Jockey Club joins annual Together We Care programme to support thousands in need across Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) volunteer team turned out in force for the 20th annual Together We Care programme in support of families in need and the elderly across Hong Kong.

The Jockey Club’s CARE@HKJC volunteer team supported Together We Care programme.

Initiated by the Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association (HKEAA) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the programme will see over 160 members of the Club’s CARE@HKJC team join other volunteers as well as elite athletes in delivering goody bags to some 2,800 people in need.

Jockey Club volunteer team members including jockeys helped to prepare goody bags to distribute to families in need and the elderly. (Photo 7, from left) Keagan De melo, Ben Thompson, Keith Yeung, Dylan Mo with his spouse, Matthew poon, and Antoine Hamelin.

Photo by The Hong Kong Jockey Club

A launch ceremony was held at Po Leung Kuk Riverain Primary School today (17 November). Officiating guests included the HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung; Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi; the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam; Chairman of HKEAA Daniel Lee and the Chief Executive of YWCA Yvonne Yeung. Tam, Tsoi and elite athletes took turns sharing their volunteering experiences at the event.

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony included HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung (4th right); Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi (1st right); Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam (2nd right); Chairman of Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association Daniel Lee (3rd right); the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association Yvonne Yeung (4th left) ; Hong Kong Jockey Club Assistant External Affairs Manager and Olympic gold medallist in women’s epee fencing Vivian Kong (3rd left); Hong Kong wheelchair badminton athlete Chan Ho-Yuen (1st left), and Hong Kong tennis athlete Zhang Ling (2nd left).

The Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam said he was delighted to join the Club’s volunteer team together with elite athletes to visit people in need across the community and spread a message of warmth and love. He said that the Club was dedicated to acting continuously for the betterment of society, and keen to continue working hand in hand with athletes and Hong Kong citizens to extend a spirit of togetherness in the community.

Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam (2nd right); HKSAR Government Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi (1st right); Hong Kong Jockey Club Assistant External Affairs Manager and Olympic gold medallist in women’s epee fencing Vivian Kong (centre), and elite athletes, including Hong Kong wheelchair badminton athlete Chan Ho-Yuen (1st left) and Hong Kong tennis athlete Zhang Ling (2nd left) shared their volunteering experiences at the launch ceremony.

The theme of this year’s programme is “Jointly spreading warmth in the community”. The Club is serving as the programme’s main sponsor, providing goody bags containing food and daily necessities. Jockeys Keagan De melo, Antoine Hamelin, Lyle Hewitson, Dylan Mo, Matthew Poon, Ben Thompson and Keith Yeung joined the Club’s volunteer team yesterday (16 Nov) in preparing goody bags at the school, which is a supporting organisation for the programme.

Visiting families after the ceremony were Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam (3rd right), Head of External Affairs Freely Cheng (1st right), External Affairs Manager and Olympic fencing gold medallist Vivian Kong ( 1st left); Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association Vice-President Amy Chan ( 4th right); the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association Yvonne Yeung ( 5th right); Hong Kong wheelchair badminton athlete Chan Ho-Yuen , 3rd left), along with other guest.

Photo by The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Photo by The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Photo by The Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Sichuan University – Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction (“IDMR”), built with a RMB 200 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“the Club”) as one of Sichuan’s reconstruction projects following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, held a plaque unveiling ceremony today (8 November) for a new building, Block B.

Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd right) and Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam (1st right) officiate at the plaque unveiling ceremony for Block B of the Sichuan University – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction (“IDMR”) together with Secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan University Gan Lin (2nd left) and Vice President of Sichuan University Zhao Changsheng (1st left).

The first of its kind in the country, the IDMR integrates scientific research, talent development and social services in the fields of disaster prevention and reduction, and post-disaster reconstruction. The new building provides a more spacious environment for teaching and scientific research. It is another stage in the partnership between Sichuan and Hong Kong in support of disaster prevention and post-disaster reconstruction in China.

The plaque unveiling ceremony was attended by Secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan University Gan Lin; Vice President of Sichuan University Zhao Changsheng; Deputy Director of the Council of Sichuan University Yan Shijing; Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges; Club Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam; Club Head of Mainland Affairs Ronald Chan;  Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Sichuan Province (“SCHKMAO”) Li Hui; Deputy Director of Sichuan Provincial Commission of Development and Reform Huang Yong; Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu Enoch Yuen; Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement) of Hong Kong Polytechnic University Laura Lo, as well as other guests.

The plaque unveiling ceremony was attended by Secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan University Gan Lin (5th left); Vice President of Sichuan University Zhao Changsheng (4th left); Deputy Director of the Council of Sichuan University Yan Shijing (1st left); Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (5th right); Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Raymond Tam (4th right); Hong Kong Jockey Club Head of Mainland Affairs Ronald Chan (1st right); Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Sichuan Province Li Hui (3rd left); Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Commission of Development and Reform Huang Yong (2nd left); Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu Enoch Yuen (3rd right); Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Laura Lo (2nd right).

Secretary of the Sichuan University Party Committee Gan Lin welcomed Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and Club representatives. Both parties had a meeting prior to the unveiling ceremony.

Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (left) meets with Secretary of the Sichuan University Party Committee Gan Lin (right).

SCHKMAO Deputy Director Li Hui welcomed the opening of the new building, noting that following the devastating Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, Hong Kong had generously donated HK$10 billion to support post-disaster reconstruction and relief in Sichuan. These efforts have contributed to the high-quality development of Sichuan, benefiting such areas as education, public health and talent development. In recent years, the IDMR has developed capabilities across the country and in Sichuan. The new building will help Sichuan University develop its disaster prevention and emergency management and enhance Sichuan-Hong Kong co-operation.

Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the IDMR is an outstanding example of “One Country, Two Systems” in action, bringing together Sichuan University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with strong support from the Central Government, the Sichuan Provincial Government and the HKSAR Government. The Club is committed to building a better society for all and has supported several post-disaster projects in Sichuan including the IDMR. He looked forward to many more students applying their skills to the front lines of disaster prevention and relief, to the further development of the IDMR, and to continuing strong ties between Sichuan and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club is looking forward to the further development of the IDMR, as well as to more exchange and co-operation between Sichuan and Hong Kong.

With a total area of 8,400 square meters, the IDMR’s new Block B has 16 laboratories providing facilities for the study of geological disasters, flood disasters, post-disaster environmental management, urban disasters and resilience, disaster information and emergency command and control. 

Guests visit the newly-built Block B at the IDMR.

Since its establishment in 2013, around 645 master’s and doctoral students have enrolled at the IDMR, with emergency management professionals being trained for Sichuan and the country. It also provides education and skills training in the community to enhance public awareness of disaster prevention and risk reduction.

Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd right) and other Club representatives listen to master's and doctoral students in disaster nursing share their research results at a seminar at the IDMR.