Lingnan University Nurtures 100+ Mental Wellness Ambassadors in 3 years to enhance the mental health of youngsters and promote the physical and mental wellbeing of the community

With a view to nurturing students’ feel-good mindset and their commitment to care and serve the community, Lingnan University (LU) launched the “Mental Wellness Ambassador Training and Servicing Programme” in 2020. Through coaching students on stress management, how to cope with growth and the need to be grateful, the programme serves to enhance their psychological resilience and build up their counselling skills. In addition, the programme has enabled students to use the theories and practical skills of psychology to help themselves, their family members, friends and the community, and to promote the importance of physical and mental well-being in the society. The three-year programme was carried out in three phases and the graduation ceremony for the third phase was held on 13 April 2023.  Ms Christina Maisenne Lee, Executive Director of Wofoo Foundation and Director of Wofoo Social Enterprises attended the occasion, during which the Student Mental Wellness Ambassadors showcased their learning outcomes.

“Mental Wellness Ambassador Training and Servicing Programme” was organised by Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre and sponsored by Wofoo Social Enterprises. Commencing 2020, the three-year programme has trained up more than 100 student ambassadors from LU and other local universities (The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), as well as universities in China (Sun Yat-sen University), Pakistan, and the Netherlands. In 2022, the programme was extended to secondary schools in Hong Kong, and students from St Catharine's School for Girls were the first batch of secondary school students joining the programme. Upon receiving eight-weeks of training, students formed into groups and came up with a plan to put what they had learnt into practice to help people in need to improve their mental health and develop a feel-good mindset.

Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre was established in 2018 with the generous donation from Dr Joseph Lee Chung-tak, a renowned social entrepreneur and Chairman of Wofoo Foundation. Over the years, the Research Center has proactively served the community, promoted mental health, and made a positive impact on society through knowledge transfer. Through promoting research in counselling and counselling psychology, and collaborating with schools, hospitals and other non-governmental organizations, the Research Center has helped enhance the awareness of children and adolescents’ mental health and promote positive mindset in the society.