The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong

What The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong does

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong (SBHK) is a Hong Kong-registered charitable non-government organization (IR No. 91/1498) founded in 1960 that provides free suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and emotional support services to the general public. It operates four internal units — a Hotline Centre, a Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre, a Life Education Centre, and the Ur-Link Professional Training & Development Centre — distributing services across 24-hour phone hotlines (Cantonese and English), the ChatPoint online chat service, a peer-led "Here to Hear" WhatsApp hotline, face-to-face counseling, school-based screening and education programs across 80+ schools, and bereavement support ("Live the Rainbow") for suicide survivors' families. Service delivery is human-staffed by trained social workers and a large volunteer network (currently recruiting its 71st cohort), with no proprietary technology platform disclosed.

The organization is funded primarily through an annual Hong Kong Social Welfare Department subsidy of approximately HK$15 million (covering ~90% of salaries), supplemented by individual and corporate donations, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (which funds the Life Education Resource Library), flag-day collections, charity events (McDull Charity Run, wine sales), and corporate in-kind sponsorship. All services are provided free of charge; donations of HKD100 or above are tax-deductible. The organization does not have shareholders, a parent company, or subsidiaries; it is governed by an Executive Committee with an independent Chairman (Wong Hon-chi, 黃瀚之) and currently led by General Secretary Mr. Cheng Chung (鄧頌), appointed August 13, 2025 after two predecessors departed within twelve months.

Demand for SBHK's services has been rising sharply: youth suicides (aged 19 or younger) reached a 10-year high of 47 in 2025 (+30%+ year-on-year), its crisis intervention service handled 1,147 cases, and its hotline fielded 17,340 calls. Despite this demand pressure, the organization's revenue base is constrained by a flat HK$15M government subsidy and recurring leadership turnover at the executive level. The organization's strategic posture, evidenced by its 2025 65th anniversary symposium and partnership with the Greater Bay Area Mental Health Collaboration Platform and HKU's Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, is to expand its professional and cross-border footprint while continuing to anchor services in its established hotline and volunteer ecosystem.

Name

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong

Legal name

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong

Website

https://sbhk.org.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong is a 1960-founded charitable NGO providing free 24-hour suicide prevention hotlines, crisis intervention, online chat (ChatPoint), and school-based emotional support programs to the Hong Kong public, funded primarily by government subsidy and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Crisis Intervention Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services (EDALAFAD), Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Suicide prevention services
• Crisis intervention
• Emotional support hotline
• Bereavement support
• Life education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kowloon City

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidies: The organization receives annual government funding of approximately HK$15 million (clarified from incorrect media reports of HK$700 million), primarily used to provide emergency intervention services for individuals assessed as medium to high-risk suicide crisis cases. This covers approximately 90% of salaries.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through individual donations (one-off and monthly), corporate sponsorship, charity events (McDull Charity Run, wine sales), flag-day donations, and community fundraising campaigns. Donations of HKD100 or above are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong provides free emotional support, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention services to individuals in Hong Kong through 24-hour telephone hotlines, online chat (ChatPoint), WhatsApp peer support, face-to-face counseling, and specialized bereavement support for families affected by suicide. The organization also delivers life education programs in schools, professional training through Ur-Link, and volunteer-based crisis intervention via its Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre.

Product overview

The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong offers a comprehensive suite of crisis intervention, emotional support, and suicide prevention services. The organization operates multiple service channels including 24-hour crisis hotlines (2389 2222, 2389 2223), an online chat service called ChatPoint, and specialized helplines for emergency responders, relatives of the suicidal, and peer support (Here to Hear). The organization provides face-to-face crisis counselling, suicide crisis intervention through its Crisis Intervention Centre, and life education programs including workshops, talks, and community exhibitions. Additional services include training programs through Ur-Link Professional Training & Development Centre, bereavement support through the 'Live the Rainbow' service for families of suicide victims, and community education initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24-Hour Emotional Support Hotline 24-hour Cantonese-language telephone hotline (2389 2222) providing immediate emotional support and crisis intervention to any individual in distress, free of charge.
• English Emotional Support Hotline English-language emotional support hotline (2389 2223) providing crisis intervention services to English-speaking residents of Hong Kong.
• ChatPoint Online Chat Service Web-based real-time chat service (chatpoint.org.hk) providing emotional support to those who prefer text-based communication, available weekday afternoons through late night and weekend evenings.
• Emergency Responders Emotional Support Hotline Dedicated emotional support hotline (2353 0017) for police, firefighters, paramedics, and other frontline emergency responders and their immediate family members experiencing workplace or vicarious trauma.
• Consultation Hotline for Relatives and Friends of the Suicidal Specialized helpline (2319 1177) providing support and counseling to family members and friends of individuals at risk of suicide or who have made attempts.
• Peer Hotline 'Here to Hear' Youth peer support hotline (2389 2227) and WhatsApp service (5779 7356) enabling young people to support friends in distress and access peer-based emotional support.
• Suicide Crisis Counselling Face-to-face and telephone crisis counseling services for individuals with suicidal ideation or behavior, delivered through the Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre (Mon-Fri 9am-10pm, Sat 9am-5pm).
• Live the Rainbow Service Bereavement support service for relatives and friends of suicide deaths, offering casework, therapeutic groups, and peer support (the first suicide survivors' relatives self-help group in Hong Kong).
• Life Education Centre Educational center providing talks, life and death education workshops, school exhibitions, and community visits to promote suicide prevention awareness, operating Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.
• Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre Center providing intensive crisis intervention services, suicide risk assessment, and ongoing case management for medium to high-risk suicide crisis cases, with intensive 6-8 week follow-up.
• Ur-Link Professional Training & Development Centre Training center offering professional development programs for volunteers, community members, social workers, teachers, and corporate organizations in suicide prevention and crisis intervention.
• Working with You, Walking with Youth School-based youth suicide prevention program providing direct intervention and support for at-risk students through partnerships with schools.
• Life Companion Training Course Volunteer training program (with 71st recruitment cohort) preparing individuals to provide emotional support through hotline, online chat, and face-to-face services.
• Hotline Centre Central operations hub at the Kowloon (Choi Hung) office managing all telephone-based emotional support and crisis intervention services for the organization.
• Suicide Prevention on neT (SPOT) Online platform providing internet-based suicide prevention resources and intervention services.
• Help4Suicide Self-help and mutual support resources for individuals dealing with suicidal thoughts, providing guidance and information outside of crisis moments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Crisis intervention service handled 1,147 cases in 2025 including 228 young people; screened over 7,000 students across 80 schools over two years, detecting around 600 cases

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hong Kong Council of Social Service Heart-to-Heart CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2025Co-organized the 65th anniversary symposium 'Life Interconnection: Suicide Prevention in Global Change' in September 2025, bringing together over 260 participants from the social welfare and education sectors. The Labour and Welfare Bureau Deputy Secretary and Council Vice-Chairman served as officiating guests.
• Greater Bay Area Mental Health Collaboration PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2025Co-organized the 65th anniversary symposium on suicide prevention alongside the Greater Bay Area Mental Health Collaboration Platform, contributing to regional mental health discourse and cross-border professional exchange.
• HKU Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Prevention and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2025Co-organized the 65th anniversary symposium on suicide prevention. The centre's director Professor Albert Yeung presented on 'Rethinking Suicide Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities,' emphasizing public health strategy, community resources, and technology applications.
• Samaritan Befrienders and Suicide Prevention Hotline (撒瑪利亞會及生命熱線)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2025Supported the 65th anniversary symposium on suicide prevention as co-supporting organizations, contributing to collaborative suicide prevention efforts in Hong Kong.
• DNF Logistics Co. LimitedminorOthersDonated French wines for a charity wine sale campaign, with all proceeds supporting SBHK's online emotional support services. An example of corporate in-kind donation to support fundraising.
• Ben Sir On The WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'My Multi-Emotional Universe' lecture series (2024), a joint educational program exploring emotional management across different life roles, held at SBHK's headquarters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): Singapore's 24-hour suicide prevention hotline and befriender service, operating on a near-identical volunteer-staffed model of emotional support and crisis intervention. Closest structural analog to SBHK in the region.
• Lifeline Australia: Australia's largest crisis support and suicide prevention service, providing 24-hour phone and online chat support plus suicide prevention training — directly comparable to SBHK's hotline, ChatPoint, and Ur-Link training services.
• The Samaritans (UK): The original befriender-model suicide prevention charity in the UK, providing 24/7 emotional support via phone, email, and letter. SBHK shares both the namesake and the volunteer-befriender methodology.

Emerging players

• Crisis Text Line: US-based 24/7 text-based crisis intervention platform competing in the same chat-based crisis support space as SBHK's ChatPoint service, but built on proprietary technology and large-scale volunteer operations.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: US federally-backed nationwide suicide crisis hotline network offering 24/7 voice and text support, including SMS routing that competes conceptually with ChatPoint. A potential model for government-funded scale in Hong Kong.

Broad incumbents

• The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong: Established Hong Kong mental health NGO providing counseling, rehabilitation, and public education across a broader mental health portfolio than SBHK's suicide-specific focus; competes for government mental health funding and professional talent.
• Caritas Hong Kong: Large Hong Kong social services NGO operating family services, youth services, and community mental health programs funded by government and Caritas globally; overlaps with SBHK in school and community outreach funding pools.
• Suicide Prevention Australia: National peak body coordinating Australia's suicide prevention policy, research, and service standards; comparable in scope and influence to what HKU's Centre for Suicide Prevention and SBHK aspire to in Hong Kong's policy ecosystem.

Regional players

• Taiwan Lifeline (生命線): Taiwan-based 24-hour emotional support and suicide prevention hotline serving a Chinese-speaking population with a comparable volunteer-staffed model; relevant regional comparable but does not operate in Hong Kong.

Others

• Befrienders Worldwide: International network of suicide prevention hotlines of which SBHK is a member; an enabling/ecosystem peer that provides standards, training resources, and cross-referrals rather than competing directly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sbhk.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sbhk-org-hk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong