The Hong Kong Jockey Club has received high public recognition of its many contributions to Hong Kong society by winning the Outstanding Charity Award in the Sing Tao Excellent Services Brand Awards 2009 for the second consecutive year. Club Steward Stephen Ip received the award today (18 March) on the Club's behalf.
The award coincides with the Club's 125th Anniversary season and is a timely acknowledgment of the Club's pivotal role in propelling the city's growth and development for more than a century. The Club hopes Hong Kong people will continue to give it their support and ensure that the Club is given room to remain competitive and sustainable in the future, so that it can continue its efforts for the betterment of society.
Organised by Sing Tao Daily, the award programme is aimed at recognising outstanding business entities for delivering excellent services to customers and the community, as well as honouring service models that contribute to the success of a brand and the prosperity of Hong Kong. Members of the public were invited to cast their votes from 18 to 31 January 2010.
Through its unique, not-for-profit business model, the Club provides Hong Kong people with world class sporting and betting entertainment while donating an average HK$1 billion every year to charitable and community projects. It is also the city's largest single taxpayer, contributing some HK$13 billion a year to the public purse in betting duties and taxes, which helps public spending to be kept at a stable level during times of economic hardship.
The Club has always taken the well-being of the community to its heart, responding rapidly to meet urgent community needs as well as initiating projects that address future challenges before they unfold. From the provision of clinics and education funds in the 1950s to '70s, to the establishment of the Centre for Health Protection in the post-SARS era, the Club has provided timely and valuable support to society.
The Club believes the future of Hong Kong lies in sustainable growth. To this end, it has put much recent effort into strengthening the city's competitiveness and supporting the younger generation. It has recently reinstated its Management Trainee Programme to offer more career opportunities to university graduates, and funded SkyHigh Creative Partners in Tin Shui Wai, which helps young people develop their talents in the creative industry. The Club's own Apprentice Jockeys' School provides a further alternative development path for secondary school leavers.
As well as donating to countless community projects, the Club is committed to fostering a caring culture in Hong Kong through its own CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team, made up of Club employees and retirees. To date, the team has provided some 20,000 hours' service, adopting a district-based approach with a view to better understanding and catering to each local community's needs.
As a major provider of sporting entertainment, the Club is also strongly committed to sports development in Hong Kong, as exemplified by its efforts to raise the profile of the city horse racing industry in the international arena and its support for the 2009 East Asian Games. Most notably, the Club made it possible for Hong Kong to stage the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. By continuing to sponsor the HKJC Equestrian Team and Junior Equestrian Team, it aims to cement the city's standing as the Equine Capital and maintain its Olympic legacy.
125th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season. Over the past 125 years, it has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects. It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.
