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The Hong Chi Association is committed to providing quality services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. In view of the pressing need for rehabilitation services in society and the difficulty in identifying other suitable sites for the provision of related services, the Social Welfare Department approved our plans to expand Hong Chi Pinehill Village under the Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses in 2014, with generous funding of HK$600 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to support the entire project. The first phase "Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Hostel" and the second phase "Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Pre-school and Children Service Complex " were commissioned in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The third phase "Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Day Activity and Residential Complex" and " Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Vocational Training Complex" were also put into service in  2019, adding 580 service places to allow all grades of intellectual disabilities to participate in day activities, vocational training as well as hostel services to enhance their living and social skills and prepare for employment. With the successful completion of the entire expansion project, Hong Chi Pinehill Village has become the largest rehabilitation facility in Hong Kong dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities, marking a new milestone in our service development. To express our gratitude to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for their long-standing support, we have officially named the revitalized Pinehill Village as "Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Village". 

 

To celebrate this important moment, the renaming and opening ceremony at Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Village  was held on October 6 (Friday), inviting Mr. Chris Suen, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr.Martin Liao, GBS, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Mr.Owen Chan, Chairman of Hong Chi Association, to officiate at the ceremony and visit the new facilities and services. 

 

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of Hong Chi Association Mr. Owen Chan said that the project is the result of tripartite cooperation between the Hong Kong Government, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and Hong Chi Association. upon completion of the expansion project, a total of 834 additional rehabilitation service places have been added to Pinehill Village, nearly doubling the original service capacity, bringing the total number of service places to over 1,300. They cover pre-school and school-age child services, adult day and vocational training, residential services, etc., providing people with intellectual disabilities with an ideal training and living environment, as well as alleviating the pressures faced by families or caregivers. The Chairman expressed heartfelt thanks to various government departments for their collaboration, enabling the project to be completed on schedule. He also thanked The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for not only the funding, but also the flexibility to agree using the surplus funds from the project to build an accessible lift at the entrance of Pinehill Village for the convenience of students, trainees and caregivers. 

 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has been working with Hong Chi Association to promote social inclusion since 1975. This project represented the Club's single largest donation to the rehabilitation sector. Mr.Martin Liao, GBS, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said that with the successive commissioning of Pinehill Village facilities, more people with intellectual disabilities could access more comprehensive and appropriate services. He said, "The Jockey Club will continue to promote social inclusion through multi-party collaboration and innovative thinking in a timely and diverse portfolio of initiatives." 

During the event, Mr. Chris Suen, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, shared some important figures. The two new buildings provide 200 additional places in the Day Activity Centres, 200 additional places in residential homes for people with severe intellectual disabilities, and 180 additional places in the Integrated Vocational Rehabilitation Services Centres. These figures may seem cold, but every additional place is extremely precious for families in need. People with intellectual disabilities need lifelong care. With more service places and an ideal environment, families in need can let their children live or receive training here, which allows everyone to feel at ease. 

 

The expansion plan of Pinehill Village that took many years from preparation to full commissioning has been successfully completed, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and The Hong Chi Association, and an important milestone in the Association's development. The Hong Chi Association will continue serving the welfare of people with intellectual disabilities of different ages and abilities by providing quality services to fulfill their holistic needs. 

Photo caption: 

(Editors' note: Please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/hong_chi_association/ to download high resolution photos) 

	1. Officiating guests Mr. Chris Suen, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Right), Mr.Martin Liao, GBS, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd Left), and Mr.Owen Chan, Chairman of Hong Chi Association (1st Left), officiate at the renaming and opening ceremony of Hong Chi Jockey Club Pinehill Village.
	2. Mr.Owen Chan, Chairman of Hong Chi Association (Right & Left), presents a commemorative gift to Mr.Martin Liao, GBS, SBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (Middle), in appreciation.
	3. Performance by the students from Hong Chi Winifred Mary Cheung Morninghope School Band
	4. Performance by the trainees from Hong Chi Jockey Club Arts Studio String Quartet
	5. The officiating guest, Mr. Chris Suen, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare (right) visits students during their baking learning process.
	6. The officiating guest visits the newly completed residential facilities.
	7. The officiating guests visit the day activity facilities.
	8. Guests and students take a group photo

 

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Hong Chi Association (formerly the Hong Kong Association for the Mentally Handicapped), founded in 1965, has grown to become one of the most well-established non-profit organizations dedicated solely to serving over 9,200 people of all ages and all grades of intellectual disabilities and their families in Hong Kong. It operates 104 service units to provide comprehensive services. 

 

For media enquiry: 

Hong Chi Association - Communications and Fund Raising Office 

Tel: 2661 0709 / 9252 9866   Email: cfr@hongchi.org.hk