Jockey Club funds family-centred accommodation for seriously ill children and their families

20/11/2023 17:35

In response to the needs of sick children receiving treatment at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital, in 2018 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved a donation of HK$390 million to support the construction of the RMHC (Kwun Tong House) Jockey Club Building.  

Located close to the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, the new building provides a “home-away-from home” for children with serious illnesses, their parents and siblings. Its strategic location ensures convenient travel to and from hospital, while minimising the risk of infection. Psychological and social support services also help alleviate the emotional and financial burden faced by underprivileged families, enabling them to focus on their child's treatment.

To mark the opening of the new building, a ceremony was held today (20 November). Officiating guests included HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun, Acting Secretary for Health Dr Libby Lee, Club Steward Lester Huang, Trustees of RMHC Global Board, Chairperson of RMHC Hong Kong Grace Fung Oei and other guests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Lester Huang explained that the Club is strongly committed to building a healthy community for all, which is one of the priority areas of the Club’s Charities Trust. Through supporting collaborative initiatives and promoting innovation, the Club is helping to expand medical care and support services in the community. The new RMHC (Kwun Tong House) Jockey Club Building is one such example, providing a caring environment for children with serious illnesses to recover with the love and support of their families.

The RMHC (Kwun Tong House) Jockey Club Building is a 16-storey building with 66 family rooms, nearly triple the capacity of a similar facility in Sha Tin. Designed to be family-oriented and family-friendly the building is equipped with communal kitchens, dining areas, a laundry and drying facilities. It also has diverse shared spaces for a range of psychosocial activities. These include support for education, hobbies and sports, enabling children to maintain their academic progress and ensuring holistic care for the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the entire family.

The Club’s support for this new building, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate employment, tax, and charity support for the community.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2022/23, the Club returned a total of HK$35.9 billion to the community. This included HK$28.6 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$7.3 billion in approved charity donations. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors.