Steven Cheung

The Chinese community in the UK is urged to each donating one pound to fund the ambitious bid of Steven Cheung for the European Election this summer.

Princess Diana Award winner Steven Cheung confirmed his intention to seek nomination to stand in the forthcoming European Election on Tuesday this week. At just 19, he could become the youngest ever Member of the European Parliament if elected, and the first from the Chinese community

An appeal for everyone to “Give One Pound” was launched in London Chinatown on Easter Sunday (12/04/09) to support Cheung’s bid. He has already collected £1610 in just a few days and is confident that he will reach his first target of £5000 to pay for the required deposit.

A member of the BC, British Chinese project, Cheung has been gaining huge support from the community, “Some of the shops will be putting in collection boxes for us, some are running special sales to raise funds and a group of musicians is planning a fundraising evening. It shows we can really achieve a lot as a community when we unit our efforts. I am very grateful for all their support and most of all to those who pledge small donations. One pound may seems very little, but with an estimate of 200 thousand Chinese in the South East, if they all donate just a pound, there will be enough funds for me to run a strong campaign. More importantly, it will mean they have given me their mandate so that I can take their voices to Europe.”

Cheung has been meeting with different community groups and representatives of various organisations. He said, “The Chinese in the UK have always been hardworking and self-sufficient. But when the credit crunch hit, it affected everyone. I want to make sure our voices are heard and our needs are understood. I will continue to meet with others in the community to listen and learn, so I can truly reflect the needs of the community when the election comes.

Cheung has also been busy assembling his campaign team, “There are a lot of talents in our community, a lot of Chinese students are the top in their schools, I am very keen to hear from different people so I can make use of their valuable time and work together for the community.”

His current team makes up of British Chinese as well as overseas students. “It is great to have the interaction and it will be a useful experience for everyone. They will also be able to tell me their concerns directly. Young people tend to get overlooked by politicians and I wish to change that.”

The BC project has actively encouraged many young people to integrate into British politics and Christine Lee, its founder hopes that Steven will become the first British Chinese to step foot into the European Parliament, “I hope more young people will come forwards like Steven and we will be happy to give them our full support. I hope more people can represent our views and build bridges among our communities.”

Steven Cheung has set up a website: www.stevencheung.com so people can make suggestions directly to him. For more details about the “Give One Pound Campaign”, call 020 7558 8188, or send your donation to Christine Lee, who has agreed to be the Legal Adviser for the campaign and will be safekeeping and monitoring the funds to make sure all its transactions are transparent and accountable. The address for the donation is PO BOX 42193. London SW8 3XY.

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