Jockey Club supports youthfest@HK for the third consecutive year to strengthen pathways for youth development

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is delighted to announce its support for the Hong Kong Youth Festival (youthfest@HK) for the third consecutive year, with an approved donation of HK$10 million through its Charities Trust. Organised by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the festival aims to help young people develop their potential, enhance their knowledge, share their experiences and nurture positive thinking.

Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (back row, centre); Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government (back row, 4th left); Clarence Leung, Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs (back row, 3rd right); Lester Huang, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (back row, 4th right); Kenneth Leung, Vice-Chairperson of the Youth Development Commission (back row, 2nd left); and other officiating guests and participating youth at the 2025 youthfest@HK kick-off ceremony.

With the theme of “Nurture Positive Thinking”, “Promote Innovation” and “Inspire Creativity”, the kick-off ceremony of the 2025 youthfest@HK was held today (29 July). Officiating at the ceremony were Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Lester Huang, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Kenneth Leung, Vice-Chairperson of the Youth Development Commission and other distinguished guests.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Club Steward Lester Huang said it had been an honour to participate in the “Youth Fest Youth Quest” event last year, where he engaged in a dialogue with Alice Mak, the Secretary for Home Affairs, and 300 young people, sharing visions for the future of Youth Square and career and life planning.

Club Steward Lester Huang delivers a speech at the 2025 youthfest@HK kick-off ceremony.

He added that young people are a vital driving force for societal progress. Over the years, the Club has remained steadfast in its commitment to youth development, through multi-sector collaboration and innovative approaches. It has initiated and supported various projects that create equal and diverse opportunities for the younger generation to grow into active, engaged citizens and give back to society. One notable example of the Club’s commitment is its support for the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme, which empowers underprivileged youth to broaden their horizons and set life goals.

The Club has supported youthfest@HK since it was launched by the HKSAR Government in 2023. The Youth Development Summit is the flagship event of the festival, which also includes a diverse range of activities, performances and competitions. This year, the Club will mobilise non-governmental organisations and groups to nominate around 30 Club-supported projects as partner activities for the 2025 youthfest@HK.

In celebration of the Club’s 140th anniversary, the Club announced earlier 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. One is the HYAB JC Scheme for Youth 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 to provide high-quality career and life development services for students. For the second collaboration, the Club has supported the partial renovation of Youth Square to create a new interactive space and set up a video studio.

Youth perform at the 2025 youthfest@HK kick-off ceremony.

The Club is deeply committed to uplifting life trajectories of youth from diverse backgrounds by strengthening foundational support and removing barriers, enabling them to confidently navigate key life stages. Through a youth-centric service model, it actively promotes fosters social participation and connectedness, while building a family-friendly community.

The Club’s support for youthfest@HK, 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.

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.