The Fitzroy Philanthropic Fund is committed to empowering young people with financial and non-financial support through education and personal development. Our commitment stems from a belief in nurturing potential, ensuring every child receives the support needed to thrive.
In Hong Kong, the FPF has been providing financial support to two non-profit organizations, Teach For Hong Kong (TFHK) and Teach Unlimited Foundation. Their mission is to enlist outstanding university graduates to serve in schools with underprivileged students, with the aim of motivating and inspiring the students through innovative teaching programs.
Teach For Hong Kong
The FPF began supporting TFHK in 2016, first sponsoring the costs of two fellows and continuing this annually to currently support three fellows a year. Through their work with the students in their designated schools, the fellows are currently able to assist in teaching classes and running educational extra-curricular activities that serve approximately 500 students. For more details please see the interview here.
Teach Unlimited Foundation
The FPF has been supporting Teach Unlimited Foundation’s mentorship program since 2016, and continues to maintain annual funding to contribute to the cost of the program mentors’ salary and training as well as the general program management costs. The program mentors run inspirational English-based programs and mentoring sessions in their designated schools with the aim of boosting the students’ self-esteem, learning attitude and learning motivation.
Japan
In Japan, the FPF has so far worked with two non-profit organizations, both of which provide after-school tutoring and coaching for junior-high and/or high school students from underprivileged families. Such ‘juku’ schools are often considered a key factor in advancing to the next academic stage in Japan in a satisfactory way, but the costs can often be prohibitive.
Hachioji Tsubame Juku
Since 2022, the FPF has been supporting Hachioji Tsubame Juku. The objective is to help junior-high and high school students pursue further education and maximize their academic and career goals.
Hachioji Tsubame Juku (Headquarters): Hachioji is a city in western Tokyo where a small center has been established to help students with after-school study, mostly delivered on a one-to-one basis by tutors. The FPF has made a financial commitment to sponsor the scholarship of two university volunteer teachers.
Tokyo Tsubame Free Juku: This is a new location of the Tsubame Juku in Tokyo since 2022. The FPF is funding the administrative costs to help start their first-year program.
Kidsdoor
For two years from 2017 to 2019, the FPF collaborated with Kidsdoor, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children in Japan who suffer from limited access to educational opportunity due to social barriers, such as family breakdown and poverty. The FPF funded the administrative costs of a dedicated weekend tutorial program, called Ganba Rockers, for senior high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Disaster Relief
Apart from education related projects, Rockhampton Management has also supported Disaster Relief causes. Following the March 11th 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in northern Japan,
the company coordinated donations to the victims by management and employees.
A substantial sum was raised from our team and donated to the Japanese Red Cross, which was the main organization active in distributing such aid.
As well as providing funding through the FPF, Rockhampton Management supports organizations the FPF partners with by creating in-house volunteering opportunities that enable team members to share their time and expertise with students from the local community.
English Rockers
A regular activity where small groups of secondary school students selected by Teach For Hong Kong are invited to visit the Rockhampton office and spend time with our staff to practice their English speaking skills, as well get a glimpse of the commercial world and experience cultural exchange. At the end of the academic year, the students and fellows who have joined the program gather for a celebration event, which includes team games and presentations by the students to parents, teachers and Rockhampton staff.
English Explorers
This is a team building project involving a focused group of secondary school students selected by Teach Unlimited Foundation meeting regularly with Rockhampton team members to explore different themes and work together as a group to create an end product. Past themes have included the “Door to the World” program where students explored different countries and cultures with the aim of building an app-based quiz game to take back to the wider communities in their schools.
More recently the students explored the “Music Jamming” theme where they worked together to create their own song and record it together in a music studio.
GanbaRockers
In August 2018 students and mentors from the GanbaRockers program (run in conjunction with Kidsdoor), were invited to Rockhampton’s Tokyo office where team members introduced the students to the basics of financial markets, and enjoyed a casual discussion about future goals.
Santa Rockers
During the year-end holiday season, Rockhampton organizes the Santa Rockers program. Staff members are encouraged to participate in the festive season by sharing their good fortune with those less fortunate through a ‘Christmas Donation Drive’. Items including new and good condition toys, clothes, books and household essentials are collected and donated to Crossroads Foundation, that works with registered NGOs globally to coordinate the redistribution of the goods to individuals in need.
Approved Volunteering Activities
In addition to the in-house organized volunteering activities, the company has a program whereby any staff member may take one half-day per month during working hours to engage in approved volunteering activities. The aim of all staff volunteering activities is to give back directly to the communities in which we live, and broaden our perspectives by reminding ourselves of those less fortunate. We believe everyone benefits from this type of activity.