Point of AC’s Heartfelt Journey with the BluUp Career Programme
Earlier in the year, we mentioned our plans to expand into the philanthropic field in Hong Kong. This promise took its final form on the 27th of May, as a graduation ceremony for six young individuals in BluUp, a career programme pioneered by Rosewood Hong Kong and our client, LoveXpress.
Our work began as early as January, fresh off the plane from our Singapore work trip. LoveXpress had decided to partner with Rosewood Hong Kong, a 5-star hotel in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, to provide the youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are interested in the F&B industry an opportunity to intern at Rosewood’s restaurant BluHouse.
BluHouse is more than just a restaurant - it operates as a "Business with Purpose" enterprise, actively supporting underprivileged communities in Hong Kong. After attending the charity lunches at LoveXpress’ subsidiary, The Edible Projects, the Rosewood team was deeply moved by the project and sought to establish a partnership. Thus, BluUp was born.
As the internship was happening in the front-end, our work on the back-end has not been idle either. Point of AC has been helping both parties behind the scenes from the very beginning, organising the big event and liaising with the media for interviews about the programme. We have been assisting all parties by facilitating communication, resolving any issues that arise, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. This includes working closely with the interns, who all previously had little to no experience with interviews and cameras.
When we got to know the interns, we were surprised by their positivity amidst this unfamiliar environment. One of the interns, Elizabeth, always responded with confidence when asked whether she was nervous (even though we knew it must be a nerve-wracking venture), and another, Simon, once said that “he didn’t want to be in fear forever” after facing ostracisation from a customer at BluHouse. Inspired by their passion, we wanted the voices of these individuals to be heard, and placed 100% of our energy into making this graduation lunch a dream come true for them.
The culmination of our efforts was the media lunch hosted on May 27th, and our team made sure we stayed from start to finish to witness and celebrate the incredible achievements by the six youths. After getting to know each youth throughout the five months of working with them, attending interviews with them, and just talking to them, we saw their incredible transformation. Seeing them blossom with newfound confidence and skills has been so inspirational for us and certainly for others who have crossed paths with them.
This programme not only transformed their lives, but also showed us how much potential individuals with ASD have when given the right opportunity and a safe environment. We left with a touched heart, having nothing but positivity, motivation and the drive to continue our mission in the philanthropic landscape.
We would like to extend our thanks towards Rosewood Hong Kong for their continuous support throughout these five months. This also wouldn’t be possible without our client, LoveXpress, who has provided us with the opportunity to help spread the message of ASD inclusivity and be a part of a meaningful initiative that we wholeheartedly support.
Point of AC has always strived to help others realise the impact of their stories. If you’re ready to actualise yours, find us at Wo On Lane today.
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