A Plastic Ocean Foundation is dedicated to creating a wave of change to restore our beautiful ocean through science, education and social innovation. Serving students from low-income families in three local districts, the project aims to provide them with STEM opportunities on marine conservation through experiments, site visits and idea co-creations. Students will be encouraged to apply STEM into practice and to build an eco-innovative mindset. Some activities will be conducted in malls to spread the message of plastic-free and sustainable lifestyle to communities.

Established in 2012 with a vision of “Better Youths, Through Sports”, InspiringHK Sports Foundation believes sports can increase social mobility for the underprivileged youth, and at the same time promote gender equality, social inclusion and a healthy lifestyle. The project aims to build confidence in underprivileged youth in five districts through professional long-distance running training. The youth will design running routes for their own districts to strengthen their sense of belonging to their community. In order to promote sports for everyone, the project also offers sports classes for children, families and the elderly taught by professional coaches. Sports hours will be cumulated and converted to sports packs as gifts to the elderly, which encourage participants to give back to the community.

Founded in 1966, Kwun Tong Methodist Social Service is an NGO dedicated to serving the community in Kwun Tong, targeting children and responding to the social needs of children and adolescents living in poverty, disadvantaged families and elderly living alone. Running for the second year, the project continues to connect Special Education Needs (SEN) youth and seniors with dementia to promote an inter-generational community. It will provide a series of career planning workshops, life and technical skills training and internship to SEN youth and allow them to put theory into practice and aims to increase their employment opportunities in the future. By leveraging the characteristics of SEN youth, they will serve seniors with dementia through activities such as microfilm, DIY market and carnival for elderly, targeting to spice up seniors’ lives and lessen the adverse impact of the syndrome.

Founded in 2011, Shanghai Smiles Foundation focuses on education by providing sponsorship to students in needs. The project will sponsor 20 middle school graduates from underprivileged families in Sichuan for a 3-year Estate Management course in Shanghai. The students will be equipped with professional skills through vocational education, training and internship opportunities, allowing them to exit difficulties. The project will also fill in the gap of lacking skilled talents in cities.

In its sixth consecutive year, Food Angel will continue to collect surplus food at Link’s fresh markets and shopping centres to help prepare meal and food packs for the needy. The project targets to save more than 600 tonnes of food waste each year and benefit 1.9 million people. In 2021/22, Food Angel will set up revolving pop-up stores in Link’s malls to spread the message of food waste reduction and food saving.

The Environmental Association is an environmental advocacy organisation that has encouraged change-making through participation for more than 20 years. As a continuation of the 2020/21 scheme that created two outdoor butterfly gardens at Link’s malls, “Nature LINK” will oversee the building of three more gardens for year 2021/22, creating a territory-wide urban “stepping stone” habitat and strengthening the connection of butterflies’ network. Ambassadors will be recruited from the community and trained to manage these gardens. For the first time, the project will hold a “My Garden” design competition to further enhance community engagement. Butterflies have unique ecological, scientific and ornamental values. This project serves as a start to the journey of building an ecosystem favoured by butterflies in the urban area, increasing biodiversity locally and protecting and restoring life on land.

Link has opened its properties for guide dog puppies training since 2013 and has been supporting HKGDA for eight years to increase public awareness of guide dog services. In 2021/22, HKGDA will continue the local breeding and training of guide dogs in Hong Kong, aiming to benefit visually impaired persons and promote an inclusive community.

Guide dog Q&As

What is a guide dog?

Guide dogs act as "eyes" for the visually impaired and they are professionally trained working dogs. They are able to improve mobility and safety of the visually impaired and are their companions. Guide dogs guide the visually impaired to avoid obstacles on the road and overhead, so that both can reach the destination safely.

How to train a guide dog?

When puppies are about 14 - 18 months old, they are physically mature to start formal training. The Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association (HKGDA) uses positive rewards, such as food and praise, to train puppies. Guide dogs learn how to lead a person safely around obstacles. They are even taught to disobey intelligently. For example, a guide dog will not step forward when there are oncoming vehicles and is capable of resisting distractions.

How are guide dogs matched with the visually impaired?

After a guide dog completes the training, it will be matched with a visually impaired who has been accepted into the guide dog training program. The matching process ensures that the needs of individual applicants are met with the most suitable guide dogs. Meanwhile, applicants are also required to complete comprehensive training, which lasts about three to four weeks, before being assigned a guide dog.

Founded by a group of renowned theatre actors, Arts’ Options believes that performing arts can improve the health and well-being of the elderly and enable them to express themselves, present their talents and follow their dreams. Entering its third year, the project will continue to provide professional theatre training and public performance opportunities for elderly people, aiming to unleash their potential, even turning their hobby into a second career. Arts’ Options aspires to set up the first ever seniors theatre troupe in Hong Kong.

Established in 2017, CPCF is a start-up NGO focusing on youth services in New Territories West. It empowers youth by providing on the job training in the performing arts industry and building networks for them to secure jobs.

The project aims to create an inclusive society by training youth with special education needs and connecting them with seniors with dementia through various activities. It allows youth to put theory into practice while spicing up the seniors’ lives.

For the 5th consecutive year, the project has arranged for surplus food to be collected at Link’s fresh markets and shopping centres to help prepare meal and food packs to the needy. It targets to save more than 600 tonnes food waste each year.

The project will train 160 families to spread the message of environmental protection among the community. It will also produce the first of its kind Play Book in Hong Kong containing games, community adventure maps and environment-related information.

The project will oversee the creation of two outdoor butterfly gardens in the vicinity of Link’s malls. It serves as a start to the journey of building a territory-wide ecosystem favoured by butterflies in urban area aiming to increase local biodiversity.

Running for the 7th year of the project, HKGDA will continue the local breeding and implement a new training technique for guide dogs. It will also focus more on public education which in turn promotes an inclusive community.

Founded by a group of renowned theatre actors, Arts’ Options believes performing arts enable elderly to present their talents and follow their dreams. The project aims to unleash the potential of elderly by providing professional theatre training.

Established in 2017, CPCF is a start-up NGO focusing on youth services in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun. It creates a platform for young people to explore their interests in graffiti and street dance.

For the fourth consecutive year, the project has arranged for surplus food to be collected at Link’s fresh markets and shopping centres to provide meal boxes and food packs to the needy. The project targets to save over 600 tonnes food waste each year.

Running for the sixth year of the project, Link continues to provide all-round support to HKGDA to develop guide dog services in Hong Kong, as well as to promote an inclusive community, contributing to the benefits of over 170K visually impaired person.

In its third year, the project continues to promote active ageing and bring positive energy to the community by providing training and performance opportunities in clowning, djembe and boxing dance to the elderly.

Founded by a group of renowned theatre actors, Arts’ Options believes that performing arts can improve the health and well-being of the elderly people. The project aims to unleash the potential of the young-old and elderly.

Big Silver Community strives to raise public awareness on ageing issues and elderly care. It promotes building of an ageing-friendly community in Hong Kong.

A programme to sponsor students from underprivileged backgrounds to master music through continuing professional training and offer students on-stage and in flash mob performance opportunities to develop unshakable stage confidence.

For the fourth year, this programme seeks to promote traditional Cantonese Opera innovatively to children, and to enhance inter-generational relationship in the family by cultivating a common interest in this traditional Chinese art form.

The career counselling programme inspires underprivileged youth to learn new skills, increase their self-esteem and independence by undergoing certified skill training courses and acquiring practical experience through community activities.

The project aims to promote active ageing, cultural appreciation, and care for the environment and community through interactive green workshops and eco-tour guide training.

A year in running, the programme which trains youths as green ambassadors in developing maps for community eco-tours, now extends tour guide training to the elderly and will develop more eco-routes around Link's properties.

For the third consecutive year, surplus food is collected at Link’s fresh markets and shopping malls to provide meal boxes and food packs to the needy. This year’s programme targets to save up to 625 tonnes food waste.

Running for the fifth year, the programme seeks to promote an inclusive society to benefit visually impaired persons through further mentorship and support for foster families and public education.

Continuing from its first successful year, this programme seeks to promote active ageing and bring positive energy to the community by providing training and performance opportunities in clowning, djembe, and boxing dance to the elderly.

A local breeding guide dog development programme to benefit visually impaired persons in Hong Kong and to help raise public awareness of their needs.

An all-rounded surplus food recycling programme at Link’s fresh markets and shopping malls, which targets to benefit underprivileged people and save 380 tonnes of food from waste.

A youth empowerment programme focusing on care for the environment and community. Youngsters are trained as green ambassadors and develop eco-routes, electronic maps and organise eco-tours around Link's properties for public enjoyment.

A programme to train retired elders with youngsters and Link Volunteers as happy clowns to promote happiness and positive energy in the communities through flash mob performances.

A youth empowerment programme to introduce classical music to underprivileged children through interactive music performances, while supporting those with a passion to develop their careers in music via the Link Music Scholarship.

A programme to enhance intergenerational relationships, promote social inclusion and carry on the heritage of Cantonese Opera via opera singing contests and costume workshops for children and families as well as ethnic minorities.

​To promote the legacy of Chinese culture and harmony among three generations by involving children and the elderly in Cantonese Opera workshops and performances.

​Partnering the Dept. of Special Education & Counselling of The Education University of Hong Kong, the programme helps identify and evaluate kids with potential speech/language impairment, conducts 1-1 speech therapy and gives social assistance.

Coordinating an all-rounded surplus food recycling programme at Link’s fresh markets and shopping malls.

Bring food and cheer to the underprivileged elderly and people in need by re-distributing or producing cooked meals with surplus food collected from Link’s fresh markets. The project also promotes public awareness in reducing food waste.

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Providing trans-cervical insemination training for 2 vets, maintenance of puppies & the breeding female until guide dog matching is done, plus workshops and film production to raise public awareness.

​Promote harmony among three generations by involving children and the elderly in Chinese Opera workshops and performances.

​Import a breeding female dog to Hong Kong to help establish a local guide dog breeding programme. Education programmes will be held to raise public awareness of guide dogs and the issues facing the visually impaired.

Provide outreach service to help young night drifters by offering street dance and other activities, enabling them to cultivate their skills and develop self-confidence. A local competition will be held and the winners will represent Hong Kong.

​Introduce classical music to underprivileged children through interactive performances and the opportunity to try musical instruments at Link’s shopping centres, so as to unlock children’s potential talent out of the school environment.

​Provide safe and fun mobile playgrounds so children in Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O can play in their own neighbourhoods.

Provide smiles and care for the physical and psychological well-being of the elderly through the Dr Dog animal-assisted therapy programme, which includes training of volunteers to conduct visits and outings.

Bring food and cheer to the underprivileged elderly and people in need by re-distributing or producing cooked meals with surplus food collected from Link’s fresh markets. The project also promotes public awareness in reducing food waste.

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Promote the concept of food-waste reduction to tenants, the elderly and youth through food recycling, green workshops and various activities.

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Eight puppies will be introduced and trained in Hong Kong. Education programmes will also be held to raise public awareness of guide dogs and the issues faced by the visually impaired.

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Provide screening and referral services and raise public awareness of the issue of depression in the elderly.

​Provide fall-risk assessments for the elderly in Link’s shopping centres, arrange occupational therapists to follow up with those most at risk, accompany the elderly outside their own communities and provide fall prevention education to the public.

Recruit street performers as volunteers, organise different activities for participants to think about poverty and bring love to the underprivileged through music.

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Provide outreach service to help young night drifters by offering street dance and other popular activities, enabling them to cultivate their skills and develop self-confidence. Road shows, performances and competitions will also be organised.

​Provide parents with training courses on how best to assist their children with speech and language impairments. Public education will also be offered.

​Cultivate children’s character and improve parent–child relationships by adopting ‘Character Counts!’, a systematic method of character education developed in America.

​Provide screening and referral services and raise public awareness of the issue of depression in the elderly.

Promote fall prevention awareness and provide fall –risk assessments for the elderly. Volunteers also assist the elderly in fulfilling their wishes.

​Enhance awareness and prevention of glaucoma through glaucoma screenings.

Improve elders’ ability and confidence in handling pain through sports, medication, nutrition and emotional management.

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Improve young people’s self-esteem and self-image through hip-hop dance and outreach programmes; reduce gang influence in the community.

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Train a group of handicapped youths to become 'life warriors' and share their experience with at-risk youths.

Provide career planning and internship opportunities for students.

​Identify students with high anxiety through the use of questionnaires. Use art therapy, lectures and workshops with parents to teach these students how to deal positively with stress.

Provide play facilities and activities using regular household items. By setting up mobile playgrounds with the Playborhood Truck, parents and kids can play together to inspire children’s creativity and improve parent–child relationships.

Establish a toy library and playroom resource centre to improve parent–child relationships and the social skills of young children.

Through the distribution of food and toys by the sponsored mini-van as well as the Family Bank, low-income families are encouraged to be more involved in the community.