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活动回顾 | 中国中心社会责任活动

日期:2020-07-08 浏览:1315作者:曼彻斯特大学中国中心

Manchester is the only university in the UK to have social responsibility as a core goal. For our alumni and staff, this means we have long been committed to social responsibility.

Today, a delegation of University of Manchester alumni and China Centre staff joined ‘UoM goes to HSH NoW’ initiative organized by University of Manchester China Centre and SORSA UoM Alumni Association. By organizing a visit to an old friend of ours: Home Sweet Home (HSH) – a local charity to equip those with special needs, we strived to get assistance into the hands of those whose source of income are affected tremendously by the COVID-19 pandemic and increase awareness of and tolerance for “those with special needs”.

Upon arrival, China Centre Director Sherry Fu first introduced who we are, including a brief review of our social responsibility progress and plans, in particular what we did with HSH last time and what we would like to learn and help this time. Then Executive Director of HSH, Gerie de Pater delivered a brief introduction of HSH and a tour around the office and factory.

Home Sweet Home has been active in Shanghai for many years. By giving the homeless and disabled people training on English, computer and  sewing skills and so on, the trainees will then be able to acquire jobs at HSH or outside to make textile related products. Home Sweet Home is focused on preparing them for reintegration into the society with independent living, a mature sense of self, and the ability to work in a normal job and contribute to society. Following China Centre and HSH's initial collaboration in 2017 where the China Centre and HSH worked together in designing and producing limited edition charity t-shirt and caps for UoM alumni, this was our second time reaching out to HSH for a good cause.

To engage alumni and staff and truly build awareness of HSH profile, an embroidery workshop and a handicraft arts workshop were prepared where our delegation had the chance to talk to the young men and women on the residential programme and get some hands-on experience with how to tie a Chinese knot and how to add Manchester element to textile products.

As 2020’s off to a rocky start, we are reminded of the importance to share, care and love each other. Apart from offering “UoM NoW”Amid COVID-19 alumni event series featuring fundraising campaign for MFT and social responsibility webinars built around alumni and the Centre’s areas of expertise, the China Centre tries to help however we can to give back to the community.

As one alumnus commented in the end, “the University of Manchester China Centre’s ‘UoM goes to HSH NoW’ initiative truly echoes the University’s social responsibility commitment through learning by doing; and I am proud to be part of this meaningful project”.

"To love and care for those with special needs,” as put in Home Sweet Home’s mission, let UoM act now and spread our purple love!