Vol. 3 2012 Thistle Magazine - Jardines

On Mental Health from
the Jardine Ambassadors
New Jardine Ambassadors Take Up the Baton as Mental Health Advocates
At the launch of the 2012-2013 Jardine
Ambassadors Programme, recognition
was given to the Ambassadors who
had served their two-year tenure,
while 43 young and energetic new
Ambassadors were officially welcomed
to their roles as mental health
advocates by Group Managing Director
and MINDSET Chairman Ben Keswick.
Mr Keswick said that existing and
former Ambassadors had told him
of the many advantages gained from
their role.
“They develop life-long friendships
after two years, they feel a stronger
sense of belonging to Jardines and,
due to the contacts they make, it is
easier to seek collaborative initiatives
with other companies within
the Group.
“Being an Ambassador is very
demanding, but it is also very
rewarding and you will learn many
valuable lessons that will stand you in
good stead throughout your careers,”
added Mr Keswick.
Health in Mind Programme Marks Tenth Anniversary
As a MINDSET initiative, the Health
in Mind Programme is celebrating
its tenth anniversary. Over the last
decade, 52 Hong Kong secondary
schools have joined the programme,
and in doing so, have helped more
than 63,000 students, parents
and teachers to strengthen their
understanding of mental health issues.
Speaking at the finale ceremony
for the 2010-12 Health in Mind
Programme, which was held at The
Rotunda, Exchange Square, Group
Managing Director and MINDSET
Chairman Ben Keswick said that the
Health in Mind initiative had been a
cornerstone of MINDSET since the
beginning, and one where the Jardine
Ambassadors had really shown
fantastic commitment.
“It has been very effective in creating
an understanding of mental wellness
amongst the students; while at the
same time it is helping to reduce the
social stigma associated with mental
illness,” said Mr Keswick.
Students from the participating schools
shared their experiences of the past
two years at the finale ceremony and
staged singing and drama performances,
including the winning play in the Joint
School Drama Show from Tseung Kwan O
Government Secondary School. In
addition, 20 students chosen for their
outstanding performance over the
two-year programme were awarded
Group Managing Director and
MINDSET Chairman Ben Keswick
presenting awards to students
who demonstrated outstanding
performance during their
involvement in the
two-year Health in
Mind Programme.
One of the first experiences for the new
Ambassadors was a two-day orientation
camp on Lantau Island. There, they
undertook team-building exercises and
learnt something of the experiences of
fellow Ambassadors and of their roles
as mental health advocates. On the
second day, Kwai Chung Hospital Senior
Clinical Psychologist Dr Raymond
Chan conducted an enjoyable and
educational session on basic mental
health knowledge and the skills and
techniques necessary for working with
secondary school students to prepare
them for the Health in Mind programme.
positions as summer trainees in various
Jardine Matheson Group companies.
To further commemorate the tenth
anniversary and to promote mental
health to the community at large,
a territory-wide Video Production
Competition was launched. Over
80 videos promoting mental health
messages such as de-stigmatization,
reintegration and normalization were
submitted in the Secondary, Tertiary
and Open categories.
Spirit 27
Thistle vol.3 2012