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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.

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.

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.

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.