Speech by CS at Launch Ceremony of JC Project MuSE (English only) (with photos/video)
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Mr Michael Lee (Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. It is my great pleasure to join you tonight for the launch of the JC Project MuSE.
Let me start by congratulating the Hong Kong Jockey Club on its 140th anniversary. For over a century, the Club has played a major role in Hong Kong's growth. It has supported our city through good times and challenges, always standing strong as a pillar of progress.
Since 1993, the Club's charity arm, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, has worked tirelessly to improve lives, support communities, and shape our city's cultural landscape.
I am pleased to know that the Trust has just committed $1.4 billion to support youth development initiatives, including two strategic collaborations with our Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB).
The first project is the enhanced HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning. The Scheme supports NGOs, in collaboration with secondary schools, in organising life planning activities to help students better understand career pathways and opportunities arising from national development.
The second project will turn part of the Youth Square into a new interactive space where young people can gather, exchange ideas, develop their potential and participate in different activities.
Look around Hong Kong, and you will see the Trust's work. From helping to build the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, to revitalising heritage treasures such as Tai Kwun and conserving traditions like the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the Trust's donations have inspired creativity, preserved heritage, and empowered generations.
These efforts align perfectly with the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government's mission to build an inclusive, creative, and vibrant Hong Kong, where arts and culture drive social progress and happiness for everyone.
Initiated and funded by the Trust, the JC Project MuSE continues this vision. Through cross-sector partnerships, the project offers free, high-quality, and tailored music and sports education programmes to over 10 000 underprivileged primary students, empowering them with diverse learning experiences and fostering whole-person development. A big thank you to the Trust for nurturing Hong Kong's young talent!
The initiative shares the Government's strategic focus on helping those most in need. Through collaboration between the Government, the business sector, and the community, the current-term Government has launched various targeted poverty alleviation projects.
One example is the Strive and Rise Programme. Thanks to the continuous support from enterprises and organisations, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Programme is now in its third cohort, with a total of over 10 000 secondary school participants from underprivileged families.
We have also implemented the School-based After School Care Service Scheme for primary students in need since 2023, providing them with care and learning support at school outside school hours, thereby relieving pressure on parents and enabling them to take up jobs.
Tonight's concert celebrates Hong Kong's musical spirit. You will hear performances by our promising young students, including Strive and Rise Programme mentees who are just beginning their musical journey, as well as world-famous artists. I am sure you will enjoy their performances this evening.
To everyone here tonight, thank you for supporting this meaningful cause. Let's continue working together to build a brighter future for Hong Kong.
I wish you all a wonderful evening filled with music, joy and inspiration. Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, April 17, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:45
Issued at HKT 19:45
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