Organised by the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, the SMART Appreciation Short Video Competition successfully concluded on 28 May 2024. The competition aimed to encourage the public to express gratitude to their family members and create unique short films for their families.

The competition received a warm response, and the winning short films selected by the judging panel are as follows:

• Champion: “Heartfelt Express Delivery to Family (愛家人之真心速遞)”
• First runner-up: “A Thank You is Enough (原來，一句多謝已經很足夠)”
• Second runner-up: “Sharing the Details of Life with Heart (生活無小事盡訴心中意)”
• Merit Awards: “Extreme Happiness with Tsz Yan (幸福無比·芷恩有你)”, “All we need is LOVE”, “Grandchild Joy (嫲孫樂)”

The winning entries of the SMART Exercise Short Video Competition have been uploaded onto the Project’s Family Portal and Facebook.

InnoCarnival 2023, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, was held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at the Hong Kong Science Park. With the theme “Go Smart! Go Tech! Go Green!”, the event featured a series of interactive and educational activities related to innovation and technology, including the showcase of local inventions and research achievements, workshops, interactive games, and online seminars, to promote Innovation and Technology (I&T) culture in the community.

The Project Team displayed an interactive game booth that adopted a motion-sensing device for capturing limb movements, promoting fun and interactive experiences. The game also encouraged family interaction and physical exercise to maintain overall well-being. Participants could collaborate to complete a digital basketball shooting game with another family member or friend, allowing them to relax, have fun, and test their compatibility. The booth attracted over 5,700 members of the public. All participants expressed great satisfaction with the booth.

To further enhance public knowledge and awareness about family well-being and healthy family functioning, and help our partnering IFSCs/ISCs reach out to more potential service users, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project launched the multi-media promotion truck campaign. The truck aimed at sharing joy and happiness with the public through family-friendly mobile games. The fourth round of the truck event was completed with much success from 5 September to 22 September 2023 – the Project team visited the following districts and reached over 5,400 members of the public:

The Project team members assisted visitors in experiencing the interactive games and mobile applications, encouraging the public to use information technology to strengthen family relationships.

Organised by the Federation of Parent-Teacher Association, Kowloon City District, the Association’s Carnival 2023 was held in S.K.H. Holy Trinity Church Secondary School on 20 May 2023. The Carnival was themed “Dancing Dragon, Leaping into a New Chapter (龍城舞動 兔躍新篇)” this year, aiming to unite the community, create a harmonious home in the Kowloon City area. Through different interactive activities, the event aimed to foster collaboration among local schools, teachers, parents, youth, and various community members.

As part of the carnival, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team set up a game booth. Participants were encouraged to use information technology to enhance family interaction through experiencing the mini-games of family-friendly mobile games. The booth attracted over 900 participants, who expressed high satisfaction with the activities.

To further enhance public knowledge and awareness about family well-being and healthy family functioning, and to help our partnering IFSCs/ISCs reach out to more potential service users, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project launched the multi-media promotion truck campaign. The truck aimed at sharing joy and happiness with the public through family-friendly mobile games. The third round of the truck event was completed with much success from 13 August to 29 August 2022 – the Project team made visits to the following districts and reached over 1,300 members of the public:

Not only did the Project team members introduce different mobile games, they also assisted visitors to experience the games and describe the benefits of using them. The Project team and our collaborating IFSCs/ISCs further seized the chance to promote positive use of mobile apps – it is hoped that visitors of the truck make good use of the mobile applications in their daily family communications, manage emotions and strengthen a strong family bonding.

Should you be interested in participating in our next round of promotion truck campaign, follow our Project Facebook/ Instagram channels or Family Portal. Stay tuned!

The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project put forward an award-winning Facebook event called the “SMART Appreciation Hashtag Competition” to encourage members of the public to make good use of technological devices at their fingertips to take pictures of moments worthy of expressing gratitude to those around them. By taking part in this event to draft a post, participants can thank their family members and friends for their contributions and lasting support in simple captions. Family members can interact with and show appreciation to each other via a smart use of the digital platform to promote family harmony.

Participants of the event captured moments they felt grateful for via photography. They were then encouraged to write a short thankful text as captions and upload it onto Facebook as a post, setting the content as “public viewing”, together with the themed “hashtags” designed by the event, including #SmartAppreciation #OnlineHashtagGameSMARTAppreciation #SmartFamilyThankful, to join the game. Through this easy activity, the Project hopes to remind the public that they need not hide their feelings for their loved ones, but instead can always express their love and be thankful for people and things in life – Spreading positive energy to others as widely as possible is essential to strengthen family bonds and promote healthy relationships among each other.

The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team selected 50 pieces of works that stood out, judging from the ground of whether the submissions can fully communicate the authors’ gratitude to their family and friends, the ideas and aesthetics, creativity and originality and others. All the winning entries of this game has been uploaded onto the “Family Portal” of the Project. You are most welcome to create your own thankful posts, and share with all your loved ones openly!

To further enhance public knowledge and awareness about family well-being and healthy family functioning, and to help our partnering IFSCs/ISCs reach out to more potential service users, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project launched the multi-media promotion truck campaign. The truck aimed at sharing joy and happiness with the public through family-friendly mobile games. The second round of the truck event was completed with much success from 28 October to 19 November 2021 – the Project team made visits to the following districts and reached over 3,000 members of the public:

Not only did the Project team members introduce different mobile games, they also assisted visitors to experience the games and describe the benefits of using them. The Project team and our collaborating IFSCs/ISCs further seized the chance to promote positive use of mobile apps – it is hoped that visitors of the truck make good use of the mobile applications in their daily family communications, manage emotions and strengthen a strong family bonding.

Should you be interested in participating in our next round of promotion truck campaign, follow our Project Facebook/ Instagram channels or Family Portal. Stay tuned!

Initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project is hosting a four-day symposium themed “Looking Beyond the Pandemic: Creativity and Innovation in Promoting Resilience in Families and Children”. Representatives from the Government, academia, the social welfare and various cross-sectoral stakeholders will discuss creative ways in which information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to promote family well-being and resilience.

The symposium opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The opening ceremony was officiated by Dr Law Chi-kwong, HKSAR Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Professor Richard Wong, The University of Hong Kong’s Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Chair of Economics, Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy, and Philip Wong Kennedy Wong Professor in Political Economy. Among other attendees were representatives from the 12 partner non-governmental organisations.

In his remarks Mr Cheung said ICT support from the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project has been particularly useful during the pandemic. “Through cross-sectoral collaboration, the Project assists all 26 NGO‐operated Integrated Family Service Centres and Integrated Service Centres in Hong Kong to leverage the use of ICT, optimise NGOs’ processes and through data analytics further promote innovative family services.”

Dr. Law added, “The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project manages, shares and transfers knowledge in full play – its undue efforts have contributed to the continuation of integrated family services throughout the year-and-half long pandemic. The Project has also been encouraging social workers to integrate technology into their family services and program designs. Aside from enhancing overall service quality and operational efficiency of frontline practitioners, the Project has also enriched service users’ experiences.”

Dr. Law further hopes that the symposium will take the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project and Hong Kong’s family services to a whole new level, through the exchange of practice wisdom.

For more information about the Symposium, please click here to read the article.

Organised by the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, the SMART Exercise Short Video Competition successfully concluded on 30 May 2020. The competition provided an opportunity for family members to make use of their creativity in coming up with “SMART Exercise” moves under the themes of “SMART & Simple”, “SMART & Fun” and “SMART Family”. It also served to enhance family interactions while highlighting the need to stay healthy amid the pandemic.

The response to the competition was strong. The winning entries, selected by a panel of judges, included the following:

• Champion: “3 SMART Exercises on building blocks – Let’s work out!
  (「智積運動」三式，齊來做運動！)”
• First runner-up: “In solidarity, we build healthy bodies!
  (同心合力 齊做運動！)”
• Second runner-up: “It can be very fun to exercise at home
  (在家運動其實可以好fun)”

In addition, three entries received the “Most Creative Entry Awards (「最多FUN創意智運動」作品大獎)”. The winning videos used dance forms, small props, information and communications technology (ICT) tools, creativity and teamwork to show how family members could remain physically active indoors.

The winning entries of the SMART Exercise Short Video Competition have been uploaded onto the Project’s Family Portal and its social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram). Members of the public are welcome to participate in and share the creative SMART Exercise moves.

Together with Sha Tin District Social Welfare Office and five other District Coordinating Committees/Local Committees, the Social Welfare Department organised the 2019 Shatin District Outstanding Family and Children Volunteer Award Presentation Ceremony in Shatin Central Park on 11^th January 2020. The event took place in a form of a fun day themed “Loving Oneself, Loving Your Neighbours”, hoping to promote mutual assistance within the neighbourhood and spreading positive spirits to the community through engaging people in sports, games, arts or other aspects of activities. The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team also participated in the fun day, with an aim that participating members of the public could not only enjoy our quality ICT game with family members, but also learn to do more SMART Exercise to stay both healthy and cheerful.

An interactive game booth with a motion-sensing device for capturing limb activities was displayed by our Project Team that day. Visitors were welcome to cooperate and finish the game by doing some sets of jumping jacks with another player. Around 900 members of the public visited our booth and participants all expressed satisfaction towards the game which we believe could promote how fun yet simple it is in adopting SMART Communications in family and encourage more people to exercise with their family members.

To further enhance public knowledge and awareness about family well-being and healthy family functioning, and to help our partnering IFSCs/ISCs reach out to more potential service users, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project launched the multi-media promotion truck campaign between the second half of 2019 and 2020. The truck aimed at sharing joy and happiness with the public through interactive games. The first round of the truck event kick-started with much success from 6^th to 9^th December 2019 – the Project team made visits to the following districts and reached over 1,800 members of the public:

Not only did the Project team members hand out attractive souvenirs outside the promotion truck those days, they also assisted visitors in the interactive e-photo kiosk for taking innovative, heart-warming pictures available for instant printing with their beloved family members or friends. The Project team and our collaborating IFSCs/ISCs further seized the chance to promote our Project Facebook page and web-portal, Family Portal – it is hoped that visitors of the truck deploy tips disseminated on these platforms in their daily family communications, share little funny adventures with family members, and strengthen a strong family bonding.

Should you be interested in participating in our next round of promotion truck campaign, follow our Project Facebook/ Instagram channels or Family Portal.  Stay tuned!

Same as previous years, the Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit 2019 (“GIES 2019”) was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 21^st to 24^th November 2019, where innovative products and ideas locally and overseas for catering the needs of elderly in an ageing population were presented. GIES 2019 was also a great platform for stakeholders like industry members, or members of social welfare associations to discuss gerontechnology-related topics.

In the exhibition zone of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, an interactive booth with a motion-sensing device to capture limb activities was displayed by the team of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project. The game was designed to encourage visitors to challenge themselves with a chair sit-stand-sit physical test for 30 seconds. The Project team also prepared hand-grip apparatus for visitors and other reference materials in relations to age and physical ability. Our booth was set up to promote the greater use of ICT in family communication or health maintenance among elders and their caretakers, as well as to remind visitors of the joy and benefits of practising SMART Exercise regularly.

The exhibition, lasting for 4 days in total, was received with enthusiasm and positive feedbacks. Over 6,200 members of the public were attracted to our Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project booth.

Website of GIES 2019: https://gies.hk/en

The first-ever Electronic Message Design Competition in Hong Kong concluded successfully on 30^th September 2019, and we invited a panel of professional judges for selecting the winning e-Messages, which includes Professor Lam Tai-hing, Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Principal Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, Professor Ricky Kwok, the then Associate Vice-President (Teaching & Learning) of Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative, Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HKU and Co-Investigator of the Project, Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Grant Making – Elderly & Family), The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Dr. Raine Ng, Deputy Programme Leader (BBA – Marketing) & Instructor of the Department of Marketing, City University of Hong Kong. The winning entries are “Family! Where Life Begins” from Open Group, “Do you love us? (你愛我們嗎?)” from Family Group, “Sharing Happiness (分享快樂)” from Secondary School Group and “Mum, we love you!” from Primary School Group. Participants showcased immense novelty through creating a message with images and simple texts, for the sake of expressing thoughtfulness to their loved ones.

All the winning entries can be downloaded freely on the Project’s “Family Portal” webpage and Facebook page – Members of the public are welcome to share information as widely as possible and enhance communications within the family by sending more e-Messages.

For more information about the Competition, please click here to read the article.

The 2019/20 Central and Western District Health Festival, which was organised by the Steering Committee on Healthy City in the Central and Western District and co-organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department as well as a number of healthcare and social service institutions, was held at the Smithfield Sports Centre on 7^th – 8^th September 2019. The two-day event was well-attended by various organisations of the city in which free body check-up services, latest healthcare information exhibits and interactive games were provided.

Not only was Professor Lam Tai-hing, Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Principal Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, present at the event as an honorable guest at the opening ceremony, the Project Team also displayed an interactive game booth at the Health Festival –  this game adopted a motion-sensing device for capturing limb activities in the setting. Participants were welcome to complete a digital basketball game with another family member or friend. Going in hand in hand with the theme of the Health Festival 2019, our ICT game, reaching over 3,432 visitors, reminded the public of the importance of interacting with their family members more often with the help of technology, and at the same time staying healthy physically and psychologically.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Jockey Club Family Connect Project, which was launched and initiated by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, organised the Happy Family Month 2019 (Shatin District) at Shatin Central Park on 26^th May 2019. The mega activity takes place annually in response to the International Family Day dated 15^th May, and the theme of the year was “Give Me Five”. In the hope that communications between family members could be further enhanced, in turn strengthening family relationships, the Social Welfare Department, a number of social welfare organisations, and the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project participated in the event by showcasing various interactive games.

Two interactive game booths were displayed by our Project Team that day – one of them with a motion-sensing device for capturing limb activities attached, and the other one employing the computer technology on Virtual Reality (VR) – The games allowed visitors to engage their family members by sharing blissfulness and joy, particularly in celebration of Father’s Day, as well as exploring innovative ways when interacting with each other, by means of ICT communication tools. Despite the downpour that day, visitors still took pleasure in the activity overall, with over 3,400 members of the public attending the event.

Organised by the Federation of Parent-Teacher Association, Kowloon City District, the Association’s Carnival 2019 was held in Munsang College Primary School on 1^st May 2019, with the view to enhancing the collaboration between schools and families. The Carnival was themed “Kowloon City, Get Healthy, Let’s Go! (龍城健康Go! Go! Go!)” this year, in which the organising committee hoped for a healthier lifestyle and culture to be promoted within the district by means of a fun and light-hearted approach.

As the event day was close to Mother’s Day, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project Team seized the chance to display an interactive game booth which made use of a motion-sensing device for capturing limb activities, in order to foster SMART Communications between family members in the household. By facing the screen and doing some running gestures as instructed, participants could complete the tasks with another family member. The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project booth, which was very well-received by both the young and the old with a high satisfaction rate, was attended by over 1,800 members of the public. The Carnival itself served also as a valuable opportunity for promoting our Project Facebook page and Family Portal, which are good channels for encouraging people to maintain a strong family bonding with the help of ICT.

The Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit 2018 (“GIES 2018”) was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 22^nd – 25^th November 2018, where innovative products and ideas locally and overseas for catering the needs of elderly in an ageing population were presented. There was also a great platform to allow stakeholders from various walks of life to take part in gerontechnology-related panel discussions.

In the exhibition zone of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, an interactive booth where Chroma Key (Green screen) visual technology was employed for Augmented Reality (AR) photo and video taking was displayed by the team of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project. Visitors could borrow different props in posing and taking interesting pictures with a virtually realistic dinosaur feature with motion and sound effects on the screen. Upon completion of the activity, participants would be awarded a photo print with a specific QR code to access their AR photos or videos in an electronic format, which would facilitate downloading and sharing with their loved ones.

With this interactive photo booth, the Project not only provided a chance for elderly to enjoy the activity, but also encouraged them to grow in understanding about the use of smart technology, such as second-generation barcode technology and augmented reality techniques. By creating their own fun pictures or clips and gaining exposure to ICT, family communications could be enhanced and the inter-generational gap will be minimized. Over 1,300 members of the public played our interesting AR game at our Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project booth.

Website of GIES 2018: https://gies.hk/en

The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project was launched on 11^th November 2018 at the Centennial Campus of the University of Hong Kong, with Dr Law Chi-kwong, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, HKSAR Government; Mrs Margaret Leung, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Professor Paul K.H. Tam, Acting President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) officiating the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by the Project’s professional support teams, including representatives of government departments, non-government organisations, HKU School of Public Health and Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative.

Initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project is a cross-sectoral collaboration to devise an innovative and evidence-based family service delivery model that leverages the effective use of Information and Communications Technology (“ICT”). With an aim to promoting family well-being, the Project Team highlighted the importance of making good use of ICT in fostering family communication, as well as strengthening family relationships. The key components of the Project include developing an online platform for furthering the professional skills and knowledge of frontline social workers, as well as building a content management system. Complemented by data analytics performed by the Institutions, the Project will assess its overall impact and adjust future family service planning. Together with 12 participating NGO partners, it is hoped that citizens’ awareness about a happy and healthy family could be raised through organising public education events and managing social media channels.

The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project will also promote the use of ICT in service delivery, programme design and planning in family services. A community event was held on the same day for NGO partners to showcase the use of different ICT tools, for example mobile applications, motion sensing games and etc., to engage the service users in a fun and interactive way. The launch ceremony attracted about 1,400 members of the public, and kick-started a series of publicity and public education activities in the coming four years.

For more information about the Project Launch Ceremony, please click here to read the article.

There have been many changes in people’s lifestyles, including the ways families interact, since the pandemic. To better understand Hongkongers’ views on Family Xingfu post-pandemic, and to explore how innovative family service models can respond to the ever-changing needs of families to promote positive and proactive family life, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project (“the Project”) team from the School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (“HKU”), conducted a survey and has published its findings in “Recovery from the pandemic: the perceived Family Xingfu, its associated factors and innovative family services”. (Xingfu partly representing Mandarin of well-being and feelings of happiness) The survey results were announced at a press conference today.

The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute was commissioned to conduct the online survey between 6 July and 26 August 2023, and interviewed over 4,500 Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above. Nearly sixty percent of respondents reported a high Family Xingfu score. Those who often had fun with family, praised family members, or accompanied family members were more likely to report a high Family Xingfu score. Furthermore, respondents expressed a greater inclination towards participating in online activities organised by NGOs to improve family relationships.

Initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Project aims to leverage advanced Information and Communication Technologies (“ICTs”) to support more effective and innovative service delivery provided by NGO-operated Integrated Family Service Centres (“IFSCs”) and Integrated Services Centres (“ISCs”). It also aims to enhance the sector’s capacity to use technology and data for family service innovations that can respond to emerging service needs to promote family well-being.

Mr Bryan Wong, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “Families are the cornerstones of society. We hope that through the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, the professional knowledge and strength of the welfare sector and academia can be combined to support IFSCs and ISCs in providing innovative family services with ICT to enhance family well-being. The public has increasingly relied on digital platforms for communication after the pandemic, emphasising the vital role technology plays in improving family relationships.”

For more research findings, please click here to read the article.

The pandemic has continued to evolve and brought immense pressure to Hong Kongers under the “new normal”. To better understand Hong Kongers’ coping capabilities and their relationships with their family members, as well as how family services can cater to family members in need, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project (“The Project”) team from the School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (“HKU”) researched the “Relationship between Adversity Coping Capability, Family Well-Being, and Innovative Family Services during the COVID-19 Outbreak”. The results were announced at today’s press conference.

Initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Project aims to encourage members of the public, social welfare units, and Integrated Family Service Centres to apply more elements of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to promote family well-being.

Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, Mr Leong Cheung said, “The Club has spared no effort in promoting the use of innovative technology, so as to strengthen the social service sector’s capability to cope with social issues and foster the development of local family services. We also supported various projects to encourage cross-sectoral cooperation, in a bid to develop a more suitable and effective service. Talent & Capacity Building is one of our key focus areas, the aim being to meet evolving needs in society and support the long-term development of Hong Kong.” Mr Cheung added that this echoes the Club’s commitment to the betterment of society, which is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community.”

For more research findings, please click here to read the article.

Amid the third wave of COVID-19, the pandemic remains a hot topic in family e-chat groups. The frequency and reliability of information sent can affect the quality of family communication. To this end, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team conducted research and presented such findings on the “Relationship between Information Sharing and Family Well-being during the COVID-19 Outbreak” at this press conference.

Professor Lam Tai-hing, BBS, JP, Principal Investigator of the Project and Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU said the research showed that topics of family e-chat group communications are closely related to the quality of family communications, family harmony and family happiness. The Project’s Co-Investigator and Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Dr Kelvin Wang Man-ping, also recommended the public send more proactive and positive messages to family members amid the pandemic. Dr. Wang furthered reminded us to disseminate positive energy such as care and support in their family e-chat groups, which is conducive to greater quality of family communications, family harmony and family happiness.

Representatives from two partnering social welfare organisations also attended the press conference in sharing with members of the public how the applications of ICT assist Integrated Family Service Centres/ Integrated Service Centres in delivering substantial services during the pandemic outbreak, allowing family members to not only stay emotionally connected together, but also letting the social service sectors reach out to the previously unreachable groups of service users. With the help of innovative family-friendly programmes, the centres’ family services could be more widely promoted.

The Project team will continue to encourage social welfare organisations and members of the public to make good use of ICT for family communications in fostering family well-being. In order to further promote family electronic communication skills and tips among the public, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team will keep up with its endeavours in developing different family-friendly mobile games, which are readily available for free downloading on various platforms including our Family Portal, for strengthening family connections and communications with the use of ICT.

For more research findings, please click here to read the article.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to school closures and many adults working from home. This meant increased contact among household members but, at the same time, limited interaction with other family members due to social distancing measures. Unprecedented changes to daily life could bring about physical and mental pressures, as well as family problems. Thus, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team conducted a survey on the “Impacts of the COVID-19 Outbreak & Information and Communications Technology on Family” and released the survey results at the event.

This press conference was jointly attended by guest speakers, Professor Lam Tai-hing, BBS, JP, Principal Investigator of the Project and Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU, as well as Professor Ricky Kwok Yu-kwong, the Project’s Co-Investigator and Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HKU. They discussed the family communication pattern changes and the challenges in interacting with family members using information and communications technology (ICT) in times of the pandemic. Practical tips on how to stay in touch with family members and show care during such difficult times were also shared. Together with many partners, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project has long been devoted to providing a wide variety of ICT resources, including but not limited to family-friendly mobile game applications, gamified ICT tools, and e-messages, with the aim of helping social welfare organisations and members of the public promote family harmony.The Project Team also encourages a positive attitude while tackling all the pandemic-related challenges ahead of oneself and the family – when in need, both online and offline professional advice and aid from Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs) and Integrated Service Centres (ISCs) can be sought to help us cope with such uncertainties.

Representatives of frontline social service workers were also invited to share how they have benefited from the Project Team’s assistance when rendering family service fused with ICT elements, which has largely uplifted the quality of family service provision. The Project and NGO Partners shall continue to work hand-in-hand together for the sake of strengthening healthy family functioning and enhancing family well-being.

Programme Description: To introduce various projects funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, including “the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project”.

Broadcast Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Broadcast Channel: Commercial Radio 1 (FM 88.1)

Guests:

• Prof Lam Tai-hing, Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Principal Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project
• Alistair and Yannie, two social service worker representatives from Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited, Tung Chung IFSC

Programme Content:

• Introduce the survey findings of the “Hong Kong Family e-Communication Behaviours 2019” Survey, including the application of instant messaging apps in e-chat groups in Hong Kong families;
• Update the implementation progress and future development of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project

Busy schedules and long working hours have often hindered the communications between Hong Kong parents and their children, with some even not talking to each other on a daily basis. As society changes, more and more young adults no longer live with their parents in order to make a living; the number of elderly living alone or with their spouse has risen by more than 60% in the past decade, leading to worsened communication and distant family relationships. In view of the situation, the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team conducted an online survey on “Hong Kong Family e-Communication Behaviours” in Q2 2019. The survey results were announced at the press conference on 19th December 2019 and the aim of the event were to understand the behaviours and quality of communication in Hong Kong families and how family members interact with each other.

The press conference was jointly attended by Professor Lam Tai-hing, BBS, JP, Principal Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project and Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU; and Dr. Kelvin Wang Man Ping, Co-Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faulty of Medicine, HKU as the guest presenters. The speakers presented the trends and behavioural habits of family communications nowadays, and shared with us practical tips on how e-chat groups help enhance family relationships.

The survey results revealed that electronic communication has become the trend in family communication, hence the importance of SMART communication with family members. The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project team encourages families to leverage ICT for improving family communications and promoting family well-being. The Project team will develop ICT tools and promote the wider use of electronic messages, instead of lengthy text, for better family interactions.

For more survey findings and details of the press conference, please click here for article.

Programme Description: To introduce various projects funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, including “the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project”.

Broadcast Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Broadcast Channel: Commercial Radio 1 (FM 88.1)

Guests:

• Ms Imelda Chan, then Head of Charities (Grant Making – Elderly & Family) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
• Prof Lam Tai-hing, Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health, Chair Professor of Community Medicine of School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Principal Investigator of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project

Programme Content:

• Update the implementation progress and future development of the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, including the Launch Ceremony held on 11^th November 2018