Jockey Club Supports Strive and Rise Programme Study Tour to Guizhou to Broaden Youths’ Horizons and Deepen Understanding of National Development

In support of the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust have approved a cumulative donation of HK$41 million since its launch to support the implementation of all four cohorts. Following a positive response to the programme’s two Club-supported summer study tours over the past two years, the Club is once again supporting 100 mentees from the fourth cohort to take part in a six-day study tour to Guizhou this summer.

Freely Cheng, the Club’s Head of External Affairs (first row, 11th right); Sr Tony Wan, Chief Executive Officer of Po Leung Kuk (first row, 10th right); and the Club’s mentors and other participants at West Kowloon Station before departing to Guizhou. Photo source: HKJC

The Club's continued support for the programme and the study tour reflects the Club’s commitment to youth development. It is also aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the goals set out in the Government's Youth Development Blueprint, which seek to nurture a new generation of young people equipped with a global perspective, a positive mindset, and affection for Hong Kong and the country.

A welcome dinner was held last night (3 August), attended by Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the HKSAR Government; Shi Peixin, Director of the CPPCC Guizhou Provincial Committee for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Affairs; Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs; Dr Jenny Tam, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk; and other guests, including three Club mentors.

Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the HKSAR Government (4th left); Shi Peixin, Director of the CPPCC Guizhou Provincial Committee for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Affairs (3rd right); Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs (3rd left); Dr Jenny Tam, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk (2nd right); and other guests attended the Strive and Rise Programme Guizhou study tour welcome dinner. Photo source: HKJC

Speaking at the dinner, Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, expressed his appreciation to the Club for its ongoing support of the Strive and Rise Programme in its capacity as Vice-chairperson of the Partners’ Board. He highlighted the Club’s contributions to all four cohorts, including the sponsorship of the Guizhou study tour and the nomination of mentors. He noted that these initiatives help broaden young people’s horizons, enhance their learning and strengthen their confidence, and encouraged participants to make the most of the exchange by learning more about the country’s development and planning for their future aspirations.

Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the HKSAR Government (middle); and Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs (right), engage with mentees during the dinner. Photo source: HKJC

Nurturing children and youth in families is one of the key impact programmes of the Club’s charities strategy. Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, said the Club believes that investing in young people is an investment in the future of Hong Kong and the nation. Over the years, the Club has continuously supported Hong Kong youngsters to participate in exchange and learning programmes in the Chinese Mainland. Through field visits and first-hand experiences, participants can deepen their understanding of the nation’s development, broaden their horizons and advance their personal development. The Strive and Rise Programme’s Chinese Mainland study tour is a key initiative supported by the Club. Over the past two years, study tours to Hangzhou and Sichuan received widespread positive feedback. The Club is pleased to also be supporting this year’s Guizhou study tour. In addition to providing sponsorship, the Club has also contributed to tour programme planning and arranged for Club mentors and their mentees to take part together.

He added that Guizhou has made remarkable achievements in recent years, particularly in rural revitalisation and the integration of culture and tourism. He believes that, over the coming days, participants will not only experience the province’s spectacular natural landscapes but also witness first-hand the vibrancy and momentum of the nation’s development. The tour promises to be a rare and rewarding learning journey. Beyond gaining knowledge and building friendships, participants will develop a broader outlook, while gaining confidence and courage to embrace the future.

Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the HKSAR Government (3rd from the right); and Raymond Tam, the Club’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs (3rd from the left), engage with mentees during the dinner. Photo source: HKJC

During the six-day visit to Guizhou, the mentees will visit FAST (the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, and the National Big Data (Guizhou) Comprehensive Pilot Zone Communication and Experience Center. These visits will provide insights into the province's development in innovation and technology, the digital economy, aerospace science, and transport infrastructure. The mentees will also visit places like Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village to experience the region's ethnic minority culture, and the Zunyi Conference Site to deepen their understanding of the nation's history. They will also have the opportunity to watch the popular "Village T" fashion showcase to learn how innovative cultural initiatives can contribute to rural revitalisation.

The first cohort of the Strive and Rise Programme was launched in 2022. Through tripartite collaboration with the HKSAR Government, the business sector and the community, the programme aims to help secondary one to four school students set goals for the future and strive for upward mobility. As one of the Vice-Chairpersons of the Programme’s Partners’ Board, the Club has not only provided financial support but also nominated its employees, together with the Jockey Club scholars and fellows, to become volunteer mentors.

Mentees visit FAST (the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, to learn about the country's achievements in astronomy and scientific innovation. Photo source: HKJC

Across the first three cohorts of the programme, over 110 people were nominated. This year, more than 45 individuals have been nominated as mentors for the programme's fourth cohort. In addition, mentees are invited to visit Club facilities, including Tai Kwun, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, the Equine Hospital and Tuen Mun Public Riding School.

The Club has also provided complimentary tickets for programme mentors and mentees to attend events supported by the Club. These included activities under the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, such as the Hong Kong premiere of Horse Power documentary film and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Presents: Dance Drama Cavalry.

The Club’s support for the Strive and Rise Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Mentees visit Zunyi Conference Site to deepen their understanding of the nation's history. Photo source: HKJC

The Hong Kong Jockey Club concluded the landmark 10th anniversary and fifth edition of its PBC forum at West Kowloon Cultural District today (8 September). Convened over two days by the Club’s Charities Trust in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), PBC 2026 featured more than 80 eminent speakers and over 2,000 delegates from around the world. Under the central theme of “Leaping for Impact”, the forum brought together leaders from the philanthropic, sports, business, government, academic and social sectors.

Thematic discussions over the two days addressed pressing social issues including health, the well-being of older adults, urban poverty alleviation, heritage conservation, youth positive trajectory development, climate resilience and inclusive employment. Interactive Impact Studios, Co-Learning Workshops and other extended programmes further bridged visionary ideas with practical implementation, examining how meaningful social impact can be achieved on the ground.

To mark the forum’s conclusion and celebrate a decade of global dialogue, a PBC 2026 Gala Dinner was held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. It brought together delegates from the Chinese Mainland and across the world including foundation leaders, government officials, tertiary institution representatives and community leaders. Among the distinguished attendees were Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR; The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR; Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao; Club Deputy Chairman and IoP Chairman Lester Huang; Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges; and other members of the Club’s Board of Management.

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, 5th left); The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR (front row, 4th right); Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 5th right); Club Deputy Chairman and IoP Chairman Lester Huang (front row, 3rd right); Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 4th left); and other members of the Club’s Board of Management pose for a photo at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, said at the Gala Dinner that, over the past decade, the PBC forum had not only borne witness to the development of philanthropy, but had also promoted exchange and collaboration among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and the international community. Looking ahead to the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, she noted that philanthropic models that take a long-term perspective and place greater emphasis on capacity building and talent development would become increasingly important.

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, said: “Meaningful achievement is built through clarity of purpose, discipline, resilience, honest self-assessment, and an unyielding determination to improve. Those same qualities are becoming increasingly essential in philanthropy, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club is especially well placed to lead this conversation because it sits at the unique intersection of sport, public purpose and philanthropy at scale.”

The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed his profound gratitude to all speakers, panellists, moderators and participants of PBC 2026 for bringing their remarkable range of experience and perspectives to the forum. He praised the progress that PBC has made over the past decade in addressing prevailing social challenges and inspiring cross-sector and cross-regional partnerships, to its position today as one of the largest assemblies of the global philanthropic community worldwide.

Speaking at the Gala Dinner, Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed his profound gratitude to all speakers, panellists, moderators and participants for bringing a remarkable range of experience and perspectives to PBC 2026.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club’s CEO and IoP Director, delivered the forum’s closing remarks, echoing insights from forum speakers and reflecting on the sector’s evolving journey. “If there is one lesson that has emerged consistently over the past two days, it is that meaningful impact does not happen by accident. It requires vision, discipline and commitment. But above all, it requires collaboration.” He added: “No organisation, foundation, government or business can address today’s challenges alone. Partnerships are key, but equally important is finding the right partners: those who bring complementary strengths, share our purpose are committed to achieving meaningful outcomes together.”

Club Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, delivers closing remarks at PBC 2026.

Earlier today, the opening keynote address was delivered by Hari Menon, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation. Entitled “The New Growth Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”, it examined the catalytic role of philanthropy in enabling more people to contribute to and benefit from economic growth.

Hari Menon, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation, delivers the forum’s opening keynote address on day two in a session entitled “The New Growth Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”.

As part of the Club’s ongoing efforts to promote education and development equity, and following the adoption and adaptation of the CoolThink@JC curriculum in Cambodian primary schools earlier this year, an MOU on early childhood education and development was signed today. Witnessed by Club Steward Jackson Woo, the MOU was signed by Dr Gabriel Leung, Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, and H.E. Dr Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening development foundations and better life trajectories for children.

The Impact Studio session, “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Educational Equity Through Computational Thinking”, explored strategies to achieve sustainable and impactful digital education. Speakers included Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia (2nd right); Huang Ronghuai, Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education (2nd left); and Stephen Cheung, President of Saint Francis University and Voting Member of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (1st left). The panel was moderated by Kerry Lee, President and Chair Professor of Child Development at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education (1st right).

The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between a sports leader- turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive change. Moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation, the session examined how athletes can broaden their impact and how personal growth can translate into leadership and community building. The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx and Olympic swimmer; Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team rider and Asian Games medallist; and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold medallist and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player.

Witnessed by Club Steward Jackson Woo (left), an MOU on early childhood education and development was signed today by Dr Gabriel Leung, Club Executive Director, Charities and Community (right), and H.E. Dr Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (centre), reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening development foundations and better life trajectories for children.

In line with this year’s theme, The Bridgespan Group unveiled a new report examining what distinguishes family giving in Asia and how the world’s wealthiest families approach philanthropy. Supported by IoP, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates Foundation, the research explores the relationship between family, business and philanthropy across the region. Separately, Bridgespan’s latest corporate giving research found that The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust remain the leading corporate donor in Asia andthe eighth largest globally, with an annual average of approved donations of US$774 million from 2020 to 2024.

The Impact Studio session, “Evolving Philanthropy Landscape in China: Corporate, Family, and Cross Border Giving in Practice”, explored how cross-border platforms intersect with the charity policy environment in the Greater Bay Area to enable collaboration at greater scale. Speakers included Wang Zhenyao, Founding Dean of the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University (2nd right); Wang Ming, Professor, School of Public Policy and Management and Founding Dean of the Institute for Philanthropy at Tsinghua University (2nd left); and Jin Jinping, Associate Professor at Peking University Law School (1st left). The panel was moderated by Wang Xiangwei, former editor-in-chief, South China Morning Post, and senior visiting scholar at Harvard Kennedy School (1st right).

Initiated in 2016, PBC has served as a flagship platform for global philanthropic thought leadership and cross-sector collaboration, engaging some 10,000 participants and more than 380 speakers from over 40 countries and regions throughout the past decade.

The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between a sport leader- turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive change. The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx and Olympic swimmer (1st left); Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team rider and Asian Games medallist (2nd left); and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold medallist and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player (2nd right). The panel was moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation (1st right).

The Club’s support for PBC 2026, like all of its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique value creation model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.