After a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19, MINDSET (Jardine Matheson’s registered mental health charity) today held its signature fundraising event, Walk Up Jardine House (“WUJH”). Returning with great fanfare, the event featured more than 300 enthusiastic steppers racing up 49 floors – 947 steps - from the ground floor to the Penthouse of the iconic Jardine House in Hong Kong, raising a record HK$5 million for mental health.
“This year’s theme ‘Your Mind Matters’ aims to raise awareness of mental health practices and emotional wellbeing, so that everyone is empowered to take control of their own mental health,” said Mr Andrew Wong, Chairman of MINDSET and CEO, Health & Beauty North Asia, DFI Retail Group.
“I am encouraged by the strong support from our donors, partners and the community at WUJH 2023. Together, we can step up and build a more inclusive community and reduce mental stigma for all.”
First hybrid WUJH race attracts 2,500 racers
Today’s physical race was preceded by a fun, qualifying virtual event, between 13 and 26 September, with over 2,200 people from sponsoring companies using ‘Boost-Up Station’ step machines placed in their own premises.
Mr Eric Chan from DFI Retail Group’s 7-Eleven banner, topped the leader board with about 674,000 steps – equivalent to 711 times up the Jardine House. Speaking about his motivation, “I wanted to challenge myself physically and mentally, and inspire others like my young son to persevere through challenges. Mental health is fundamental to keep us energetic and positive, I hope that this event encourages people to prioritise their mental health.”
Altogether, 65 teams and 28 individual racers took part in today’s physical event. The teams came from Jardine Matheson Group companies (“Jardines”), Business Associates who are Diamond Sponsors: Clifford Chance, Haleon, Hong Kong Broadband, HSBC, Jones Lang LaSalle Kimberly-Clark, KPMG, Standard Chartered Bank, Marsh McLennan, Mercedes-Benz, and Reckitt Benckiser; as well as teams from schools and youth groups, and NGOs.
Long-term WUJH participant, Mr Danny Luk from Jardine Matheson, who has taken part in 17 races – has won an individual race, a team race, the Barrow’s Cup and three best dressed awards. “I keep fit all year round and am motivated to run the physical race by focusing on the magnificent view waiting for me at the top,” he shared. “I never give up. In fact, I recommend everyone to attempt the WUJH race if they get the opportunity – it is a fantastic achievement to share with your family and friends, while raising money for MINDSET and mental health.”
The winner of the Women’s individual race was Cindy Reid from Aberdeen Asset Management, with a time of 6 minutes and 58 seconds. The winner of the Men’s individual race was Alex Fung from ANZ, with a time of 6 minutes and 53 seconds. The overall fastest team relay was completed in 3 minutes 59 seconds by Rhenish Church Pang Hok Ko Memorial College. (A full list of winners is attached at the end of the document).
In addition to the race, a mini carnival was hosted by Jardines and NGOs at Jardine House. This included delectable F&B options and mindful activities including a stretching booth and aroma therapy workshop, aimed at educating attendees on how to better take care of their mental wellbeing.
Further to its efforts in supporting the community, Jardines also completed the world’s largest mosaic made out of 16,000 food cans which is being displayed at The Rotunda, Exchange Square from today until 27 October 2023. These food cans will be donated to beneficiaries after the exhibition.
Jardines and MINDSET long-term commitment towards mental health
According to recent research by Mind HK, one in six Hong Kong residents are affected by common mental disorders, but less than 30% of individuals facing a mental health condition receive support. Jardines and MINDSET aim to make a tangible and sustainable difference towards the underserved mental health community. Events like ‘Walk Up Jardine House’ are critical for raising awareness and funds for MINDSET’s activities.
Since MINDSET’s founding in 2002, the charity has raised more than HK$82.5 million through its major fundraising events, with total donations of over HK$107 million going to 33 different NGOs and charities to support 63 different projects. Through its charitable efforts, MINDSET has also enabled over 77,500 hours of volunteering and supported over 198,000 beneficiaries.
Earlier in September, MINDSET together with Mind HK concluded the pilot Youth Wellbeing Practitioners (“YWP”) Programme, which aims to train youths to provide low-intensity mental health support, therefore alleviating the issues of treatment gaps and meeting the increased demand of mental health support in the community. The pilot successfully delivered over 3,330 free mental health therapy sessions and talks for over 1,000 local youth, achieving a remarkable 70% recovery rate. MINDSET has committed an additional HK$11.2 million to continue its support towards the YWP Programme (now known as iAct).
Speaking about Jardines and MINDSET’s overall motivation, Mr Wong shared, "Supporting mental health has been something close and important to Jardines and MINDSET for the last 21 years. As one of the largest corporations in Hong Kong, Jardines place strong emphasis on the mental and physical health of our employees and communities, and hope to lead the way for corporates and leaders to promote a more inclusive society for all.”