In Hong Kong, many underprivileged families experience financial pressures that compel parents to juggle work and family responsibilities. This makes it difficult for them to spend quality time with their children, impacting family relationships.
To address these needs, especially among low-income families and non-ethnic Chinese families, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is supporting the HK United Youth Exchange Foundation Limited to launch a three-year Jockey Club Home Harmony Programme with an approved donation of HK$10.14 million.
The programme was launched today (9 December) during the 32nd Anniversary Celebration and Inauguration Ceremony of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong United Youth Association cum Launch Event of the Jockey Club Home Harmony Programme. Officiating at the event were Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Liu Guangyuan, HKSAR Government Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR Fang Jianming, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Deputy Chairman Martin Liao, Chairperson of the Hong Kong United Youth Association Dr Lam Ho-yi, Secretary-general of the All-China Youth Federation Zhao Bo, Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department of Jiangsu Provincial Committee Li Weihua, Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Wan Ning and other guests.
Officiating at the launch of the Jockey Club Home Harmony Programme were Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Liu Guangyuan (front row,5th left), HKSAR Government Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki (front row, 5th right), Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR Fang Jianming (front row, 3rd left), Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung (front row, 1st left), Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak (front row, 3rd right), The Hong Kong Jockey Club DeputyChairman Martin Liao (front row, 4th left), Chairperson of the Hong Kong United YouthAssociation Dr Lam Ho-yi (front row, centre), Secretary-general of the All-China Youth Federation Zhao Bo (front row, 4th right), Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department of Jiangsu Provincial Committee Li Weihua (front row, 2nd left), Deputy Director-General of the YouthDepartment of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Wan Ning(front row, 2nd right) and other guests.
The Jockey Club Home Harmony Programme seeks to enhance family harmony and resilience through a range of activities targeting both young people and their families. Mentoring workshops will connect underprivileged youth with mentors from various professional backgrounds, enabling them to expand their social circles and access new resources. Family bond-building and adventure based activities such as local cultural tours, will provide more opportunities for families to spend quality time with each other. So too will volunteering activities, for dedicated young volunteers and their family members, culminating in an annual tour to the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, by bringing families with similar backgrounds together the programme will help build a caring and supportive network in the community.
The programme will commence in February 2025 and is expected to benefit 2,400 underprivileged youth and their parents and 1,200 community service recipients.
The Club’s support for the Jockey Club Home Harmony Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities.
The TWGHs “iRun” – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026 (iRun) took place today (11 January) along the Central and Western District Promenade and Lung Wo Road. This year, the event, supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, saw a record turnout of over 5,500 runners of varying abilities and their pair-up partners joined the fun while promoting social inclusion.
Over 5,500 runners, including participants of varying abilities and their pair-up partners, participated in iRun 2026 to promote social inclusion within the community.
Among the officiating guests cheering on the runners were HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun, Club Steward Philip Lo and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng.
HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (3rd left), Club Steward Philip Lo (3rd right) and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng (2nd left) officiate at the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.
Club Steward Philip Lo (centre) receives a souvenir from HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (left), accompanied by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 4th Vice-Chairman cum Chairman of Community Services Committee Jason Lee (right).
HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (centre), Club Steward Philip Lo (right) and iRun ambassador So Wa-wai (left).
Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Philip Lo emphasised that the significance of iRun extends beyond a single day of competition. The initiative provides diverse support to improve participants’ physical health and foster social inclusion. The Club has always placed great emphasis on the community’s needs, with “Health” being one of the strategic priorities of its Charity’s Trust. It consistently supports various organisations, including the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), to launch initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles and enhance citizens’ overall quality of life.
Club Steward Philip Lo delivers a speech at the starting ceremony of the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.
Organised by TWGHs and supported by the Trust since 2012, iRun aims to give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of sports and become more involved with the community.
A member of the CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team and runner pose for a photo.
This year’s event welcomed participants not only from Hong Kong but also Beijing, Guangdong Province and Macau. Runners with intellectual disabilities were paired with volunteers in a 3km challenge race, with pre-race training sessions arranged to help pairs get to know each other. The winning teams will receive sponsorship to participate in marathons outside Hong Kong, broadening their horizons and boosting their self-esteem.
Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.
This year, the event once again hosted the 1km “iRun for Family”, giving children aged six to 11 with intellectual disabilities and their families the chance to enjoy sporting fun together. To further promote social inclusion, a new “1km iRun Group” race was introduced to include participants with disabilities such as visually impairment, hearing impairment or those undergoing mental rehabilitation. About 800 volunteers, including members of the Club’s CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team, participated as pair-up runners or helpers to share the joy of running.
CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners receive the trophy for the Corporate Social Inclusion Tournament.
Additionally, the “i-Runners’ Club” provides regular training for participants under the guidance of professional coaches, while “Green Marathon” elements remain integral to the event to encourage waste reduction and recycling, and advocate for environmental awareness.
The Club’s support for iRun, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.
Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.
