A local shopping centre is not the first place you would expect to find an indoor soccer pitch, but thanks to a programme run by the Housing Authority, imaginative use of retail spaces is becoming more commonplace.

Offering soccer classes for children, the soccer academy at So Uk Shopping Centre in Sham Shui Po opened last month.

Holly So, one of the school’s coaches, said it primarily caters to children aged three to six. “We mainly provide them with soccer training, as well as soccer competitions.”

Pursuing dreams

To support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams, the Housing Authority’s “Well Being·Start-Up 2.0” programme allows them to trial their business plans rent-free at premises in shopping centres under the authority.

The scheme targets individuals aged 35 or below. After seven rent-free months, the authority offers them discounted rents, with staged increases, for another three years.

Ms So added: “We hope that this pitch can become the established Hong Kong kindergarten soccer competition pitch. We can attract more football players from kindergartens, and we can spread the message that football and kindergarten education can actually integrate together.”

Scaling up

To extend the programme’s coverage and impact, the authority has encouraged private shopping centres and landlords in the commercial sector to join it.

Housing Department Chief Estate Surveyor/Commercial Properties Evelyne Fung said the response from the private sector has been positive, supplementing the shop units offered by the Housing Authority.

“Currently, there are altogether 17 private owners joining this programme, offering shop units with varying rent-free periods. Together with the 12 shop units offered by the Housing Authority, this programme now offers more than 70 shop units for young startups to try out their business plans. The scale is more than seven times that of the first phase.”

Vital programme

The Housing Society also fully supports “Well Being·Start-Up 2.0” by offering designated retail premises to young entrepreneurs.

One group of youngsters has established Hong Kong's first fitness centre focused on “inclusive” exercise at Health Village in North Point, a property managed by the Housing Society. The facility strives to provide fitness programmes targeted specifically at people with disabilities and the elderly.

Fitness centre founder Adonis Chow remarked that the scheme is vital for startups.

“This programme has let us reduce our economic pressures. The Hong Kong Housing Society provided a seven-month rent-free period for us, and we can feel free to provide more services. Nowadays, around 30% of our customers are newcomers.”

The Housing Authority, meanwhile, stressed that the programme has not only helped startups achieve success but has given residents a greater variety of choice and enhanced retail experiences.