SOCIAL WELFARE.
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efforts are made to help the family solve its difficulties, often by enlisting the aid and support of other departments or of one of a number of strong and resourceful voluntary agencies. The number of families receiving public assistance showed a slight increase during the year from 2,234 to 2,635. A number of voluntary agencies, including the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, Lutheran World Service and the Seventh Day Adventist Welfare Service, operate supplementary feeding schemes.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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The fourth and last community centre built with overseas World Refugee Year money was opened in March. These community centres, established in resettlement estates and new towns, provide a variety of services including day care for pre-school children, vocational training for young people, social case work and libraries. Through community development work, people from various walks of life are brought together in new relationships, groups and associations. An increasing number of members in the groups are taking on leadership roles and accepting heavier responsibilities within and outside the community centres. This enables the staff of the centres to maintain regular contacts with people working and living in the surrounding areas, with the object of making each centre increasingly a focal point for the local community.
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Following the completion of a study of the social needs of the Chai Wan area by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Council has commenced detailed planning of facilities to be provided in a community centre which will be built with funds collected in Hong Kong by the Council during the World Refugee Year.
TRAINING AND RESEARCH
In all, 48 students completed courses in social work at the two universities during the year; very many fewer than a recent survey suggests will be needed if our annual requirements in this field are to be satisfied. Nine Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corpora- tion scholarships were awarded, while government bursaries were granted to eight students to allow study at the University of Hong Kong and to 31 for studies at The Chinese University of Hong
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