CityUHK launches trauma hub after Tai Po fire
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) opened a Community Chilling Hub 35 days after the Tai Po fire to provide lifelong psychosocial support for survivors.
Source: South China Morning Post · August 30, 2026 at 4:01 PM · AI-assisted report
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HONG KONG, TAI PO, MALAYSIA, 31 AUGUST 2026 —
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) opened a Community Chilling Hub 35 days after the Tai Po fire to provide lifelong psychosocial support for survivors.
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Professor Cherry Tam, associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, said the hub offers free, age-blind services covering physical health screening, counseling, social work and spiritual care. “Anyone can come here,” she told the South China Morning Post. The hub is funded by a donation from China Hongqiao Group Limited.
CityUHK’s response began five days after the 26 November blaze that killed nine people and injured more than 40. On 1 December the university held a public lecture on resilience, arranged trauma workshops for local teachers and launched psychosocial support for primary pupils. “This kind of interdisciplinary, cross-departmental collaboration happened in a minute,” Tam said.
The team prioritised listening over solutions. “The very important first step is to understand, to listen,” Tam said. For children, facilitators used adapted cartoon storytelling to help them externalise fear. Drawing allowed quieter pupils to express emotions they could not put into words. “Silence is a very, very important signal,” Tam said.
She stressed hope as the foundation of recovery. Bringing children onto campus was both therapeutic and symbolic. “Even though university feels like it’s a long way off, bringing them onto campus gives them hope for the future,” she said.
To avoid over-reliance on emergency services, CityUHK trained frontline workers in a “train the trainer” model. By early January the department had run a full-day trauma-informed workshop for helping professionals. “This kind of training is very sustainable,” Tam said. “With more professionals equipped, when we have other issues they can take action more immediately.”
The Tai Po fire revealed gaps in Hong Kong’s mental-health system, Tam said. “The services nowadays in Hong Kong to handle mental wellness-related issues are quite fragmented,” she said, noting age and income limits. The hub removes both barriers.
The integrated model blends physical, mental and social support under one roof. “It’s a one-stop shop—physical, social, mental and spiritual wellness support,” Tam said. The approach aligns with sustainable development goals by breaking silos and promoting universal access.
CityUHK is using social prescribing, a UK-born method that moves care beyond clinical diagnosis. After acute therapy, residents receive community-based support curated by trained link workers. “We provide basic volunteer training, linking them with families to co-design tailored social prescriptions,” Tam said.
If the hub proves effective, CityUHK plans to pitch the model to the Hong Kong government as a scalable alternative. “We can prove the model … and let the government have more alternatives to improve the existing services,” Tam said.
For Malaysia’s business readers, CityUHK’s model shows how universities can act as rapid-response civic labs that leverage academic expertise for public good, demonstrating value beyond degrees and research.
Related: Professor Cherry Tam