Our Story
Chatteris exists to support young people in Hong Kong with their English language learning.
The foundation was started in 1990 when our founding trustees launched a volunteering scheme of visits to local secondary schools to provide students with extra opportunities to practise their English.
Realising a far larger scheme was needed, the trustees formed the Chatteris Educational Foundation and started raising funds to bring English tutors to Hong Kong to be placed in schools. Although a lot has changed in this time, we have always remained true to the lessons learnt by our founding trustees when volunteering all those years ago. Offering students opportunities for authentic, relaxed, and communicative use of English transforms their views of the language, especially for those from challenging socio-economic backgrounds, and our enthusiastic and committed tutors continue to provide such opportunities to this day.
Today, Chatteris places a team of approximately 60 English tutors full time in over 30 partner schools across three different age groups: primary, secondary and post-secondary. We also run short courses for schools, experiential learning opportunities for students, and deliver multiple community outreach initiatives to serve less privileged groups in Hong Kong society.
Our Values
Compassion
Commitment
Cultural Exchange
Collaboration
Creativity
Our Board of Trustees
Chatteris is overseen by an experienced and active board of trustees with backgrounds in education, law, finance, and human resources.
- Ms Margaret Kwee – Founding Trustee, Chairman of the Board
- Ms Evelyn Fergusson – Honorary Founding Trustee
- Mr S.K Leung – Vice Chairman of the Board
- Ms Sally Cheung
- Ms Isabelle Young
- Professor Amy Tsui
- Mr Peter Clarke
- Dr Gary James Harfitt
Talking to different people is one of my interests and being able to speak English in the school makes me more confident to speak. It helps me enhance my English speaking skills, and my family only speaks Cantonese at home, so it is a great opportunity to prepare for the future.”
Alex, student, Po Leung Kuk Lo Kit Sing (1983) College
What We Do
If You Are A SCHOOL...
Impact Students
Offering them
an authentic and
engaging English
environment in
their school
If You Are An NGO...
Impact The Community
Collaborating with
other charities across
Hong Kong to offer
beneficiaries English
learning opportunities
If You Are A DONOR...
Impact Hong Kong
Connecting local businesses and
organisations with schools to
grant students a chance to
overcome the growing
inequality gap
If You Are A GRADUATE...
Impact Graduates
Professionally developing
our team of tutors to
give them skills for life
in education or
other sectors
Chatteris Milestones
1990
Our founding trustees and volunteers visited schools during their free time, providing extra opportunities for students to practise English inside and outside of the classroom.
1992
Our founding trustees begin to fundraise and support English tutors from the UK and Canada to work in Hong Kong. Two Chatteris Tutors start work in a Hong Kong secondary school.
2001
80 English Tutors, mostly from the UK, Canada, and the USA work in primary and secondary schools across Hong Kong.
2006
Chatteris switches to only hiring university graduates as English Tutors, creating a comprehensive Graduate Development Programme.
2007
Chatteris starts to work with post-secondary schools across Hong Kong.
2015
Chatteris begins our “One for One, Adopt a School” programme for secondary schools. This involves fundraising on behalf of deserving schools with students from challenging backgrounds, allowing them access to a partnership of two Chatteris English Tutors.
2018
Chatteris places over 100 graduate English Tutors from 18 different countries across Hong Kong primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools.
2019
Chatteris begins our “One for One, Adopt a School” programme for primary schools in Hong Kong.
Meet Our Team
Chatteris is a team of almost 100 people all working together to support young people in Hong Kong and fulfill our mission of empowering them with English proficiency and self-confidence. Each year’s cohort of tutors is supported by our experienced Programme Director Team, committed Programme Managers, and dedicated back office administrative support.
Our Programme Director Team
(BA, MA, PGCEi)
Ben began working for Chatteris in 2006 as an English Tutor, and has held various positions within Chatteris since this time across all areas of the foundation, becoming Chief Executive Officer in July 2018.
(BA, MA, MSc)
Margaret began working for Chatteris in 2006 and has held various leadership positions during this time. Margaret now oversees our English Development Programme for schools and Graduate Development Programme for our tutors, and has a particular interest in increasing the use of technology in English language education.
(BA, EdS)
Mariana joined Chatteris in January 2021. She is in charge of the management and development of school programmes at primary and secondary levels, including planning, design, implementation and evaluation.
Head of Development
and Partnerships (BS, MSc)
Ioana joined the Chatteris team in November 2022. She oversees fundraising, development, communications and the flagship “One for One, Adopt a School” project.