HKJC funds major upgrades to suicide prevention center to boost emotional support services

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has funded the comprehensive renovation of a crucial suicide prevention and emotional support headquarters, which officially reopened its doors on Saturday. The upgraded facility promises to significantly expand local mental health resources by utilizing modern counseling spaces and advanced hotline technology to better serve vulnerable individuals, caregivers, and their families.

Comprehensive upgrades for safer care

The Suicide Prevention Services Jockey Club Ping Shek Service Centre, serving as the organization's headquarters and primary operational base since 2009, celebrated its official reopening following the HKJC-backed renovation. 

The project successfully reconfigured approximately 256 square meters of interior space to optimize administrative efficiency and dramatically improve the user experience. 

Redesigned counseling rooms and group activity zones now offer a highly secure, welcoming, and comfortable setting for sensitive therapy sessions. 

To ensure the facility remains fully inclusive, planners also integrated barrier-free accessibility features and dedicated accessible restrooms to comfortably accommodate a diverse range of service users.

Tech-driven support for volunteers and callers

Beyond physical structural improvements, the center serves as a vital training hub for community volunteers and has been outfitted with cutting-edge front-line technologies. 

The upgrades introduce a specialized hands-free, noise-canceling hotline system designed to optimize call clarity and minimize background distractions during critical interventions. 

Additionally, a new emergency support alert system has been installed, allowing staff members to instantly coordinate and provide immediate assistance to volunteers handling high-risk calls.

Expanding outreach and service capacity

With these newly modernized facilities and systems in place, the organization expects to substantially boost its overall service capacity. 

The total number of trained volunteers is projected to increase by a quarter, enabling the center to assist approximately twenty percent more individuals seeking emotional guidance. 

This enhanced capacity will directly strengthen the group's comprehensive suite of community-facing programs, which includes its vital 24-hour telephone hotline, emergency crisis intervention, specialized bereavement counseling, and proactive community outreach initiatives.

A three-decade partnership

The reopening ceremony was attended by prominent government and community leaders, including Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare. 

He was joined by Ann Kung, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, along with Wendy Kwok and Linda Lau, who serve as Honorary Patrons and executive leaders of Suicide Prevention Services.

Addressing the attendees, Kung emphasized that protecting community mental well-being is fundamental to building a sustainable and happy society. 

Over the past three decades, the HKJC has been a steadfast partner, contributing more than HK$100 million to support various suicide prevention initiatives. 

Beyond the recent facility upgrades, this funding has backed specialized outreach services for emotionally strained caregivers and comprehensive grief support programs for families coping with sudden loss.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓