Mr. David Taylor, a missionary, built a small house near the hillside township of Rennie’s Mill. He lived in the small house whenever he was able, but soon found that two homeless boys wanted to sleep on the porch at night. He gave his permission and soon many others followed

An Advisory Committee was formed to advise on how a gradual expansion of the new service could be organized and financed. As no support was available from the Government, the major funding bodies were Christian churches and organizations in Hong Kong and in other countries.

With the generous support from the British Council of Churches, the building work of a hostel at Rennie’s Mill, which could cater for 60 children was completed. The hostel was named Mark Memorial Home, in memory of Mark, one of the first students, who heroically gave his life to save his brothers and sisters in China. Mark Memorial Home is the first children’s home of HKSAS.

The first Executive Committee was established. Constitution of the “Rennie’s Mill Student Aid Project” was drawn up, which defined its purpose as “to provide a Christian home and education for underprivileged children”.

Mr. David Taylor accepted appointment as full-time Director of HKSAS. Oversea committees were later set up in Australia, England and the USA to encourage sponsorship and support for individual children, and the Dutch Reformed Churches in Netherlands became a very supportive sponsor for the Project.

Registered as an Associate Member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

HKSAS was officially incorporated under the Trustees Incorporation Ordinance.

HKSAS found that some children have difficulty in adjusting to regular schools, because of their age, lack of primary education, and a disturbed attitude to learning. A special home that could provide care and attention was needed for them. A staff found some derelict bungalows near the Shek Pik Reservoir, which had been vacated by the company which built the nearby dam. HKSAS then applied to the Government for the use of these houses as a “special hostel”. This was later approved and Island Hostel came into existence.

The Dutch Reformed Church financed the building of a new hostel in Kwun Tong to accommodate 110 boys. It was named “Holland Hostel” in honour of the donor.

The Conventry Cathedral of England donated the 33rd Conventry Cross of Nails, a symbol of Christian Fellowship between the Cathedral and HKSAS.

Funding from the Social Welfare Department and the Community Chest emerged.

The Education Department approved the registration of Tung Wan School as a “special school” for children with special education needs.

The first classroom of Tung Wan School came into operation.

The Education Department granted Tung Wan School as a fully subsidized special primary school.

The Bradbury Building, a new school wing financed by the Bradbury Charitable Trust was opened.

Rennie’s Mill Student Aid Project was formally renamed as Hong Kong Student Aid Society, which marked the beginning of a new era in the development of HKSAS, which is characterized by service diversification, as well as a higher degree in accountability and professional standard of service delivery.

Juliana House, a quarter for female teachers in Tung Wan School was opened by Van Straten, the Consul General of the Netherland.

The 25th Anniversay Thanksgiving Service held at St. John Cathedral.

With the sponsorship of the Wah Kiu Yat Po Fund for the Relief of Underprivileged Children, the Pavallion in Tung Wan School was opened.

Nine Lioness Clubs of Hong Kong sponsored the building of a playground for Island Hostel.

A small house adjacent to Mark Memorial was burnt down. Our volunteer nurse, Anutie Lovise Haraldstad subsequently solicited most of the fund to buy and renovate the house for recreational purpoase of the children in MMH. To commemorate the services Auntie had given to HKSAS, the house was named Auntie Lovise Cottage. Opening ceremony was held in May.

On 28 October, Mrs Elizabeth Wong, Director of Social Welfare paid a visit to Holland Hostel. Mrs Wong praised that the service of the Hostel contributed to solving youth problems in Hong Kong and the Hostel assisted the residents in healthy growth and development by improving their behavioural problems and developing their potential positively.

Under the auspices of the Mok Law Shui Wah Trust Fund and the Bradbury Charities Trust, our Tung Wan School was extended.

Tung Wan School was renamed Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah school in honour of the donor.

With the development of the Rennie’s Mill district launched by the government in the 1980s’, Mark Memorial Home was reprovisioned to the public housing estate in King To House of King Lam in Tseung Kwan O.

In September, the first 3 small group homes were opened in the nearby Hau Tak Estate with a total of 24 children.

The second set of small group homes at Hau Tak Estate was opened.

The third set of small group homes, located at Lok Fu Estate, commenced its operation.

The Executive Committee approved HKSAS’s mission statement and values, which were the guiding principles for the work of HKSAS.

Our Society published a book “Sharing Residential Child Care Services – the Hong Kong Experience”, to stimulate more thinking on the ways to bring about continuous improvement of the residential services.

In response to community needs, our Holland Hostel opened a “ Working Youth Section” and “Young Night Drifters Service”.

Holland Hostel started “Emergency Care Service”.

“I want a home” was published which collected 12 spellbinding stories of our children.

Hong Kong Student Aid Society Primary School, which is a whole-day government subsidized mainstream primary school was established.

Po Tat Nursery, which is a day nursery was established.

To keep abreast of the social needs and in view of the basic changes in the social welfare sector, HKSAS re-examined and refined its Vision, Mission and Values statements.

Operation of Foster Care Service by converting two Small Group Homes in Tseung Kwan into 20 foster care placements.

Collaborated with the City University of Hong Kong, HKSAS has published a report on “Study on Family Needs in Tin Shui Wai”.

Commencement of Society’s first community service “Family Energy - Project for Family Empowerment in Tin Shui Wai”, providing family support to needy families after early identification through the community networks of schools in Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long.

Visiting clinical psychological service carries out diagnostic and intellectual assessment on our clients suffering from different degress of emotional distress, intellectual deficits, psychological and behavioral problems and varies forms of abuse.

Started two new types of service – Day Small Group Home Service and Day Foster Care Service.

Family Energy - Project for Family Empowerment in Tin Shui Wai rendered social worker’s support to nurseries ans kindergartens by providing them with teachers’ training, parent education, case counselling and case consultation.

With the financial support of the S.C. Liang Charitable Trust, “Project for Family Empowerment” established a resource centre. Reading materials, parent education, counseling service and clinical psychological service were provided.

Upon the invitation of the Macau Social Welfare Bureau of the Special Administrative Region of Macau, HKSAS provided consultancy service to a newly re-provisioned children’s home in Macau.

Upon the invitation of the Macau Social Welfare Bureau of the Special Administrative Region of Macau, HKSAS organized staff training programmes for all children’s and young people’s home in Macau.

We have successfully applied for a grant from the Bank of China, Hong Kong “Caring Hong Kong – A Heart Warming Campaign”, to sponsor a social worker from Family Energy to provide family support service in school for two years from 2011-2013.

With the support of the Lotteries Fund and the Social Welfare Department, the major renovation of Holland Hostel, which costs more than HK$10 million, has been completed. The physical environment of the Hostel has been greatly improved.

Collaborated with Hong Kong Baptist University, HKSAS has published a report on “Research on the Needs of Families with Young Children in Tin Shui Wai”.

The Executive Committee decided to join the “Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses” put forward by the Chief Executive of HKSAR in his 2013 Policy Address. We have proposed to the Social Welfare Department to redevelop our Holland Hostel, which is located in Kwun Tong, to become a multi-storey building to cater for the needs of more social welfare services.

Family Energy implemented the Parent and Child Enhancement (PACE) Program, which was co-developed by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University. It aimed at promoting the development of preschool children through high quality learning activities and parenting education.

With funding support from the Hong Kong Community Chest, Family Energy rendered school-based social work service to six kindergartens in Tin Shui Wai to help handle pupils’ problems as well as those of their families.

“Family Energy - Project for Family Empowerment in Tin Shui Wai” had not only served kindergartens and nurseries in Tin Shui Wai but also those from other districts, in this light, it was named“ Family Energy”.

Since its establishment, the Hong Kong Student Aid Society has been registered under the Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance. In line with changes in society and rising public aspirations, effective from 1 November 2014 The Hong Kong Student Aid Society Limited, incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Ordinance, took up the operations of the Hong Kong Student Aid Society.

Legislative Council’s Finance Committee approved a sum of $408.5 million for the reprovisioning of our Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School, a school for social development, and Island Hostel, its adjacent boys’ home.

2017 marks the 60th Anniversary of HKSAS. A commemorative drama titled “Who Will Love Me” was shown from 9 to 11 August 2017 at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall. The drama came to a successful end with an aggregate of nearly 3,000 audiences in three evening shows and very positive feedback.

The Lotteries Fund has given HKSAS a grant of HK$15 million for the Major Renovation of Mark Memorial Home.

Music Boysenberry Charity Concert was held at the Jockey Club Auditorium, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, on 6 May 2018, to raise fund for the “Reprovisioning of Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School and Island Hostel”. The charity concert came to a successful end with a full house of audience and excellent feedback from them.

Renovation of 7 Small Group Homes were completed.

Our joint application with The Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service-Hong Kong to the Social Welfare Department for a half social work team of the Pilot Scheme on Social Work Service for Pre-Primary Institutions (Phase 2) was successful. The name of our project is “Hand-in-Hand together- Kindergarten Social Work Service Team”. The service was commenced on 1 August 2019.

Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School (TWS), a school for social development, and Island Hostel (IH), its adjacent boys' home, have moved from Shek Pik, Lantau to a new premises at 12 Wong Yin Street, Tuen Mun at the end of October this year after 37 months of construction. At the outset of operation in the new Tuen Mun premises, TWS operates 10 classes, of which 7 are primary school classes and 3 secondary school. IH, on the other hand, runs 6 houses with 18 children each, with a total number of 108 boys.

Our joint application with The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf to the Social Welfare Department for a half social work team of the Pilot Scheme on Social Work Service for Pre-Primary Institutions (Phase 3) was successful. The name of our project is “SPARKLING STARS Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions Scheme”. The service was commenced on 10 August 2020.