“To me they are my family, I will do anything to help” - story of Hong, Candy and Marlene

“Hong really likes Christmas.  Even when we were living in Hong Kong, Hong would prefer Christmas rather than Chinese New Year. He believes that Christmas is a significant festival here in Northern Ireland so we should actively participate in the activities and to learn more about the culture here.”

- Candy

Hong and his wife Candy left Hong Kong in the winter of 2021, travelling over 6,000 miles to start a new life in Northern Ireland. As their second Christmas here fast approaches they are enjoying taking part in lots of festive activities from wreath making to admiring the indoor trees and lights, something that is a rare sight back in Hong Kong. 

Along with their teenage daughter, Race, Hong and Candy embrace every opportunity that can help them to settle and integrate into their community. They understood immediately that learning English and understanding more about the local culture would be important for them to be able to truly settle and make friends. Accessing English and cultural learning classes has been crucial to them and it has been available thanks to sessions for Hong Kongers being run by a local church, part of a wider network (UKHK Welcome Churches) that receives Government funding to run events and activities to help welcome those arriving from Hong Kong around the UK. Most Monday mornings at a church in Bangor, Hong and Candy’s voices can be heard amongst others practising their English. 

As well as the practical learning and support, the classes have also been a place where strong local friendships have been formed. Marlene, an energetic, passionate 80-year-old who lives in Bangor with her husband is a member of the church and volunteered to help at the classes. She is a big believer in hugs, always reaching for an embrace when they arrive at the class. She describes the bond that has formed between them as more like family which is precious to them all as she misses her children and grandchildren who live hundreds of miles away and Candy’s family have remained in Hong Kong.  “Hong calls me mum and I call him son, on the first day I met Candy I put my arm round her and asked can I be your mum and you can be my daughter?”   

Hong’s brothers, their wives and his mother have in recent months also arrived from Hong Kong and live round the corner from Hong. Marlene was invited for a family dinner, even joining them recently for a birthday celebration for Candy. She shares her local knowledge with the family including some walking routes around the coastline with Hong who is a keen runner. Marlene feels privileged to have them in her life, wants to help them in any way she can and also knows that they, in turn are helping her:

“Without them in my life I would feel twenty years older than I do. They have given me a joy in my life, something to look forward to. Hong wanted to invite me for dinner and I said I would love to come. He said we are eating at my brother’s house. Their mother was there as well – she doesn’t have any English. All those lovely people in that home. There were 11 of us round the table. We were able to have such a beautiful meal. I got the privilege of saying grace at the meal. Hong’s brother held my hand at the meal and said you are our extended family, you are not on your own. It was such a blessing. Because our son is in Berkshire, England and my daughter is in Orkney. They are not here with my grandchildren.”

- Marlene

The possibility for Hong and Candy to be able to access the BN(O) visa scheme has also enabled them to safely reunite with their teenage daughter who had prior to their arrival in NI been sent to New Zealand where they felt she could study in safety and receive a balanced education. Being able to move to Northern Ireland was, however, a game changer and the family are able once again to live under one roof and their daughter, Race, studies nearby at a local college.  

Whilst Hong’s family have only been in Belfast for a little over a year, they have quickly settled in including finding employment and they know that finding people in the community who care and are literally embracing them into their lives has made all the difference. Hong feels grateful to have the support from Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership (NISMP), that played a crucial role in their swift settling in and integration, 

“The most important thing is to know Jess (Project Coordinator of BN(O) Welcome Programme in Northern Ireland). There are chat groups on facebook we have joined. Events and programmes are published on there. SMP runs a facebook page which has information on. We are on what’s app groups as well”

- Hong  

And now as the couple prepare for their second Christmas they are happy to be making plans with local friends like Marlene.   They also participated in the Christmas Wreath workshop organised by NI Strategic Migration Partnership for Hong Kongers, so they could know more about the British Christmas traditions.  

“Christmas in Northern Ireland is so amazing because all people decorate their house with a Christmas tree and Christmas lights. At Hong Kong we never decorate it. Teachers here will bring students to the supermarket to sing Christmas songs. We told Marlene that we will arrange a Lunar New Year meal with her. Lunar New Year is an important festival for HongKongers. At Hong Kong Lunar New year all family members will celebrate and eat dinner together. So we will invite Marlene and friends to celebrate it.”

- Hong  

While Hong and Candy are embracing the local culture, they are also prepared to introduce their new friends to their own festive cultures.  Though there are quite a lot of differences in celebrating even the same festival in different cultures, there is something in common - that is love and sharing, that’s what we can see from Hong, Candy and Marlene’s story.

 “When Hong, Candy and Marlene see each other they give each other a big hug.”

- Jess

*Jess Wong, Project Coordinator BN(O) Welcoming Programme for the Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership: We run a welcome hub under the funding of Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. There are twelve Strategic Migration Partnerships across the UK that do the migration work. So now there are twelve people like me to head up the BN(O) welcome programme. We provide English classes and provide information sessions on various topics like Housing, Health and how to get a Driving Licence. We cover lots of topics, it depends on the needs of the BN(O) visa holders and we also support some national funded projects like WC4HK to do the research here in NI and Hong Kongers in Britain for the implementation of their programmes. 

What is the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers and how are local projects being organised? 

The Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers has been set up in response to the BN(O) visa scheme. It brings together the ‘welcomers’ and the ‘welcomed’ and helps coordinate efforts across the UK’s nations and regions from civil society, communities, business, education and government to support Hong Kongers to settle in the UK. It also conducts research to inform policy, share best practice and support organisations to make their voices heard. The Welcoming Committee is hosted at independent think tank British Future, which works for a confident and inclusive Britain, welcoming and fair to all.

The Government is providing funding to 43 locally based organisations around the UK to ensure a local grass roots community group can meet the needs of the local Hong Kongers in the community where they are based. 

What is the UKHK Project? 

The UKHK project, founded by Dr Krish Kandiah, is a partnership across organisations including Welcome Churches, COCM, OMF and others. They have received funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to run events and activities to help welcome those arriving from Hong Kong.