Jockey Club supports cross-boundary family services to build harmony

03/22/2012

With an increasing number of Mainland children crossing over to Hong Kong daily to study at local schools, the International Social Service Hong Kong (ISS-HK) is launching a support programme funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust that will benefit over 1,000 cross-boundary families.

The HK$6.7 million three-year programme, will help cross-boundary students develop their potential and enhance harmony among their family members.

Today (22 March) Club Steward Dr Rita Fan Hsu Lai Tai joined Head of District of Luohu District People’s Government He Haitao, Luohu District Committee Member Li Yingzhong, Head of Department (Hong Kong and Macau) of Shenzhen External Affairs Office Jiang Li Kun, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Women’s Federation Cai Qiao Yu, Deputy Head of District of Luohu District People’s Government, Zhuang Rui Ning, Deputy Officer of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Zhan Bin Chao, Director of Shenzhen Luohu District Women’s Federation Anna Luo and Chief Executive of ISS-HK Stephen Yau to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Luohu Cross-boundary Students Service Centre and to launch the support programme in Shenzhen.

At the ceremony, Dr Fan said the Club was committed to promoting social inclusion in the community. Since 1999, the Club has helped ISS-HK set up a support centre in Guangzhou to strengthen and integrate the support services for new arrival families.

“Family is the foundation of every society. Ultimately, it is good family relationships that build a harmonious society, and a happy family is also a crucial element to one’s physical and spiritual health development. Therefore, it is essential to provide timely support services to the cross-boundary students and their families. We also hope these services can help foster social integration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.”

Apart from serving cross-boundary families, the support services programme will also assist new arrivals who have migrated to Hong Kong for less than three years. The students will be offered English tutorials, study group support and moral classes, while their parents will be provided with vocational skills training, parenting education, mutual support networking and emotions management in a bid to help them raise their self-esteem and broaden their social circles.

Since 1965, the Trust has donated more than HK$50 million for ISS-HK projects. Among these is a 2-year project to help new arrivals build a harmonious family, launched under the FAMILY project last June. It has also funded a three-year “Support Project for Families with Young Kids” through the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant.


The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club 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.