Community & Charities
Youth Development
Jockey Club supports young innovators keen to tackle social issues
07/01/2016
To help local young entrepreneurs pursue their dreams and tackle social issues by innovative business means, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has donated over HK$10 million to The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) to establish The HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre and support the Jockey Club Incubation Programme for Social Innovation for three years.
The Club puts strong emphasis on youth development, and the Jockey Club Incubation Programme for Social Innovation encourages young people to utilise their creativity and put their ideas into action. It matches the youth strategy the Club is adopting in the coming few years – to cultivate an environment full of opportunities for youth, by uniting people from all backgrounds.
Support and encouragement are vital for entrepreneurs. The programme has helped nine incubates to start their business in just three months, utilising their ideas to tackle various social issues on the technology platform. It is gratifying to see young innovators turning their dreams into sustainable business models to benefit more citizens.
The HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre is located at Wong Chuk Hang and has a floor area of some 5,000 sq ft. It provides transitional support for entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 in addressing five major social issues – namely education, health, the elderly, the environment and social inclusion – by adopting information and communication technologies such as web- or smartphone based applications and games. The centre’s aim is to help these young entrepreneurs strengthen their business models and increase the survival rate and scalability of them. Its core services include about 70 desks in a co-working space with low entry thresholds; the Jockey Club Incubation Programme for Social Innovation for start-ups; and inspirational and educational activities for young people.
The HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre is a platform through which young innovators can pursue their dreams together. John Hui, an innovator in high-class perfume-making workshops and providing such workshops at weddings, admits that starting a business is a tough job, and says that what he has got most from the Jockey Club Incubation Programme for Social Innovation is the mental support. It has provided him with an environment where he can follow his dreams alongside other young entrepreneurs, as well as support from experienced mentors and the Club.
“This kind of support is more helpful than what money can bring, making me feel so content,” he commented. “Many of the mentors are entrepreneurs who started from small-scale businesses which have eventually been expanded. They are not aimed at just making money but at giving back to the community through helping our youth. I also hold perfume-making workshops for the deaf-mute, hoping to give them the experience of feeling the colourful world through smelling.”
In the three-year period, over 30 young innovators will receive intensive incubation support and seed capital under the Jockey Club Incubation Programme for Social Innovation to pursue their dreams and turn their ideas into real businesses with sound business models that can achieve sustainable social impact. In addition, some 1,200 young people are expected to join the inspirational and educational activities in the three-year duration of the programme, encouraging still more to join the social innovation movement.
