Vote to Love Hong Kong Your Way!

(Hong Kong, 17 June 2012) The latest round of 1,038 projects participating in Round 3 of Love Ideas, Love HK will be open for voting from 18 June 2012.  The public can browse through the listing posted on www.loveideas.hk and vote for the projects they believe are worth supporting.

Round 3, like in previous rounds of Love Ideas, Love HK, received enthusiastic response from the community.  Amongst the 1,299 proposals submitted, 1,038 projects ranging from cultural awareness, services for ethnic minorities group to the caring of pets met the submission criteria.

The voting period will commence from tomorrow (18 June) to 8 July.  Grants will be given to the top 30 per cent of the projects selected by voters, with an expected grant total of over HK$47 million.  In view of the enthusiastic response, the Li Ka Shing Foundation has decided to raise the grants proportion from 25 per cent in the previous rounds to 30 per cent.

Newly added features: Facebook and mobile site to facilitate voting and sharing

In addition to online voting www.loveideas.hk and voting hotline 3699 8800, Hong Kong citizens can now use their smartphones to vote via the mobile website m.loveideas.hk.  Facebook Login to www.loveideas.hk has also been integrated.

As before only Hong Kong citizens are eligible to vote and only IP addresses or telephone numbers originated from Hong Kong will be accepted.

Multi-channels for projects to promote their ideas

Ten per cent of the eligible 1,038 projects (through random selection) will be able to promote their “Love Ideas” on radio spots available on both Metro Radio and Commercial Radio.

Projects with their own personal or institution Facebook accounts can also be featured on Love Ideas, Love HK’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/loveideas, again through random selection.

New record for applications

Round 3 received 1,299 project submissions, surpassing the record of the previous two rounds.  There are 834 institutions submitting projects, of which 45 per cent are first time applicants.  Of the 465 individual applicants, around 85 per cent are new applicants.  Among all applicants the youngest is aged nine while the oldest is 76.

Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and St James’ Settlement continue their support as the consulting organisation and supporting organisation respectively, where St James is also responsible for screening individual applicants’ projects for their eligibility.

Mr Cliff Choi Kim-wah, Business Director (Partnership & Public Engagement) of HKCSS, said, “Based on the experiences gleaned from the last two rounds, institutions get to appreciate more the spirit of positive influence that this whole project has brought to society.  It is a delight to see the vast increase of applying institutions, which vindicates the social support this project has gained from members of the public.”

Ms Josephine Lee, Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of St James’ Settlement, said, “We are happy to see more individual applicants joining this round, including projects that are rich in creativity and exhibit a caring heart.”

She said that while individual applicants are increasing, there are also many projects that have been screened out as they fail to meet the terms and conditions.

“These projects were ineligible because they did not meet the terms and conditions set out by this programme.  If these applicants had read carefully the terms and conditions before they submitted their proposals, they would have had better chances to be accepted as eligible projects,” she said.

Winners will be announced on 12 July and grants will be distributed in around 30 days.  For more information, please go to www.loveideas.hk.

Details of the project applications are as follows: