HKJC funds HK$10m youth summit, backs HK$1.4b initiative portfolio
The Hong Kong Jockey Club provided HK$10 million for the Youth Development Summit 2026, which gathered officials, business leaders and academics. The Club also highlighted a HK$1.4 billion commitment to five youth initiatives, including life planning services and mental health support.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) reinforced its commitment to youth empowerment by supporting the Youth Development Summit ‧ Hong Kong 2026, organised by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the organisation said on 7 November.
Staged under the theme of exploring new horizons and venturing into the future, the summit brought together government officials, commercial leaders, academics and international delegates. The gathering was made possible through a HK$10 million funding allocation approved by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to support youthfest@HK 2026, marking the Club’s continued role as the festival's principal funder since 2023. Through this partnership, the festival engages approximately 200,000 participants annually across roughly 200 collaborative activities organised with non-governmental bodies and the private sector.
The summit opened with video remarks delivered by Chief Executive John Lee, followed by an officiating ceremony featuring key dignitaries including Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, Liaison Office Deputy Director Sun Shangwu, Legislative Council President Starry Lee, and Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak. Jockey Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang and Jockey Club Steward Kenneth Fok officiated alongside government leaders. The opening was further elevated by addresses from All-China Youth Federation President Xu Xiao and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua.
The summit forms part of the Club's broader portfolio of long-term initiatives designed to help young people realise their potential as active citizens, the Club said. Landmark initiatives initiated and backed by the Club include CLAP@JC, which elevates standards in life and career development services; 21C@JC, which adapts community youth work for the digital era; and JC LevelMind, providing continuous mental health support. Building on these efforts, the Club previously announced a HK$1.4 billion commitment to back five major youth initiatives, including the collaborative HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning and facility upgrades at Youth Square such as the HYAB JC Y Cube.
These multi-year investments directly support national objectives for talent cultivation outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan and align closely with the Hong Kong Government’s Youth Development Blueprint, the Club noted. This year’s summit convened young delegates from the Chinese Mainland, Macao, and overseas for interactive discussions spanning cultural and creative industries, technological innovation, national development, and diversified career pathways. The sessions aimed to nurture a strong sense of national identity alongside a forward-looking global perspective.
The Club said its comprehensive backing of the summit and its wider philanthropic undertakings are sustained by its unique integrated business and value-creation model, which generates substantial economic returns and social benefits for Hong Kong through major tax contributions, charitable donations, and job creation.
