Community & Charities
Sports and Recreation
Learn-to-Swim Programme opens as part of ‘Sports for All’ initiative
02/06/2016
The Club believes that playing sports not only boosts physical fitness, but can also create positive values and hope in the community. To encourage citizens to make sports and exercise part of their daily life, the Club’s Charities Trust is funding a Sports for All initiative covering five different programmes, each featuring innovative crossover elements. Applications for one of these initiatives, the Jockey Club Learn-to-Swim Programme for Primary Students, are now open.
The Jockey Club Learn-to-Swim Programme for Primary Students is being rolled out in three phases over an 18-month period, targeting around 16,500 Hong Kong Primary One pupils who are not yet able to swim. This amounts to about a quarter of all Primary One students in Hong Kong. The first swimming classes commence in August.
The objective is to provide the students with sufficient basic training to learn survival skills and become confident regular swimmers. Twenty hours of free swimming courses each will be provided by members of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association.
The first phase is already open for public enrolment, with 5,500 places available and priority given to less-privileged Primary One students. The Trust’s funding also covers a set of swimming gear for each participant including a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles, so that parents need not worry about any extra expense. For further details, please visit www.jc-learntoswim.hk.
As a further means of motivating the children to learn swimming, the Club is collaborating with Ocean Park and adding marine conservation messages into the programme. Besides learning more about marine animals and the importance of marine conservation, participants can get the chance of an up-close encounter with the Park’s dolphins. An evidence-based evaluation will be conducted by The University of Hong Kong to assess the programme’s impact and provide better understanding of the swimming abilities and sports experience of Hong Kong’s primary school children.
In the coming few years, the Trust intends to play an active role in motivating residents of all ages and abilities to participate in different sports through its ‘Sports and Innovation’ concept, in which sports are combined with crossover activities to make them fun and interesting. This will encourage more people to make sports and exercise a part of their everyday life.
Two more innovative Sports for All projects are due to be announced soon: the “Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong - Jockey Club ‘Mapperthon Community Action’ Project”, a crossover project for young people and adults combining street sports with local community activities; and another crossover event, “St. James’ Settlement Jockey Club ‘Super Senior, Super Show!’ ”, a sports entertainment programme for the ‘young old’ and elderly, organised by St James’ Settlement. These projects will blend sports training, volunteer work, entertainment and artistic production.
