The Hong Kong Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association (BGCA) has been awarded the Gold Award in the " Smart People (Smart Transformation (Solution for Charitable Sector))" at the 2024 Hong Kong ICT Awards for its BGCA Fans activity information website and membership app. The award presented at a ceremony on November 22, 2024. This award is organized by the Digital Policy Office, and led by Hong Kong ICT industry associations and professional bodies, aims at building a locally espoused and internationally acclaimed brand of ICT awards and to promote ICT development and encourage innovative solutions to address business and societal needs.
The Association's digital transformation project received generous funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, along with system design and solutions provided by Talkbox Limited, facilitating the development of the BGCA Fans activity information website and membership app. Additionally, practical and creative input from service users has been instrumental in its successful launch and continuous refinement. Since its introduction in 2022, more than 17,000 parents, children, and youth have used the application to enroll in various activities, broadening their growth horizons.
Throughout the year, we gathered feedback from over 3,000 members and 160 staff regarding the application and operation of BGCA Fans. Overall, BGCA Fans has significantly enhanced the user experience for service users and optimized the organization’s operations. Members can enjoy personalized accounts and easily secure activity quota through a fair lottery system, greatly reducing the time needed for event registration and providing a convenient experience for children, youth, and families. Furthermore, the Association has improved policies and procedures to support low-income families, enabling more underprivileged households to receive subsidies for activity fees.
Ms. Hui Wai Kuen, Assistant Director of BGCA, stated that BGCA Fans was designed and implemented with the intention of benefiting service users, staff, and the organization. She noted, "BGCA operates 20 Integrated Service Centers for Youth and 3 Children's Centers across Hong Kong. We have always aspired to have a convenient online platform for children and youth throughout Hong Kong, enabling them and their parents to explore diverse growth experiences on a single platform, register for activities held at BGCA units citywide, and record and analyze their participation journeys. This ensures that children and youth, regardless of socioeconomic status or developmental needs, have equal growth opportunities." The data gathered not only helps BGCA provide services that meet the continuous growth needs of children and youth, but future goals include integrating user participation and service effectiveness data to establish a local developmental database for reference in service policy formulation, contributing to a child-friendly growth environment.
This award is not only a recognition of the hard work of all our colleagues but also an encouragement for the Association to continue driving digital innovation and social services in the future. We look forward to making even more contributions to society in the years to come.
