A survey found that about one in seven of Hong Kong’s population aged 16 to 75 suffers from anxiety, depression or other common mood disorders. In response to this societal need, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has approved cumulative funding of HK$678 million in total through its Charities’ Trust to support JC JoyAge. The project aims to expand its community-based mental health support service to a primary-care level, benefiting a wider range of age groups.

The announcement was made in a launch ceremony at The University of Hong Kong’s Rayson Huang Theatre today (27 May). Officiating guests included Club Steward Bernard Chan; Dr Libby Lee, Under Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government; Professor Vivian Yam, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Innovation Centre) (Interim) of The University of Hong Kong; Dr Lam Ching-choi, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health; and Dr Donald Li, Chairman of the Elderly Commission and Convenor of the Advisory Committee of JC JoyAge.

Initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust since 2016, JC JoyAge has addressed the social problem of elderly depression through a cross-sectoral community support network, enhancing the capacity of professionals and caregivers while  raising awareness of elderly mental health. Through collaborating with District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs) and Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) across all 18 districts of Hong Kong, the project has established an integrated service model covering more than 70% of service units providing relevant services. The project has also trained social workers and young-old volunteers as “Peer Supporters”, to deliver preventive service and interventions based on individuals’ depression risk level and symptom severity.

Building on this success and to address evolving mental health needs, JC JoyAge embarked on a new three-year phase in 2024. While continuing to provide existing services to the elderly through DECCs and ICCMWs across the territory, it is now expanding its community-based support services in a primary-care setting. Other key components are:

1.      Primary Care Collaboration: partners Wong Tai Sin District Health Centre (DHC), Southern DHC, and Sai Kung District Health Centre Express (DHCE) to establish the “Jockey Club JoyAge Hub” and introduces “Primary Care Physician Co-Care Services” with designated general practitioners and family doctors.
2.      Expanded Age Coverage: extends services to from individuals aged 60 or above to those aged 45 and above.
3.      Enhanced Referral Mechanism: collaborates with Hospital Authority Clusters to refer stable and wait-listed psychiatric outpatient cases to community service units or designated DHCs/DHCE.

Club Steward Bernard Chan stated that primary care is a core focus of Healthy Community, a priority area under the Club’s charities strategy. The Club actively aligns with the Government’s direction on primary health-care development. The current phase of JC JoyAge partners DHCs/DHCE in three districts to build an integrated medical-social community mental health support network. Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, welcomed the development in the new phase of the project.

This project’s new phase aims to provide services to over 13,000 at-risk and depressed elderly and middle-aged people, with 90 service users referred to designated primary-care physicians for medical support. In addition, the project will train more than 70 social workers through professional workshops to enhance their mental health knowledge and competency. To strengthen the community network, the project will engage over 480 Peer Supporters to provide community support services and conduct over 1,500 public education programmes to enhance mental-health literacy, thereby building a healthier community.

The Club’s support for the expansion of the JC JoyAge project, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

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 society. The Club has a unique integrated business model comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2023/24, the Club returned a total of HK$40.1 billion to the community. This included HK$29.9 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$10.2 billion in approved charity donations. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is one of the world’s leading charity donors.