The Hong Kong Jockey Club is proud to support the Student of the Year Awards, which celebrate the achievements of our outstanding young people, inspiring them to become future role models for Hong Kong.

Although full-time classes have now resumed, the impact of the pandemic is still apparent. Students face new challenges after three years of largely online learning and no extracurricular activities. Nonetheless, it is heartening to see young people respond so positively with the support of their schools. In this spirit, the theme of this year’s awards, “Take action and drive positive change”, encourages students to make the most of the opportunities ahead.

To further inspire students participating in the awards, the Club is supporting a series of informal “fireside” chats with guests from different professions and industries. In addition a hackathon for competition winners will provide opportunities for students to cultivate their creativity and innovative thinking.

The Student of the Year Awards is just one of many ways in which the Club promotes the development of Hong Kong’s young people. Children & Youth Development is one of five priority areas of the Club’s Charities Trust. Through its support the Club aims to create an engaging environment for young people from different backgrounds, helping them to unleash their potential for a more hopeful future.

Among the Club’s many youth programmes are five projects initiated by the Charities Trust. KeySteps@JC provides support for kindergarten children from disadvantaged backgrounds; CoolThink@JC encourages students’ digital creativity; C-for-Chinese@JC aims to enhance the Chinese-language proficiency of ethnicminority kindergarten students; JC A-Connect: Jockey Club Autism Support Network provides support for students with autism; and CLAP@JC supports the career and life development of youngsters.

The Club’s purpose is to act continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, while its Charities Trust is one of the world’s top ten charity donors. In 2021/22, the Club returned a total of HK$33.6 billion to the community. This included HK$27 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$6.6 billion in approved charity donations.

The Club’s contributions are made possible by its integrated business model, through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community. Indeed the Club’s support goes well beyond the financial. Together with its partners, the Club initiates and co-creates programmes targeting emerging or unmet community needs, while also working to build capacity in the community.

The Club wishes the Student of the Year Awards every success. Win or lose, the students taking part represent our city’s best and brightest. We sincerely hope they will be inspired to take action and drive for positive change in their lives, and so contribute to a brighter future for all.