff of Bridges Executive Centre, which has two serviced-office locations in Central and Admiralty, have been contributing to society for the past five years with resourcefulness, dedication and enthusiasm.

'We continually support and participate in a wide range of social campaigns, in which we operate both through a series of donation programmes and community services through the involvement of our staff,' says Fion Sen, managing director of Bridges Executive Centre.

Staff have 'Skipped a Meal' and participated in a 'Spring Walk for Charity', both benefiting World Vision. They have organised 'Family Fun Gala' and 'In Love with My Mom' activities at Ronald McDonald House, a temporary lodging facility for the families of children who receive cancer treatment at the Prince of Wales Hospital.

'We organise activities that encourage parents and strengthen bonds between parents and children,' Sen says. 'The activity 'In Love With my Mom' was arranged on Mothers' Day for the children to make gifts and show their gratitude to their mothers. The warm atmosphere touched everyone.'

Bridges has been working with The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong since 2007. It has organised a 'Halloween Party' and 'English Fun in Hong Kong Wetland Park' to practise English and go on an outing, 'Making Easter Eggs', and volunteer home visits in Sham Shui Po aim to support single-parent families, underprivileged children and new arrivals.

It also serves the elderly in co-operation with the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, by organising drama performances, singing Chinese Opera and Lunar New Year celebrations.

'Now we have built close relationships with the elderly,' says Sen. 'Every time we visit them, we see a lot of happy faces.'

The four to five major activities a year are handled by one core person, while all staff participate in different roles, which can be as committee member, host, MC, stage performer and others, depending on the occasion. Their objective is to build long-term relationships with reputable charities that match the target groups they want to serve.

Donations are also collected for different programmes. The company newsletter that goes to clients carries a free advertisement for Unicef as part of a long-term commitment. The company also takes on the task of receiving the donation, channelling it to the charity and getting the receipt to the donor for tax deduction.

Clients also get involved through donations or sponsorships of gifts, after reading about the different programmes in the newsletters and on the website.

'Some of our clients asked us for information about these organisations and designed their own corporate charity activity. We are glad that our effort in charity influenced them,' Sen says, adding that next year Bridges plans to increase the number of events to six, following the growth of the company and its resources.