A teenager, Red Cross volunteers and an academic are among the inspiring individuals recognised at this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards for their work in improving the emotional well-being of Hong Kong’s residents. The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, honours the achievements of remarkable people whose endeavours may otherwise go unnoticed. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the heroes honoured by the awards, as well as many other ordinary residents, had contributed to the city’s recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I hope this spirit of Hong Kong is not confined to people who win the award, but to everyone, ordinary people, the man in the street,” Lam said, adding they had “made us safe and allowed us to return to normal”. The awards welcomed back attendees in person this year after having moved online in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Five individuals and two groups took home honours in different categories. In the categories of community, culture, innovation, perseverance, teamwork and youth, the respective winners were chosen by a panel, while an additional category – Lion Rock People’s Choice Award – was judged by Post readers who voted online. Among those honoured was Kristen Lei Tsz-wing, 16, who took home the youth award for her work in promoting psychological literacy among Hong Kong residents as an effective tool for dealing with stress. Shelley Lee, chairperson of the judging panel, said the awards recognised individuals and groups making a real difference to the community. “As my fellow judges will probably agree, it becomes increasingly difficult to choose the awardees from the long list of nominees put forward by the nominating organisations,” she said. “Thank you all for the hard work and for supporting a project which has survived politics and the pandemic, to recognise ordinary people who do extraordinary things, to keep the Hong Kong spirit alive and well. Long may this continue.” The other winners included population health expert Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, who uses data analytics to address emotional issues among youth, and Anthony Wong Jon, who wrote a series of books titled Amusing History of 4,000 Years to promote Chinese history and classics among young people They received the innovation and culture awards, respectively. The volunteers at the Hong Kong Red Cross’ Psychological Support Service, who are always on hand to help distraught family members and friends of victims in fatal tragedies, won the teamwork category. Debbie Kwan Ho-kwan, who was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and stiff person syndrome, clinched the perseverance award for writing a funny picture book about her time in hospital and raising awareness of her autoimmune diseases. Lai Chi-wai, a former professional climber turned motivational speaker after a car accident in 2011 left him paralysed from the waist down, took home the spirit of community award, while the police’s child abuse investigation unit in New Territories North were voted the winners of the Lion Rock People’s Choice Award. Post CEO Gary Liu said the event, now in its ninth year, celebrated the accomplishments of Hong Kong’s unsung heroes. “Because of Covid-19, I believe that we have all gained a new perspective on the everyday work of extraordinary people,” he said. “Serving one’s community is an act of bravery and selflessness, at any time, but especially so during moments of crisis.”