Cultivating a socially-inclusive environment among young people of different ethnicities is becoming more important as the population of non-Chinese youths aged between 15 and 24 has more than doubled in the past ten years, according to the latest Population By-census. In view of this trend, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved funding in 2016 for WEDO GLOBAL to run a Jockey Club ‘Go! Leaders Of the World’ (JC GLOW) Programme, which provides an opportunity for young people to learn about different cultures and interact with others from diverse backgrounds through training workshops and exchange tours, all with the aim of promoting social inclusion.

A graduation ceremony for the programme was held today (20 October), attended by Club Steward Dr Rosanna Wong as an officiating guest. She was joined by HKSAR Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung; Singapore Vice Consul (Political) Mok Chak-yong; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Interim Vice President (Student Affairs) Professor Geoffrey Shen; Zubin Foundation founder Shalini Mahtani; The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and founder of Glocal Learning Offices, Dr Simon Shen; and WEDO GLOBAL co-founders Eva Wong and Bosco Ng.

Dr Wong said she was pleased that the Club's Charities Trust had supported this programme. “Today, the world is far more interconnected. It is therefore a necessity for young people to have not only a sound global perspective, but also a cultural awareness and appreciation of their peers from different countries,” she observed. “Youth is one of the Club's strategic focus areas. By cultivating and enabling opportunities, we can encourage young people to connect and engage with the community.”

The JC GLOW Programme is aimed at promoting a multi-cultural Hong Kong, fostering understanding and collaboration among young people from different ethnic backgrounds, and nurturing cross-cultural young leaders in Hong Kong. Targeting secondary three to five students, with half the participants coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, the programme comprises four main activities, namely training, designing cultural guided tours, participating in a Singapore exchange tour and co-organising a multi-cultural ceremony to share their learning experience with the public. These activities enable participants to gain new knowledge and exposure while enhancing their cultural intelligence, allowing them to act as a bridge connecting community members from different cultural backgrounds. The two-year programme has benefited over 100 local young participants from some 30 secondary schools.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.