Celebrating 140 Years: Jockey Club commits HK$1.4 billion to youth development initiatives

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.

Today (12 May), The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) announced the launch of a major initiative to transform itself into a global sports entertainment brand with the ultimate aim of creating even more value for the community. In support, the Club has entered into a strategic partnership with XIX Entertainment (XIX), one of the world’s top entertainment brands.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (left) and Simon Fuller, Founder of XIX Entertainment (right) officiate at the launch ceremony.

Over the past 20 years, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become a world-class racing brand. Its Group 1 races and superstar horses feature strongly in the world rankings, with two of the world’s best horses currently based in Hong Kong. Some of the world’s best jockeys and trainers are in Hong Kong. The Club’s racing is broadcast to millions of fans across five continents, with 25% of its income now derived from overseas. The Club’s racecourse facilities are second to none. And through its Happy Wednesday brand, which showcases sports with entertainment, and major raceday events featuring international and Hong Kong stars, combining lifestyle and entertainment, the Club has developed a highly attractive racecourse entertainment experience.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (left) and Simon Fuller, Founder of XIX Entertainment (right) officiate at the launch ceremony.

All of this has enabled the Club to significantly increase its support for the community. In 2023/24 alone, the Club contributed a record HK$40.1 billion in tax and approved charity donations. It has also made racing a highly attractive visitor experience, with over 143,000 tourists visiting the racecourses so far this season. This encouraging tourist attendance owes a great deal to the support for racing tourism in the recent Hong Kong CE Policy Address, and to the efforts of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Tourism Board in promoting Hong Kong horse racing globally.  The Club is also grateful for the new strategic collaboration with the China Tourism Group in promoting the Club’s world-class racing sport in the Mainland.

During a dialogue session, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (right) and Simon Fuller, Founder of XIX Entertainment (centre), exchange views on how their partnership can showcase Hong Kong as a centre for global exchange, connectivity and tourism.

Now the Club’s vision is to go one step further - to become a global sports entertainment brand. In other words to create a holistically integrated racing, equestrian sports and entertainment experience, which will enable the Club to expand its fan base, especially to the younger generation, and to reach out to a global and Mainland audience. Ultimately the aim is to become the premier destination for global horse racing and equestrian sports.

This, the Club believes, perfectly matches Hong Kong’s aspiration to become a hub for international exchanges and cooperation, as well as a centre for international cultural exchange as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. It will also enable the Club to contribute even more to the betterment of society.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (7th left); Simon Fuller, Founder of XIX Entertainment (6th right); Club management and other guests pose for a group photo at the ceremony.

As a first step, the Club is delighted to partner with XIX under the leadership of its visionary founder, Simon Fuller. The first collaboration will bring XIX’s global pop group, Now United, to Hong Kong. The first initiative, Now United, will give Hong Kong’s talent a chance to shine on the world stage, while through social media and racecourse performances the group will share positive stories about Hong Kong and Hong Kong racing with their millions of fans around the world.

Now United is the world’s first global pop group. With 19 performers from around the globe, they have a mission to bring music and dance to the world.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said he was excited to announce the Club’s plans to become a globally recognised sports entertainment brand, which will enable the Club to contribute even more to Hong Kong. Holistically integrating entertainment, racing and equestrian sport, at its heart will be a celebration of the strong bonding between horses and humans. This, he said, perfectly matches Hong Kong's aspiration to expand its global connectivity. Finally, looking ahead to the Year of the Horse in 2026, it is the perfect moment to use entertainment, lifestyle and social content to foster new connections and promote passion around the horse - heritage, power, elegance and emotion brought to life.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club announces the strategic partnership between the Club and XIX Entertainment.

Simon Fuller, the British-born Founder of XIX, said “I am excited to be collaborating with Hong Kong and the Jockey Club to create something aspirational and positive. I believe there is an important opportunity to bring inspiring and joyful entertainment to Hong Kong and Horse Racing. This is an incredible city full of potential with so many stunning iconic locations to share with the world.” He added, “my global pop group Now United being here in Hong Kong is the beginning of many more exciting announcements in the coming months, leading to celebrating the year of the horse.”

Now United is the world’s first global pop group. With 19 performers from around the globe, they have a mission to bring music and dance to the world.

Now United is XIX’s multi-cultural global pop group, featuring young musical and dance talent from across the world. The collaboration with the Club will see a talent search in Hong Kong for the next member of the group. The finalist will receive masterclass training from top-class professionals at XIX Entertainment’s Academy of Pop. There will also be a reality series and music videos filmed with Now United during their stay in Hong Kong, to be shared with their 40 million social media followers across multiple platforms around the world.  Hong Kong audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy Now United’s live performances at the Club’s racecourses and at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races in December 2025.

The search for the next member of Now Unitedin Hong Kong will begin with auditions for people aged 18 or above starting from today (12 May). For application details, please visit https://nowunited.com/newmember/index_en.php.