A presentation ceremony was held today (16 December) to award winners of the “Drago Cavallo. Youth Art Competition”, which received an overwhelming response. The competition was one of a series of Drago Cavallo (“DC”) activities launched through a partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“the Club”) and renowned artist Simon Ma to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region last year, and bring creativity and positivity to the community.

A cheque presentation ceremony was held today (15 December) to recognise the outstanding achievements of Hong Kong, China’s athletes, who brought home a total of 47 medals from the Hangzhou 4th Asian Para Games. The medallists were rewarded for their efforts under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (“JCAIAS”).

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Stories Untold—Figure Paintings of the Ming Dynasty from the Palace Museum exhibition was unveiled at the Hong Kong Palace Museum today (12 December). Solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Palace Museum, it is Hong Kong’s first-ever exhibition showcasing historical Chinese figure paintings. It is also the first major annual exhibition presented under a donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club to support the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s talent development initiative, exhibitions and educational programmes in 2023–2031.

The Rockefeller Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), a charitable organisation established by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, signed a formal ‘Statement of Collaboration’ on the first-ever Health Day at COP28 in Dubai. Having identified climate and health as strategic priorities, the two organisations aim to collaborate to scale equitable solutions to address the impact of climate change for all people, particularly the estimated 3.3 billion most vulnerable.

People in custody will soon have the opportunity to further their education with the help of the newly established Jockey Club Education Fund for Rehabilitation. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has approved a donation of HK$43 million to establish the Education Fund, which aims to better equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to reintegrate into the community through courses offered at Ethics College.

The Guangdong Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (“GDDARA”) and the Environment and Ecology Bureau (“EEB”) of the HKSAR Government held a Guangdong-Hong Kong Equine Industry Collaboration Task Force meeting today (29 November) in Guangzhou, with The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“the Club”) participating as an expert member. During the meeting, the Club signed an agreement with the Guangdong Vocational Institute of Sport (“GDVIS”) to collaborate in nurturing racing talent. The initiative is part of the Club’s vision to develop a world-class horse sports and equine industry hub in the Greater Bay Area (“GBA”).

Hong Kong is rich in biodiversity, with its Mai Po wetlands being recognised internationally for their importance as a haven for migratory birds. To help educate the community about the importance of conservation, especially at Mai Po Nature Reserve, in 2015 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved a donation of HK$347 million to World Wide Fund for Nature in Hong Kong (“WWF – Hong Kong”) for the Mai Po Nature Reserve Infrastructure Upgrade Project. This included the redevelopment of its Peter Scott Visitor Centre into a “21st century nature classroom” to enhance its capacity to deliver high-quality education, ecological training and research.

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.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced today (15 November) the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the University of Hong Kong (“HKU”), the University of Cambridge and the International Vaccine Institute (“IVI”) to establish the global headquarters of the new Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong. It is the city’s first institution dedicated to bringing the latest translational vaccine technology to Hong Kong through collaboration between local and global academics and institutions. The signing of the MOU follows the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address announcement of initiatives to strengthen capacity to combat communicable diseases and promote vaccine development.

In Hong Kong many low-income people cannot afford a balanced and nutritious diet, especially the underprivileged elderly who require soft food that can be easily swallowed. A study shows that 60% of elderly in residential homes and 40% of those receiving day care support services experience varying degrees of swallowing difficulties. To address this need, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has approved a donation of HK$290 million through its Charities Trust to the Bo Charity Foundation to construct the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre in Sha Tin. Expected to commence operation in the first half of 2025, the centre will become Hong Kong’s largest food rescue and production centre for charitable food assistance, increasing production capacity from around 3 million to over 9 million meals per year, serving over 36,000 disadvantaged people.