Meet the Chairman of Kadoorie Farm who is also a Poet, Cancer Survivor, and Philanthropist supporting nature conservation and sustainable living.

Description

Andrew was born in Hong Kong and educated in England from the age of 8. He obtained a degree in Law from Oxford University, but it left him feeling quite disillusioned. Thus began a search which led him to live in a meditation center in the USA, where he offered his service primarily as a security guard.

Returning to Hong Kong in his mid-twenties, he rediscovered the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (www.kfbg.org), which he had known as a child and which had been established by his great-uncle. Enchanted by the magic of the gardens and the mountain, Kwun Yum Shan, he spearheaded its conversion from the base for an agricultural aid programme to a center for nature conservation and holistic education. He was the first Executive Director of the new organization and after three years he became the Chair of the Board.

In the meantime, he had agreed to join the board of China Light and Power, a family business, where he spent three years trying to promote renewable energy. Finding no success in this and beginning to realise the limitations of the corporate world and the economic system in general with respect to addressing the growing environmental crisis, he resigned. His attention shifted back toward KFBG, evolving its strategy and founding in 2001 a ‘sister’ organization, Partnerships for Community Development (www.pcd.org.hk), which focuses on network development and capacity building for sustainable living in Mainland China.

In 2006, in the name of his own private Foundation, Full Circle Foundation (FCF), he established a global land conservation programme -- supporting indigenous communities in particular – and subsequently other programmes to protect biodiversity and spread sustainable living networks around the world.

In early 2015, he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and underwent a variety of experimental treatments with only a 15% chance of responding, statistically speaking. However, within a year he was completely cured and in 2017 he discovered breathwork and trained as a ‘Breath of Bliss’ facilitator (www.breathbliss.com). Now he leads breathwork ceremonies as part of KFBG’s holistic education programme.

Andrew has also taught meditation for many years, including retreats in India and has published two books of poetry.

Requirements

All volunteer hours must be completed during 1 December 2018 to 27 April 2019.

Cost per person is HK$100 (Full-time students aged 25 or below)/ HK$200 (General Participants) to support the running costs of our charity and our mission to make volunteerism mainstream.

Lunch will be held on 4 May 2019 at 12:15pm.