The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“The Club”) Charities Trust and the Institute of Philanthropy (“IoP”) co-hosted a regional health and development conference in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 January to 2 February with 18 United Nations agencies and philanthropic foundations.
The week-long Prince Mahidol Award Conference (“PMAC”) 2025 was held under the theme “Harnessing Technologies in an Age of AI to Build a Healthier World”. Participants explored how to leverage the latest technologies to facilitate equitable, affordable and comprehensive health-care access for all. Conference co-hosts included Club’s Charities Trust and IoP, the World Health Organization (“WHO”), United Nations Development Programme (“UNDP”), Rockefeller Foundation, the Gates Foundation and The World Bank, etc.
Posing for a photo with panellists of the side-programme “Towards Universal Health Coverage: Innovative Technologies for Early Screening and Management of Diabetes” are Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care; and Healthy Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (5th right); Professor Juliana Chan, Chair Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Founding Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity (5th left); and Professor Ronald Ma, Associate Dean (External Affairs), S.H. Ho Professor of Diabetes of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (4th right).
IoP, a charitable organisation established by the Club and its Charities Trust in 2023, staged a special event at PMAC on 31 January entitled “Non-communicable Disease Management in a Primary Healthcare Setting”. There it announced a three-year pilot project in collaboration with the WHO to control and manage non-communicable diseases (“NCDs”) in primary-care settings.
Supported by a contribution of US$1.9 million (HK$14.8 million) from IoP, this will see the WHO’s Regional Office for the Western Pacific (“WPRO”) develop an end-to-end NCD control and management protocol in the Philippines, Tonga and Solomon Islands. It encompasses prevention, early identification, treatment and long-term management as well as prevention of complications and management of NCDs in primary-care settings.
“The launch of this NCD pilot project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with NCDs in vulnerable countries, while at the same time illustrate an investment case for scaling up the end-to-end NCD control and management model in the whole Western Pacific region,” said Dr Tran Thi Giang Huong, WPRO’s Director of Division of Programmes for Disease Control.
Pictured at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference’s special event in Bangkok are Dr Tran Thi Giang Huong, Director of Division of Programmes for Disease Control, at WPRO (left); Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) at IoP (right); and moderator Sophia Chan (centre),Professor and Director of HKU Primary Health Care Academy.
Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) at IoP, said: “The Institute of Philanthropy is delighted to support the WHO in addressing the need to prevent and manage NCDs in the region. This donation clearly showcases our commitment to global health through collaboration with the WHO, together with the US$11.2 million funding pledge that IoP made at the WHO
Investment Round in May and October 2024.”
In addition, the Club’s Charities Trust and The Chinese University of Hong Kong in association with IoP co-convened a side-programme at PMAC 2025 on 29 January entitled “Towards Universal Health Coverage: Innovative Technologies for Early Screening and Management of Diabetes”. It explored data-driven approaches and digital innovations to strengthen diabetes care and management. This side-programme featured findings from two Trust-supported initiatives on a care model harnessing biogenetic markers, big data algorithms and the latest
wearable technologies to improve health outcomes and empower self-management for people living with or at risk of diabetes.
Heather Doyle, Team Lead, HIV & Health Group, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP (5th right), and Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) of IoP (4th right), pose for a photo with panellists and moderators at the side-programme entitled “Catalysing Digital Technologies for Non-communicable Diseases in the Global South”.
IoP and UNDP also co-convened a separate side-programme at PMAC on the same day entitled “Catalysing Digital Technologies for Non-communicable Diseases in the Global South”. It highlighted case studies on innovative technologies being used for the prevention and management of NCDs to mobilise resources and foster collaboration in the Global South.
Established as a “think-fund-do” tank for China and Asia, IoP is dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought-leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global levels. It seeks to collaborate extensively with fellow foundations and contribute to WHO’s efforts to address global health issues. IoP pledged US$11.2 million (HK$87.4 million) to WHO’s Investment Round in May and October last year to promote, provide for and protect the health and well-being of people worldwide. The Investment Round is a new collaborative mechanism to generate sustainable financing for the WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work 2025-2028.
In celebration of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s 140th anniversary, the Club announced today (13 April) that its Charities Trust has committed HK$1.4 billion to support five youth development initiatives. These include two strategic collaborations with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) announced in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address.
Officiating guests, Club Stewards, members of the Club’s Board of Management and representatives from project partners pose for a photo.
This announcement was the highlight of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Day at Sha Tin Racecourse, attended by over 200 charity and community representatives. Officiating were HKSAR Government Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak, Club Chairman Michael Lee, Club Deputy Chairman Martin Liao and Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
HKSAR Government Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak (2nd right), Club Chairman Michael Lee (2nd left), Club Deputy Chairman Martin Liao (1st right) and Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st left) officiate at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Day, which saw the Club announce five youth development initiatives.
Club Chairman Michael Lee said that young people are vital to our 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.
Club Chairman Michael Lee said the Club hopes the five youth initiatives will 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.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak emphasised the HKSAR 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.
HKSAR Government Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak expressed he appreciation for the longstanding support provided by the Club’s Charities Trust’s for youth development in Hong Kong.
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 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 key components of the donation are:
1. HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning
The Trust has provided funding to support this enhanced scheme implemented by the HYAB and the YDC, 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.
2. New interactive space at Youth Square
Youth Square (YS), operating since 2010, is a key HKSAR 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 with funding support from the Trust. Young people are invited to suggest uses, facilities and operation modes for this space. In addition, 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, and providing relevant training on production and filming of video clippings.
3. JC Campsite Reimagination Project
Most of Hong Kong's recreational campsites, built between the 1960s and 1980s with initial funding from the Trust, now require redevelopment to meet modern needs. 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 well-being. To date, three projects have been approved: Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village by Chinese Young Men’s Christian Association of Hong Kong in Ma On Shan, Bradbury Camp by The Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong in Wong Yi Chau, and Choi Chee Ming Luen Kwong Scout Centre by The Scout Association of Hong Kong in Yuen Long.
4. Enhancing Life Mobility Potential of Youth
This Trust-initiated project seeks to enhance the life mobility potential of young people through an innovative multi-stage intervention model. The project 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.
5. JC Echoes of Love Fund
Established and funded by the Trust and operated by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, this project has developed a positive trajectory framework for bereaved children and young people under the age of 18 impacted by the loss of a parent. A professional team of dedicated Trajectory Development Managers provides bereavement support services and designs individualised development plans for bereaved children. 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.
Club Chairman Michael Lee (centre), CLAP@JC Social Worker Leung Chi-ho (right) and CLAP@JC Youth Beneficiary Lau Chun-ming (left).
The Club initiated the annual Community Day race meeting in 2005 as a way of honouring its successful partnerships with Government and community organisations for the betterment of society. This initiative followed the generous donation of a silver racing trophy, over 170 years old, by the late Tobias Brown, in recognition of the Club's charitable contributions to the community. It has since been renamed The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy. It was won this year by GUSTOSISIMO, ridden by Angus Chung. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak presented the trophy to owner Edwin Cheung.
HKSAR Government Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak (front row, 2nd right) presents The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy to Edwin Cheung (front row, 2nd left), owner of the winning horse GUSTOSISIMO. The historic 170-year-old trophy was generously donated by the late Tobias Brown in recognition of the Club’s charitable contributions to the community.
As a not-for-profit sports and charity organisation rooted in Hong Kong for 140 years, the Club has a unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong. Under the banner “With You. Then. Now. Always.” the Club is organising a series of celebratory initiatives to mark its 140th Anniversary and to recognise Hong Kong people’s contribution to its mission, which is to act continuously for the betterment of society. For more information, visit https://campaign.hkjc.com/140/en/.
Officiating guests, Club Stewards and members of the Club’s Board of Management toast the success of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Day.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy presentation ceremony.
