HKJC pumps HK$1.4bn to support youth development

In celebration of its 140th anniversary, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has committed a HK$1.4 billion donation to support five youth development initiatives. These include two strategic collaborations with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) announced in the 2024 Policy Address.

The five projects aim to "level up" young people at critical periods in their developmental journey and help them build a resilient sense of self and trajectory in life, thereby establishing a foundation for a successful future. They also echo Chinese president Xi Jinping's remarks that Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive, as well as the latest youth development initiatives announced in the annual Policy Address.

The initiatives include "HYAB JC Scheme for youth life planning", which aims to assist secondary school students in realising their life planning. The scheme encourages successful applicants and their collaborating schools to apply the core elements of the Trust-created and funded Project CLAP@JC, including the Hong Kong Benchmarks for Career and Life Development, CV360, and the Youth Career Development Competency Scale.

Another highlight is the new interactive space at Youth Square (YS). Since 2010, YS is a key Hong Kong government initiative to promote youth development. As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, the HYAB will convert part of YS to establish a new interactive space. Additionally, the HYAB will roll out the “Good Stories of Hong Kong Youth” Programme by reserving part of YS for setting up a video studio for young people to produce videos showcasing positive stories of Hong Kong youth.

The fund will also be used to renovate Hong Kong’s recreational campsites that were built between the 1960s and 1980s. The upgraded campsites will provide the community, especially young people, with unique recreational and educational experiences, reinforcing the many positive benefits of outdoor learning and helping to improve physical and mental wellbeing.

Moreover, an innovative multi-stage intervention model will be launched to enhance the life mobility potential of young people. This will help them develop a sense of agency, while a two-year “Professional Traineeship” programme for young graduates entering the workforce will help enhance their social mobility.

The “JC Echoes of Love Fund”, which is operated by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, has developed a positive trajectory framework for bereaved children and young people under the age of 18 impacted by the loss of a parent. To facilitate the implementation of these plans, the Fund offers a monthly stipend of a maximum of HK$2,000 for up to five years. The project will benefit about 1,000 bereaved children and young people and their caregivers.

Speaking at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Day at Sha Tin Racecourse, club chairman Michael Lee (pictured second left) said that young people are vital to the society’s sustainable and prosperous development. "This is why Youth Development and Poverty Alleviation is one of the priority areas of the club’s charities strategy. With this in mind, the club has initiated and supported a wide range of programmes designed to help young people become active citizens and make a difference in society."

"The youth initiatives announced today aim to provide young people with enhanced support, diverse experiences and development opportunities that will equip them for the future. The club hopes through these measures to nurture a new generation of multi-talented young people, who will not only feel hope for the future but be ready to contribute to society’s development. The club looks forward to strengthening multilateral collaboration as it works with its partners to launch more innovative initiatives to address the changing needs of our society," he added.

Secretary for home and youth affairs Alice Mak (pictured second right) emphasised the the government's commitment to youth development, and expressed her appreciation for the club’s longstanding support to the relevant work, including the two strategic collaborations with the Club’s Charities Trust announced in the 2024 Policy Address, namely the enhanced HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning, launched by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Youth Development Commission (YDC), which aims to assist secondary school students in realising their life planning and seizing national development opportunities; and the conversion of part of Youth Square into a new interactive space where young people can gather, exchange ideas, develop their potential and participate in different activities.

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