Civil Participation - Friends of the Country Parks (FoCP)

There are occasions when limited public funding prevents the necessary provision of services. Are there ways to make up the shortfall? How can we enhance the public’s sense of belonging towards country parks so everyone will be willing to share the responsibility of preserving nature?

One option is to set up a charitable NGO to encourage volunteers to take part in managing and utilising country parks. Friends of the Country Parks (FoCP) was formed under this vision fifteen years ago.

This concept originated from the west where many voluntary organisations of this kind exist. They are financed by fund raising activities or other channels. The objective is to assist in the management of national parks or cultural heritage while conducting promotion and education programmes.

Since the late 1970s when Hong Kong’s country parks were substantially in place, Country Parks Board members have had the idea of setting up a voluntary NGO. In 1988, this civil country parks organisation finally materialised when Alex A. Blum wrote to Chief Secretary Sir David Robert Ford to make an official recommendation. The idea was adopted and Friends of the Country Parks took off.

Related information documents were tabled at the 43rd meeting of the Country Parks Board for approval. Members agreed to form a working group to set forth the objectives, constitution, funding sources and duties of FoCP.

The working group convened its first meeting in late September 1989 to confirm that FoCP would be responsible for assisting the Country Parks Board to promote and protect Hong Kong’s country parks, and to organise activities in support of the Board’s objectives.

The name “Friends of the Country Parks” was approved and retained the first time it was proposed at the Board meeting, simply because it distinctly expresses the organisation’s purpose. All members voted unanimously for this name at the 4th meeting in February 1990.

On 10 March 1992, following a series of registration and legal proceedings, the organisation was incorporated as a limited company. Members of the first executive board included Dr Tam Wing-kun, Carlos Cheung, The Hon Howard Young, George Tan, Victor Hui, William Wan, Wong Chun-nam, Lee Kwok-yin, Shun Lok-nin and Paul Fan.

Pursuing the stated objectives, FoCP dedicates itself in furthering the development of country parks in Hong Kong and in encouraging the public to make wise use of natural resources for more than ten years. It has become the Government’s most important NGO partner in organising country park activities.

Since all members serve on a voluntary basis, there is no administrative expenditure. Revenue is applied in full to fund the work of promoting country parks and marine parks. For example, it provided more than $10 million funding to build Wilson Trail in 1995 and assisted several business corporations to establish corporate woodlands in 2000. Since 2000, Friends of the Country Park has been working with the Country and Marine Parks Board to publish the popular Eye on Nature Series.

Between 2003 and 2007, FoCP sponsored many projects. These include Hong Kong Best Ten Scenic Sites Election, the White Dolphin Project, country park publications, the IUCN-WCPA-EA5 Conference, countryside videos of Sai Kung Visitor Centre and Lions Nature Education Centre, the new HKNature.net and an emergency assistance hotline. Today, it continues to support the development of Hong Kong's country park system.