Hong Kong Jockey Club commits nearly US$9m to cross-boundary welfare programme
The three-year initiative will strengthen social welfare capabilities and foster collaboration between organisations across Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Hong Kong.- The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has approved a donation of nearly HK$70m (US$8.9m) to support a three-year programme aimed at strengthening cross-border social welfare collaboration and innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The funding will support Connecting Hearts Limited in launching the Jockey Club • Connecting Hearts: Moving Ahead programme, which is designed to address growing demand for social welfare services among Hong Kong residents who live, work or retire on the Chinese Mainland.
The programme is built around two pillars: capacity building and GBA integration. It aims to enhance the professional and leadership capabilities of Hong Kong’s social welfare sector, promote cooperation among welfare organisations across the region and develop sustainable service models. The launch ceremony and pilot class of the programme’s Capacity Building Programme was held on August 18, attracting around 400 participants.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward Bernard Chan said the club was supporting the initiative in response to the increasing demand for cross-boundary welfare services among Hong Kong residents in the GBA. Chan encouraged participants to deepen their understanding of national development and social welfare practices on the Chinese Mainland, with the aim of contributing to the long-term development of Hong Kong’s welfare sector.
Under the capacity-building pillar, the programme is expected to provide training for 1,780 social welfare professionals. Initiatives will include specialised training for middle-management staff, overseas study visits focused on service innovation and data application, and sponsorships for social workers with leadership potential to pursue master’s degree programmes locally or overseas.
The GBA integration pillar will focus on strengthening collaboration between social welfare organisations in Hong Kong and across the region.
Building on existing memoranda of understanding between welfare agencies, the programme is expected to generate around 100 cross-boundary collaboration concepts covering areas including elderly services, children and families, rehabilitation and mental health, poverty alleviation, volunteering and welfare sector development. Fifteen initiatives with strong potential will receive additional funding to be developed into pilot programmes. The projects are intended to become replicable and sustainable service models.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club said the programme forms part of its broader commitment to supporting Hong Kong’s social priorities and contributing to the country’s development.
