Forever remember

Mrs Marden not only cared for others and served Hong Kong’s society relentlessly but turned her incomparable enthusiasm for the care of children into actionable items, including the inauguration of Playright in 1987.

 

In her gentle and benevolent ways, she educated and led Playright’s vision and personally saw to the opening of the King’s Park Children’s Playground in 1989, a first of its kind at the time as a playground designed for children with special needs. Its long-term impact inspired the Tuen Mun Park Inclusive Playground over 20 years later where children can play with sand and water nowadays, thanks to Mrs Marden’s groundbreaking advocacy many years ago.

 

Mrs Marden’s insightful concern about the healthy development of children initiated many other local projects and establishments – playgrounds in refugee camps and prisons; play services in hospitals; toy libraries; play ideas for parents and teachers; adventure playgrounds; play in the natural environment; and what we nowadays know as Play Street, Play Mobile and Playscope, among others. Forward looking, Mrs Marden emphasized that besides creating projects, adults need to understand the importance of play, and this saw the beginning of Playright’s training programmes which eventually culminated in the opening of the Anne Marden Playright Academy in 2020 through the kind funding support of the Marden Foundation.

 

Mrs Marden was an active participant from internal discussions to external affairs, local promotions to international conferences, play events, and even construction sites. Whether she advocated, lobbied, wrote, or gave a speech, Mrs Marden’s rigorous and no-nonsense messages inspired all at Playright and beyond, and she has been a model to look up to and learn from.

 

Mrs Anne Marden, Founder and Honorary President of Playright, passed away on May 31, 2022, at the age of 96. Her selfless, unfailing dedication will be remembered by the Hong Kong people; her kindness, her smile, and her teaching will always be in the heart of Playright; her inspiration and her vision will remain our beacon, lighting the long road to promote children’s play.

 

Thank you, Mrs Marden! We feel deeply honoured for your inspiration in the past, the presence and well into the future!

 

Learn more about Mrs Marden’s love and dedication to Hong Kong