Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

（Hong Kong, 15 April 2026）The Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room is operated by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, with the venue sponsored by DBS Foundation and operational funding from the Community Caring Fund. The Community Living Room officially held its opening ceremony today (April 15). The ceremony was jointly officiated by the Hon. CHEUK Wing Hing, GBS, JP, Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, the Hon. SUN Yuk Han, Chris, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms. Lau Yim, Alice, JP, Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare and Mr. TO Wing Hang, JP, Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Sebastian Paredes, Head of North Asia and Chief Executive Officer of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, and Mr. TSENG Hing Yip, York, Chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the DBS Foundation. The Foundation has not only provided the premises for the Community Living Room free of rent and management fees, but has also mobilized its staff to support volunteer activities at the center, injecting strength, care, and passion into community service. This is truly worthy of recognition and praise. I would also like to thank the TWGHs for taking charge of the project’s operations. Drawing on their invaluable experience in running the To Kwa Wan Community Living Room, they have helped forge a new paradigm of tripartite collaboration among the government, the business sector, and the community. The Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room covers an area of approximately 4,900 square feet and offers a comfortable environment. It is expected to serve 80,000 visitors annually. The Community Living Room is multifunctional; beyond providing daily necessities, it acts as a ‘shared home.’ I hope that local residents will make good use of these various facilities and services to improve their quality of life and make their lives even more fulfilling.”, remarks by the Hon. CHEUK Wing Hing, GBS, JP, Acting Chief Secretary for Administration.

“DBS has always believed in our role in every community we serve and making impact that goes beyond banking. Through DBS Foundation, we are committed to supporting the community and fostering inclusion, working together with our partners to provide essential needs for those in need. We steadfastly support the prosperous development of Hong Kong and strive to ensure individuals and families with fewer resources could improve their lives and financial resilience, thus navigating their future with confidence. The Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room brings that commitment to life, by providing an inclusive space for families to relax, children to learn happily, and neighbours to connect with each other.”, remarks by Mr. Sebastian Paredes, Head of North Asia and Chief Executive Officer of DBS Hong Kong.

“Tung Wah Group of Hospitals has always been committed to responding to the needs of grassroots families. The launch of the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room symbolises an important step we have taken in promoting community inclusion and mutual assistance. This is not only a shared space, but also a platform for bringing neighbours together and promoting communication. We sincerely thank DBS Foundation and the Community Care Fund for their support, which allows us to work together to provide more comprehensive living facilities and support for families in need, and to jointly build a community full of care and hope.”, remarks by Mr. TSENG Hing Yip, York, Chairman of TWGHs.

The Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room occupies nearly 5,000 square feet and is designed specifically for deprived families residing in sub-divided units in the Yau Tsim Mong district, with a particular focus on families with children. From the design stage, residents of sub-divided units in the Yau Tsim Mong district were invited to participate in the process, which fully embodied the community’s spirit of diversity and inclusion. The Community Living Room offers a variety of facilities and services, providing residents with extended living space and expanding their social networks, thereby improving their quality of life, strengthening their sense of community, and promoting a culture of neighbourly assistance and sharing. The key facilities include a pantry and a halal food preparation area, a shared dining room and living room, ensuring residents from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds can use the facilities with peace of mind. A study room provides members with a quiet space for self-study and can host various interest classes to promote learning and exchange. It is also equipped with self-serviced laundry and drying facilities for members’ convenience in handling daily laundry. Furthermore, the Community Living Room thoughtfully includes a children’s playroom, a youth recreation area, a multi-purpose activity room, and bathrooms, providing more comprehensive living amenities for residents of different ages and creating a comfortable, supportive, and inclusive living environment.

In addition to sponsoring the venue, DBS Foundation also provides additional funding to Tung Wah Group of Hospitals to deliver services such as community integration, health empowerment, and financial literacy education to users of the Community Living Room. Regarding community integration, the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room offers stair climber services to support sub-divided unit residents in tenement buildings; local shops are also invited to join the “Good Stuff” merchant alliance, providing members with discounts on various daily necessities and services. The “Kaifong Masters” service further promotes mutual assistance among neighbours to jointly improve the living environment of sub-divided units. In terms of health empowerment, the Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room has registered nurses and nutritionists who organise various nutrition and health-related activities for users and provide professional health checkups and consultations. Regarding financial literacy education, DBS volunteers will support and help promote various financial management knowledge, with the aim to improving the financial literacy of users.

Webpage of Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room: https://clr.ymt.tungwahcsd.org

 

End

About Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

Since its establishment in 1870, TWGHs has been all along upholding its mission “To heal the sick and to relieve the distressed; to care for the elderly and to rehabilitate the disabled; to promote education and to nurture the youngsters; and to raise the infant and to guide the youth.” Nowadays, TWGHs is the largest charitable organisation with the longest history in Hong Kong. For more than one and a half centuries, TWGHs has persistently pioneered and marked significant milestones in medical and health, education, community, preservation of historical and cultural heritage, and traditional services to fulfil the needs of the society and to provide the public with high quality services at low rates or for free. As of 31 March 2026, TWGHs operates 400 services units, including 5 hospitals, 39 Chinese and Western medicine services units,1 community pharmacy, 1 District Health Centre and 3 Women Wellness Satellites, 60 education services units, 258 community services units that cover elderly, youth and family, rehabilitation, social enterprises and social innovation services, 3 transitional housing projects, 1 Geospatial Lab (Operating Partner), 2 recycling store, 2 records and heritage service units, namely, Tung Wah Museum and TWGHs Maisy Ho Archives and Relics Centre that aim to protect and preserve local traditional culture and history, as well as 25 traditional service units, offering funeral and burial services, and temple and ritualistic services.

 

About DBS Foundation

Established in 2014, DBS Foundation is committed to uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged, and fosters inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact. It aims to bring hope to those with less today, so no one is left behind and we can all face the future with confidence.

In 2024, DBS committed up to SGD 1 billion dollars (approximately HKD 5.7 billion) over the next decade to support vulnerable communities. It also pledged to contribute 1.5 million employee volunteer hours over the same period.

Together with an ecosystem of like-minded partners, DBS Foundation seeks to create impact that goes beyond banking, beyond borders, and beyond generations.

For more information, please visit: www.dbs.com/dbsfoundation

 

  For media enquiry, please contact TWGHs Corporate Communications Division at 2859 7857

 

Photos attached:

Photo 1
The Hon. CHEUK Wing Hing, GBS, JP (right 3), Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, the Hon. SUN Yuk Han, Chris, JP (left 2), Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms. Lau Yim, Alice, JP, (right 2) Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare and Mr. TO Wing Hang, JP (left 1), Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Sebastian Paredes (left 3), Head of North Asia and Chief Executive Officer of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, and Mr. TSENG Hing Yip, York (right 1), Chairman of TWGHs, jointly officiating the opening ceremony.

 

Photo 2
Opening remarks by the Hon. CHEUK Wing Hing, GBS, JP, Acting Chief Secretary for Administration.