On Saturday 5 December 2015 the festively decorated Blue Room of the Helena May in Central was the setting for a prize-giving ceremony and light buffet, hosted by the RCS (Royal Commonwealth Society) in Hong Kong, to honour Hong Kong recipients of the Queen’s Commonwealth Awards Competition 2015. Dr. Verner Bickley, Past Chair and Life Member of the RCS, presented Junior and Senior prize winners with certificates and with gift vouchers sponsored by Sir David Tang, President of the RCS, Hong Kong. The ceremony was attended by a number of RCS Council Members including Mr. Peter Mann, current RCS Chair and Mrs. Joan Campbell, Past RCS Chair and Life Member. During the ceremony Dr. Brian Brewer read the following address:
The RCS (Royal Commonwealth Society) has a rich history of nurturing the creative talents of young people around the Commonwealth. We endeavour to promote literacy, expression and creativity among young people by celebrating excellence and imagination.
Run by the RCS since 1883, this international schools’ writing contest – the world’s oldest and largest – is a highly regarded and popular international education project.
It is now run in partnership with Cambridge University Press.
In 2015, the contest was renamed ‘The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition’, in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s role as both Head of the Commonwealth and Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
This year the theme of ‘A Young Commonwealth’, met with a record response. More than 13,000 entries were received from over 600 schools in 49 Commonwealth countries and territories. Both the Senior and the Junior judging panels were impressed by the quality of the entries.
The top Winners and Runners-up in 2015 come from Cyprus, Tristan da Cunha, Botswana and the Cayman Islands; additionally the judges selected one additional Senior entrant and two additional Junior entrants to receive special commendations. In total over 3,000 participants won an award: Gold, Silver or Bronze.
This year we are once again very grateful to Sir David Tang, the President of the Royal Commonwealth Society in Hong Kong for sponsoring book vouchers for each of the winners. The book vouchers can be used towards purchases of books at Kelly & Walsh, the Hong Kong Book Centre and Swinden Books.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2015 Hong Kong Award Winners
Senior Silver Award
Alvin Yu, St. Joseph’s College
Senior Bronze Awards
Belinda Ng, South Island School
Sherman Lam, St. Joseph’s College
Wallace Fan, St. Joseph’s College
Junior Gold Awards
Setiadi Cameron, Singapore International School
Junior Silver Awards
Sabrina Hwang, Singapore International School
Germaine Kimberly Lau, Chinese International School
Junior Bronze Awards
Ethan Lau, Singapore International School
Dorothy Poon, St. Mary’s Canossian College