24 May 2012

Family is the base of every society. No harmonious society can be built without loving family relationships. This echoes the HKSAR Government’s initiative to establish the Family Council to advocate cherishing the family and promote family core values.

Since 2008, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, through its Charities Trust, has been implementing its own initiative to build better family relationships, entitled “FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society”.

Today (May 24), the Trust and the other 3 co-organizers, School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Family Council and Social Welfare Department (SWD), jointly organized the project’s fourth symposium, in the theme of “FAMILY Participation: Generating Evidence for FAMILY Health, Happiness and Harmony (3Hs) in the Community”. The symposium is organised to celebrate the International Day of Families on May 15, 2012 and provided a platform for open exchange of experiences and ideas on how to promote 3Hs with the use of Community-based Participatory Approach. Mr Raymond Young Lap-moon, JP, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, JP, Director of Social Welfare, Mr Anthony Chow Wing-kin, SBS, JP, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Leong Che-hung, GBM, GBS, OBE, JP, Chairman of Council, The University of Hong Kong, Mr Kwok Chun-wah, MH, JP, Chairman and District Councilor, Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Douglas So Cheung-tak, Executive Director, Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Professor Lee Sum-ping, Dean, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong officiated at the Opening Ceremony.

Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Anthony Chow Wing-kin noted that the rapid development in our society in the recent years had given rise to many family discord cases. He said the Trust-initiated FAMILY Project is to tackle the many issues resulting from the stress and strain of life in Hong Kong by utilising a positive preventive and public health approach.

Over 250 representatives from NGO, healthcare professionals, social workers, academics, and Government officials attended today’s symposium at which an international keynote expert, Dr Cynthia (Cee) Boyd, University of Illinois at Chicago will deliver Keynote Address. Also, local experts and community leaders have a fruitful sharing on their work and experiences on using Community-based Participatory Approach to promote family 3Hs in Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po. One post-Symposium workshop will be held on May 25 to provide professionals from the health and social service sector with an opportunity to interact with the overseas speaker on principles and implementation of Community-based Participatory Approach.

FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society is a citywide project launched by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with HK$250 million funding, in collaboration with the School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong. The Project aims to identify the sources of family problems, devise suitable preventive measures and promote family Health, Happiness and Harmony (3Hs) through a citywide household survey, intervention projects and public education programmes. Further details of the FAMILY Symposium are available at http://www.family.org.hk/sym2012 .

To use the press release photo(s) for any publishing, publicity and related purpose, photo courtesy should be given to “Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong”