Hong Kong’s everyday heroes of 2016

It’s time to look back and remember those individuals and organisations who made a difference this year in communities across the city

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Pilot Hank Cheng flew around the world in an epic three-month adventure. Photo: Edward Wong

Rachel Blundy

Published: 9:00am, 31 Dec 2016Updated: 9:00am, 31 Dec 2016

Hong Kong is home to a diverse range of colourful characters, many of whom make invaluable contributions to our city.

This year, the South China Morning Post has shone a light on the issues affecting the community, from campaigns to secure better working conditions for domestic helpers, to residents’ efforts to clean up the city’s rubbish-covered beaches.

Here we honour some of the individuals and organisations we have featured who have helped us to tell the story of Hong Kong in 2016.

Living Lamma’s Jo Wilson had a busy year. Photo: Jo Wilson

Environmentalist

All of Hong Kong’s beach clean-up groups, who came together to collect an unprecedented amount of marine rubbish which washed up on beaches following heavy rain and flooding in the Pearl River basin during July. Sea Shepherd’s Gary Stokes and Living Lamma founder Jo Wilson were particularly instrumental in raising the profile of the clean-up campaign, sharing photographs that went viral on social media. Their rousing words helped to prompt hundreds of others to hold impromptu clean-up days on Lantau, Lamma, Repulse Bay, Shek O and Stanley beaches among others.

Stokes said it was flattering to be singled out for his campaigning but added it was “hard to hide the environmental damage in Hong Kong at the moment”.

“We are reaching a turning point now,” he said. “The government is now watching our social media and taking action. When it goes global like that, then they really have to act.”