community organiser · local councillor

Community & coverage

Recognised by The Times as a "British-Hong Kong success story" — Richard's community leadership has drawn coverage from newsrooms across the UK, Europe and Asia, from the BBC and the Financial Times to SCMP, Nikkei and CNA.

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since 2020

The Sutton Hongkonger community

What began in 2020 as a Facebook group for newly-arrived Hongkongers has grown into one of the most active diaspora communities in the UK — over 9,000 members finding schools, jobs, friends and a footing in south London.

Richard has led that growth from day one: organising Friendship Festivals, Lunar New Year markets and Mid-Autumn celebrations for thousands of attendees, coordinating 60+ volunteers and 10+ partner organisations, running surveys that give the community a voice — and carrying that voice into Westminster, where he has campaigned to protect the BN(O) five-year settlement path.

9,000+community members
2,000+event attendees
60+volunteers
10+partner organisations
Delegation delivering the BN(O) petition to 10 Downing Street
Delivering the 7,600-signature BN(O) petition to 10 Downing Street — December 2025

the annual festivals

Mid-Autumn & Lunar New Year, every year

Children's choir performing to a packed hall at the 2025 Sutton Mid-Autumn celebration
Mid-Autumn 2025 · a packed hall for the children's choir
Youth dance troupe performing on stage
Mid-Autumn 2025 · youth dance troupes take the stage
Saxophone duo performing live
Mid-Autumn 2025 · live music all afternoon
Calligraphy and craft stalls
Mid-Autumn 2025 · calligraphy & craft stalls
Families playing traditional games together
Mid-Autumn 2025 · games that bring generations together
Mid-Autumn festival decorations
Mid-Autumn 2025 · festival identity designed by Richard
Lion dance at the Sutton Lunar New Year celebration, with the local MP painting the lion's eyes
Lunar New Year 2025 · Luke Taylor MP paints the lion's eyes to wake its spirit
Lunar New Year celebration group photo with lion dancers at Sutton Library
Lunar New Year 2023 · opening the celebration at Sutton Library with the Council Leader and Mayor

week in, week out

The quiet work between festivals

Volunteers planting a native hedgerow in Manor Park
Planting a native hedgerow with the Manor Park Friends Group — 2026
Volunteers sorting donations at the Sutton Community Project
Sutton Community Project — Hongkonger & Ukrainian volunteers supporting 140 families every week
Older Hongkongers learning bowls at Rosehill Bowls Club
Fifty older Hongkongers take up bowls at Rosehill Bowls Club — 2025
Children's games with Sutton MET Police at a community fun day
Family fun day with Sutton MET Police — 2023

civic life

Serving the borough

01

Local Councillor — Sutton Central

The first Hong Kong-born councillor in Sutton's history — elected with 56% of the vote in 2025 and re-elected in 2026.

02

Sutton College Governor — former

Served as a governor of the borough's adult-education college, widening access to learning for every community. Richard has since stepped down from this role.

03

Safer Neighbourhood Board

Board member bridging community needs and policing priorities across Sutton.

04

Community advocate

A voice for Hongkongers in the UK — from parliamentary roundtables to national and international newsrooms.

on air

Interviews & broadcast coverage

Featured and interviewed by broadcasters across four countries — from Sky News in the UK and ZDF in Germany to CNA in Taiwan and Green Bean Media in the Hong Kong diaspora.

Sky News — interview (UK)

ZDF, heute in Europa — feature (Germany)

CNA — BNO visa immigration white paper petition (Taiwan)

CNA — interview with Richard Choi (Taiwan)

CNA — interview (Taiwan)

Green Bean Media 綠豆 — interview

Green Bean Media 綠豆 — interview

綠豆 — 2026 選舉報導 (election report)

watch the full interview playlist on YouTube →

in print

In the papers

From The Times naming Richard a "British-Hong Kong success story" to the Financial Times, BBC, SCMP and Nikkei — press coverage of his community leadership across the UK, Europe and Asia.

The TimesBBCFinancial TimesSCMPNikkeiSky NewsZDFCNAPTS

the design years · 1997 — 2008

Early coverage, Hong Kong & Taipei

Long before Sutton, Richard's product design work was making headlines in Asia — from Very Hong Kong in 1997 to Apple Daily, Career magazine, Business Next, China Times and Taiwanese television. Click any cutting to read it up close.

Very Hong Kong magazine, 1997 Career magazine, 2004 Apple Daily 蘋果日報, 2004 Business Next 數位時代, 2006 Wealth Weekly 理財週刊, 2006 Career magazine, 2006 China Times 中國時報, 2007 China Electronics Times 中國電子時報, 2007 USTV 非凡新聞, 2007 Career magazine, 2008 World Design Schools feature
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